Concerned about Auburn's reputation over the recent crow hunt? This event is now known nationwide.

Type "crow shoot Auburn NY" into your favorite search engine, and observe the results.

We have become the focal point of two loud movements - animal rights and hunters. Within these groups, lessons in public relations and political correctness abound.

Remember the Nazi march in Auburn some years ago? Ultimately, 12 "skin-heads" got out of their car, saw their shadow and went home.

This forecasted six more weeks of letters to the editor from citizens eager to prove they lacked prejudice.

Opposing zealots, helicopters, and news frenzy were all for nothing when compared to 12 sorry publicity-seekers. In hindsight, we should have ignored them.

Left-wing groups crowed when the Nazis were run out of town. They didn't realize they had been used in a larger game of membership growth.

The vast news coverage attracted more people to the skinhead movement. If we had quietly allowed their constitutional right to spout nonsense, this incident would be long forgotten. Instead, an unnecessary conflict played into radical recruitment plans.

The crow hunt is following a similar path, with familiar results. With hunting legal, a few dead crows might be forgotten, if not for the tremendous uproar by left-wing groups intent on demonstrating their "kindness."

These people think they are battling ignorant "beer-swilling Gomers," but they are now being used. More joined the hunt because animal rights groups provided free publicity.

This crow shoot only succeeds in polarizing two sides that already mistrust each other.

I don't hunt, but I recognize the right of others to do so. My first reaction to this tempest was to join the fight against socialist radicals and kill some crows, but I won't.

I figure the best way to poke the left is to point out how their misplaced passion has been successfully used against them: organizer Tom Lennox is now famous; his "crowmobile" nationally known. What did liberal protests gain?

Kindness to God's creatures is taught at home, so I don't think chants by PETA do anything but preach to a choir.

Certainly they won't stop hunters. Those who are disgusted by a crow shoot should quietly ignore this event and concentrate their efforts on raising considerate children.

Although I oppose this "drop in the bucket" solution to our crow problem, I have to smile in recognition at Mr. Lennox's successful poking of liberals.

Roger Hare's Conservative view appears each Tuesday in The Citizen.