Are there any controversial blood sports in your country? In the UK, there’s fox hunting. Officially, it’s illegal but it’s still going on.

The goal of most fox hunts is simple: to track, catch up and, sometimes, kill a fox. A hunt begins when the hounds (猎犬) are “cast”. This is when the dogs are released and start searching in bushes for foxes. When the hounds pick up the smell, they track the fox. If they see it, the chase (追赶) is on and the dogs run after it. The hunt continues until either the fox escapes or is caught and then usually killed by the hounds.

Many people are against fox hunting. Animal rights activists argue that foxes suffer a cruel (残忍的) and violent death. They also say that fox hunting is an activity in which people seem to gain pleasure from cruelty. Others dislike it for being a mostly upper-class sport. Among them was Oscar Wilde, who once described it in 1893 as, “the unspeakable in full chase of the uneatable”.

Supporters of fox hunting say it’s a tradition that’s part of England’s cultural heritage. They also say it plays an important role in country life, and that many jobs depend on fox hunting. Finally, they point out that it’s an important form of pest control that protects the livelihood of farmers, and that the foxes are killed quickly and that it’s much less cruel than using traps or poisons.

But in 2005 everything changed. The Hunting Act came into force, and this effectively banned fox hunting. But it wasn’t easy passing the law. Thousands of people gathered outside the House of Parliament in protest. Now, it is officially illegal, but hunts still take place and more than 1804 hunt groups are still in existence. So, it seems that this England’s tradition just refuses to die.

Almost every community has some form of rules and some way of enforcing them. So why do we have rules, and what makes people follow them?

Studies have suggested that the reason we don’t like rule-breaking is because fairness is programmed into our brains. Scientists have found that the brain reacts in a particular way when we feel we are being treated unfairly. A fair situation makes us feel comfortable and even happy, but unfairness causes our brains to respond with negative feelings. The study found that this so happened when subjects saw others being treated unfairly. They concluded that fairness is one of basic human needs.

Arriving at a feeling of fairness means considering different, often conflicting, points of view. Regardless of the disagreement, people almost always need to compromise. But it can be difficult to arrive at a compromise when there are conflicting interests. This is why communities have rules that everyone must follow.

Social controls are an important factor in setting and following rules. They influence the way we behave, and can be internal (内在的) or external. Internal controls come from within and are based on our values and fears. Most of us don’t steal, for example, because we believe that theft is unfair and wrong. We don’t want to disappoint our family and friends, either. In other words, our internal controls keep us from behaving in ways that cause conflict.

External controls include rewards and punishments. Rewards, such as job promotions and praise, are designed to encourage people to behave and act in the interest of the whole community.

Punishments, such as public embarrassment, fines, and even imprisonment can prevent people from acting against the community’s best interests.

People need their communities to function smoothly. If there were no rules, most people would probably still behave positively. However, there would always be a minority who would not. This is why a society without rules is unlikely to exist.

In Canada, rights come with responsibilities. ' These include:

Obeying the law—one of Canada’s founding principles is the rule of law. Individuals and governments are regulated by laws and not by arbitrary actions. No person or group is above the law.

Taking responsibility for oneself and one's family—getting a job, taking care of one's family and working hard in keeping with one's abilities are important Canadian values. Work contributes to personal dignity and self -respect, and to Canada's prosperity.

Serving on a jury—when called to do so. you are legally required to serve. Serving on a jury is a privilege that makes the justice system work as it depends on impartial juries made up of citizens.

Voting in elections—the right to vote comes with a responsibility to vote in federal provincial or territorial and local elections.

Helping others in the community—millions of volunteers freely donate their time to help others

without pay -helping people in need assisting at your child’s school volunteering at a food bank or other charity, or encouraging newcomers to integrate. Volunteering is an excellent way to gain useful skills and develop friends and contacts.

Protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment—every citizen has u role to play in avoiding waste and pollution while protecting Canada’s natural, cultural and architectural heritage for future generations.