Kill the deer. Now.

For the better part of eight years now, London City Council has been bickering about whether or not to cull some deer in and around Sifton Bog.

I can't believe we're still talking about this. The answer to the deer overpopulation has always been obvious. Why? Relocating the deer would solve nothing, because the deer would die anyways since they would be moved to an unnatural habitat. Doing nothing means they're still invading backyards, and getting themselves killed on fences.

We had this discussion in 2001. And now in 2009, City Council wants to spend our taxpayer money on a consultant to tell us what we already know.

Controller Bud Polhill, as well as some area residents, are opposed to a deer cull simply because they're afraid of consequences for children.

One particularly strong letter to the editor on the subject appeared in today's London Free Press, written by Mary Shepherd. In her letter, she argues:

"The fallout from this plan will take a heavy toll on children; the boards of education would be well-advised to have long-term counselling available for staff, students and families who will suffer emotionally should killing be the city's decision. How does a teacher explain that the deer will die, often a slow, lingering death, and that "their" deer could be one of the animals killed?"

Grief counsellors?! For deer? According to this argument, children who grow up on farms need grief counsellors whenever "their" cows or chickens are killed for meat.

The City of London needs to have some balls and ignore these emotional, illogical pleas to protect the massive deer population. The decision to cull should have been made quickly years ago, and the City should then have moved on to bigger issues. It speaks volumes at what kind of city London is compared to its neighbours.

While London City Council bickers about deer, other municipalities are planning regional rail transit for the future. London has got to be the laughingstock of Kitchener-Waterloo.

Kill them, and move on.