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There has been much debate over a bill that has narrowly passed so far in the Montana Senate. In its first round, the Senate voted 27-23 to give initial approval to a bill that would give future horse slaughterhouses and processing plants, in Montana, protection from court injunctions seeking to stop them. There has been a mass email going around in the animal protection world that implores all of those who care about horses to please call the Governor’s office and ask him to not sign the bill. There is a tendency amongst hardcore animal rights activists to want idealistic terms – NOW! In other words, they strive to achieve the big picture all at once, rather than building stepping stones that lead up to it. For instance, should they decide that the ideal world is a world where everyone is a vegetarian, then rather than build smaller campaigns that slowly educate the public, in terms to which they can relate on the issue, they will launch some sort of large global “Become Vegetarian NOW” campaign. The obstacle, though, is that progression is usually most effective, and we find that going full steam ahead just doesn’t garner the results for which we were hoping. Instead of looking at the most ideal outcome possible, which is often not a reality of what is actually going to occur, the best course of action is usually to start with what is the most ideal outcome that is attainable. In the situation with the horse slaughter bill, many are arguing that we need to stop horse slaughter all together. This is their entire platform. Sure, in an ideal world, stopping the mass slaughtering of horses would be great. But it just isn’t realistic. As a fellow, veteran animal advocate, of mine pointed out: “One thing to consider with this issue is that without horse slaughter houses in the U.S., horses are being to be sent to Mexico for slaughter. There is a federal bill to prohibit the export of horses for slaughter but it has not passed yet. So when the U.S. horse slaughter houses closed it resulted in more horses being shipped to Mexico for slaughter - not only is the journey there horrific, the slaughter practices in Mexico are everything you would imagine they are….bad. So, until we successfully ban the export of horses for slaughter, as much as I hate to say it, having a horse slaughterhouse might actually reduce suffering by reducing the number of horses that are shipped to Mexico for slaughter.” Is horse slaughter in general a perfect picture? To many, no. But in the meantime, allowing horse slaughter in the U.S. may be the most ideal, and quickly attainable, outcome that we have right now to stop a bigger suffering. And sometimes, doing what is needed just to end the suffering a little, goes further than trying to chase a bigger picture that could take much longer to achieve, if it is achievable at all.
If I didn't know better I would swear you were hired
History has already proven horse slaughter isnt right at all. First it rewards irresponsible people to keep on overbreeding and making the Organizations such as the AQHA and other overbreeder association more money which to date non have set funds or even dondated to any rescues in the US or Canada. Second the whole process has already been proven that a horse is a fight or flight animal. So when a killer buyer or auctioneer that makes a living supporting horse meat to foreigners. Remember there the ones saying theses are sick or old or crazy horses. According to my personel experences and the released USDA FOIA reports horses were young and healthy. Expect that the drugs that are put into horses like Wormer,Bute,Steriods etc which we have horses and vaccine and worm our horses quarterly. By the way we are NOT Peta and we do consume meat. These are just stories the pro slaughter people keep winying about. They fail to mention the SouthWestern Cattle Association was getting paid $3.00 per horse slaughtered in Texas. I foreign owned plant that operated illegal for years until exposed. Most how support horse slaughter are Making money its not about the so called word Unwanted horses but merely Unsold horses. The fact is in 2002 nearly 42,000 horses were slaughtered the number increase to pay for there lawyers and lobbyist. Mexico and Canada for years have slaughtered horses long before US plants were forced closed. It was only done secretly and with us Tax payers paying for there inspectors. These plants paid no Gross income Taxes nor Export Taxes. Its ashame there are pro slaughter people wasting our tax dollars haulting elected officals from repairing the economy and doing there jobs. A live horse brings in more profits and reveneue to all states. Trailers sales,Park Permits, Tack, Training, Feed, Hay farmers, Taxes as pleasure Items, Therapy horses, Police Horses, Parades, etc. A slaughter plant only promotes irresponsible people and profits foreigners.
Thomas,
Everything you are saying is correct, except the number of horses being exported to Mexico increased greatly after the closure of the U..S. based slaughter houses.
Horse slaughter is gruesome and cruel but it is even more gruesome in Mexico. We need to shut the door on exports to Mexico (and Canada). Once the horse slaughter house is opened in Montana it will be more difficult to close, so its worth fighting, but need to think about the potential unforeseen consequences.
Here is a link to what one can find in Mexico horse slaughter plants - film by Animals Angels who did the first investigation of this route.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KBhaeOp2yA