Follow the money. If you really want to know the underlying agenda behind any referendum in Maine, follow the money.

The bear hunting referenda we’ll be facing in November is financed by a group of wealthy eco-socialists who make no bones about their belief that hunting, in any form, is wrong and must be wiped out. They understand they have no chance of advancing their agenda on its own merits. Their strategy uses the tactics of divide and conquer and incrementalism to achieve its goals.

Incrementalism is the cynical, but very effective, idea that the voting public can be steered to a desired end by using reasonable restrictions on a given activity. Once the reasonable restriction becomes the norm, the next, more oppressive restriction is advanced as reasonable. Why do you think pro-abortion forces so vehemently opposed the recent “partial birth abortion” ban?

Divide and conquer is a well understood maxim in politics and war. If you can get a few hunters to subscribe to the notion that one way of hunting is more ethical than another – if you can get hunters to bicker among themselves – you’ve divided them, and you can defeat them in detail.

If you hunt, whether for birds, waterfowl, rabbits, deer, moose or bear, understand that this referendum is the opening assault on you.

And anglers, don’t feel smug. You will be in the Human Society of the United States’ cross hairs if they succeed with this November’s referendum.

Andrew Hall, Lewiston