Someone used ‘feral hogs’ to justify owning an assault weapon and it quickly became a meme

In the past few days America suffered two mass shootings, one in El Paso Texas and another in Dayton, Ohio and this has resulted in renewed arguments over the ownership of guns.

The right to bear arms is enshrined in the country’s constitution (the second amendment), however many are calling for this to be changed in light of the recent shootings, which killed almost 30 people and injured more than 50.

In the midst of debates about safety, personal responsibility and the right to protect oneself, one Twitter user has introduced a new element: wild pigs.

A man from Arkansas posed the following question:

Legit question for rural Americans – How do I kill the 30-50 feral hogs that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play?

Uh, wild pigs.

The question prompted an enormous amount of responses, from ridicule to serious engagement.

Jokes ensued

Some people gave William the benefit of the doubt and suggested he was joking

Does William have a point about the hogs?

Feral hogs are a problem in parts of America.

According to a 2018 CNBC article, “feral hogs cause up to $2.5bn (£2.05bn) in damage a year.”

Texas farmer Richard Beyer told the news publication: “They root up and make holes and tear up cotton fields,” he said. “For corn, rice and grain sorghum, they are pretty terrible on it too.”

They’ve gotten a lot worse — so bad that you can’t hardly trap them anymore because the numbers are so big.

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