Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/09pdf/08-769.pdf
Page Number: 31.0

Cite as:  559 U. S. ____ (2010) 

7 

ALITO, J., dissenting 

tional,”  or  “historical”  value.    While  there  are  certainly
those  who  find  hunting  objectionable,  the  predominant 
view  in  this  country  has  long  been  that  hunting  serves 
many  important  values,  and  it  is  clear  that  Congress
shares that view.  Since 1972, when Congress called upon
the  President  to  designate  a  National  Hunting  and  Fish-
ing Day, see S. J. Res. 117, 92d Cong., 2d Sess. (1972), 86
Stat. 133, Presidents have regularly issued proclamations
extolling  the  values  served  by  hunting.    See  Presidential 
Proclamation No. 8421, 74 Fed. Reg. 49305 (Pres. Obama
2009)  (hunting  and  fishing  are  “ageless  pursuits”  that
promote  “the  conservation  and  restoration  of  numerous 
species  and  their  natural  habitats”);  Presidential  Procla-
mation  No.  8295,  73  Fed.  Reg.  57233  (Pres.  Bush  2008) 
(hunters  and  anglers  “add  to  our  heritage  and  keep  our 
wildlife  populations  healthy  and  strong,”  and  “are  among
our foremost conservationists”); Presidential Proclamation 
No.  7822,  69  Fed.  Reg.  59539  (Pres.  Bush  2004)  (hunting 
and  fishing  are  “an  important  part  of  our  Nation’s  heri-
tage,”  and  “America’s  hunters  and  anglers  represent  the 
great spirit of our country”); Presidential Proclamation No.
4682,  44  Fed.  Reg.  53149  (Pres.  Carter  1979)  (hunting 
promotes  conservation  and  an  appreciation  of  “healthy
recreation,  peaceful  solitude  and  closeness  to  nature”); 
Presidential  Proclamation  No.  4318,  39  Fed.  Reg.  35315 
(Pres.  Ford  1974)  (hunting  furthers  “appreciation  and 
respect  for  nature”  and  preservation  of  the  environment). 
Thus,  it  is  widely  thought  that  hunting  has  “scientific” 
value  in  that  it  promotes  conservation,  “historical”  value 
in  that  it  provides  a  link  to  past  times  when  hunting 
played a critical role in daily life, and “educational” value 
in  that  it  furthers  the  understanding  and  appreciation  of 
nature and our country’s past and instills valuable charac-
ter traits.  And if hunting itself is widely thought to serve
these  values,  then  it  takes  but  a  small  additional  step  to
conclude  that  depictions  of  hunting  make  a  non-trivial