President Obama signed the Appropriations Bill that reinstates horse slaughter in USA
Posted: Sunday, February 12, 2012
by The Old Gray Mare
www.DressYourHorse.com
Horse slaughter is now legal again, within the borders of the United States. President Obama lifted the several years’ ban when he signed horsemeat processing for human consumption back into law on November 18, 2011. This signature officially permits the on-American-soil killing of our horses so that the slaughtering plants can officially send the meat to Europe and elsewhere. Did you also know that the slaughterhouses are foreign-owned? Do you think we get much benefit here? Do you believe the workers are American? The fact is that not much benefits the US?
In obscure language hidden in spending bill H2112, hundreds of thousands of horses have been given death warrants with collaboration of certain Senators and the stroke of Obama’s pen.
You may want to know that horse slaughter was stopped – in my estimation because of money. Specifically, it was stopped because funding for USDA inspections of slaughterhouses was stopped. Without meat inspections and the money to fund them, no horsemeat could be processed for human use. Again for money – when the budget bill went through for discussions and approval, the House of Representatives retained existing language; however, the Senate version DID NOT.
The slaughter language found its way back via the Agriculture Appropriations Bill. The House left the horse slaughter wording intact and approved the funding bill as written. In the Senate the work of two aggressive legislators, however, managed to quietly and covertly remove the horse-saving language. As a nation, we had to keep our government funded and during the push to get it out of the House and the Senate, it was signed. It is important to note, I used the words quietly and covertly – you see, the words horse slaughter or lifting the slaughter ban are mentioned nowhere in the bill.
According to “these pro-horse slaughter proponents, something has to be done
about excess horses and the old, useless ones. Besides, they want us to know, horses are humanely killed.” Well I am here to say, “Not!”While I do not want to emphasize the horrors of horse slaughter and the drug/medicinal problems associated with horse meat in this article, I want to encourage every humane person to learn about the meat trade, particularly horse killing and butchering. There is not just random abuse. The treatment of the condemned horses is patently horrific.
Do you remember the campaign promise made by Obama to permanently ban horse slaughter and the export of horses and/or horsemeat for human consumption? Hasn’t it been bad enough that horses are still routed to Canada and Mexico where they fare even worse from their killing methods?
Do you know that it is your tax dollars funding inspections just so the meat and monies can be exported?
According to S. Wallis who is a legislator from Wyoming, and a primary pro-slaughter voice, up to 200,000 horses will be killed for human consumption annually. Worse for the horse enthusiasts, at least eight states are considering opening horse new slaughterhouses. Apparently, there is a push between the Congressional types that Americans will want to start eating horses, too. I say, “Yeah, right.”
Years ago, my own State of Connecticut had several small slaughterhouses that could handle horses. One slaughtered only horses. During the years that I served as President of The Connecticut Horse Council, that plant was active and processed hundreds of horses a month. The plant was the primary buyer of horses at auction, able to spend more money than the parents of 4H kids or average buyers. Many beautiful horses wound up in pieces on European tables.
In my capacity as President, I personally had to become involved in witnessing the killing and butchering processes. During the times that I was there, the horses might have been anyone’s animals – they were fit, sound and all ages. They had hay and water and were not crowded together. The horses did not verbalize more than normal and the “killers” were not cruel or rough with the horses. Of course, that’s when we were there. We had to assume that this was their normal killing process.
It is a well-know fact that about 70% of our people are opposed to horse slaughter in this country. At this point, it becomes imperative that we take action. We must educate ourselves about the horsemeat issue that has always been called “America’s dirty little secret.” It is now in the open. We need to consider that the fight must continue; we need to take action.
The bills to support are House Bill HR2966 and Senate Bill S1176. We must get more cosponsors and supporters.
Tell your Congressional members that you do not accept horse slaughter. Go to a Town Hall meeting if you can and stand your ground.
Remain polite in all letters, phone calls, or meetings. Just tell them they won’t get your vote if this is supported. And mean it!
This article is written by The Old Gray Mare of www.DressYourHorse.com and her Blog Sites.
This Article has been viewed 610 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)hi gray,
i hope all is well-other than what you wrote about.
it made me ill, and i almost couldn't fininsh reading the article, but realized i was almost done.
i've been having a very hard time with a a great about our world in which we live, for quite some time, and i find killing any animal that is not NEEDED for human life to prevail, is a sick and disrespectful, and certainly an "un" spiritual act for anyone to commit.
the "love of money" is the worst disease of mankind.
horses have been transporting and befriending people for centuries. how could anyone eat one? slaughter the very animal that was loyal through history?
we are a sick nation, and i am sorry for your distress.
and yes, i know the same can apply to chickens and cows, etc., and to that i say, yes, "the "love of money" is the worst disease of mankind.
horses have been transporting and befriending people for centuries. how could anyone eat one?"
if there is anything i can do, i'm here,
my best regards,
sueThank you, thank you! I cannot understand it myself. There are people that think if horsemeat becomes readily available, that it will become another desirable meat source. Particularly if the prices stay low, it will become more of a possibility. I am sorry about this subject but I feel it is necessary to get people to understand the undercurrents going on. It's just like our wild horses. People battled and fought for their right to exist. They stopped the killing and rounding up. Then they were encroaching on what the cow and probably sheep ranchers feel is "their lands" for the cows and the rounding up, etc., began again. Even Cloud, of PBS fame, and his clan were rounded up. Despite the fact that they "won the right" to exist. If they weren't rounding them up, they were shutting them out of the water supply. That's probably an even worse fate. So BLM has started rounding them up again.
The cruelty exhibited in some of the information I have been sent is so outrageous that I beg to wonder whether humans have any souls that can commit such acts. We all know the inhumanity of man to his own kind. Well, it's worse even to animals. I am not an activist but seeing this has made me see red. People do need to become better informed. Only then can we make any headway. At least if treatment until the final moment could improve. Nothing can ever take their terror away completely but at least it can improve. And for heaven's sake, we need to keep the horses here instead of shipping them to Mexico or Canada where abuses are even worse!!!!
Thank you for your support, Sue. We can start with our legislators. I don't march anywhere or protest or get into mobs. But I intend to walk the cause on Washington DC this year in June!
I have retweeted both articles to raise awareness for the horses...blessings to you. My javascript has been down, and that causes me not to be able to respond.Thank you so much Elle. I'm not trying to stop people from eating meat - even horses if that's their desire. However, and it's a big however, animals should not be tortured or horrifically treated before, during and as they are being butchered on top of it. They have never done anything to deserve this from humans. They suffer sometimes through their lives. When people discard them, they're going to get even worse treatment. Farm animals are also mistreated, especially pigs. There is no excuse to torture any animal. So awareness is what I'm looking for. I thank you so much. You are my staunch supporter and I'm so appreciative. Really!
I just don't know what to say. Sometimes this kind of news just takes the wind out of my sails and the strength from my gut. Great article.Thank you so much Christofer. It is difficult to express words at abject cruelty. I know exactly what you mean. It's difficult to pick the words to express what I'm trying to say without saying too much or too little or offending or just inflicting too much information - but awareness is needed in order for conscientious people to know what happens. The duplicity in the horse meat business is pretty nasty. I mean its so mob like sort of. At least what I know about mobs which isn't that much. But there are secrets and illegal actions. That's also true here. Our own lawmakers are so darn crooked in so many ways. Constituents - bull. They will go to the highest bidders. All of the ones involved get their biggest and most of their dollars from the horse meat trade. Of course, if they're lining their pockets, they'll be for it. Majority of constituents? Who cares. They'll lie through their eye teeth. I know from Connecticut personally. Here, you can get the money for your cause, but if it doesn't come out of committee or if it isn't put on the agenda, it'll never see the light. They'll sneak other things in through ambiguous language. You can't keep up with this stuff You are a kind man and thank you for being here.Strength to you. Fight on as you feel you must.Thanks so much!
This article wrenches at you. Such deceipt. So well written.Thank you again for taking the time to read my slaughterhouse article as it concerns horses. I appreciate your support.
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