Re: Horse slaughter

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

The major point that has been missing from this discussion is that there is
no reason other than religion or human emotional state that would make a
distinction between beef and horse meat. While I well understand that
majority of you would not want your horse to go to slaughter, that is
entirely within your control. But denying someone else the right to send
their horse to slaughter while you enjoy a Big Mac is hypocrysy at its
finest. And sending an animal to the zoo shows the weakness of the vegan
philosphy. If animals shouldn't be food - they shouldn't be food for other
animals. But nature kind of gets in the way.

It is one thing to not eat horse meat - it is another entirely to impose
your religion on other folks. For those folks that don't have any emotional
attachment to the horse, the economics of slaughter are not insignificant:
$500 of income vs $100 or more of expenses. But it is not so much that they
have to do it because of economics, but that there is no ethical reason not
to - just as there is no ethical reason not to raise beef cattle. I have not
sold any horses to slaughter or auction and I haven't eaten horse meat (I
have had a horse put down and paid the price), but other folks have as much
right to sell their horse for slaughter as the chicken farmers.

The California law is difficult to enforce, probably unconstitutional
because it interferes with interstate commerce. A killer buyer cannot buy a
horse in California, but a middleman can buy the horse to resell at an
auction in another state where the most likely outcome is purchase by a
killer buyer. But, hey, it made a bunch of folks in California feel good.
And feeling good as opposed to solving problems is important.

Someone suggested a lot of stolen horses end up at Texas slaughter houses.
There was an article in Equus (September 1999, I believe - can't locate that
issue) that discussed stolen horses. Texas has been particularly successful
in preventing stolen horses from slaughter. Actually, the overwhelming
number of stolen horses end up sold privately and do not end up in
slaughter.

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net