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RE: [RC] horse slaughter vs vegitarianism - heidi
OK, I try to stay out of these "debates" but this pushes my buttons a
little bit.
Do you consider the slaughter of cattle or pigs to be due to
"uncontrolled breeding?" Those animals are BRED to be slaughtered and eaten! I drive through 20+ miles of cattle country on my way to work every day, and I can GUARANTEE you that the fate of each and every new calf born is to be either slaughtered and eaten while still young or to be used to raise more calves to be slaughtered and eaten. Virtually every individual out there will eventually be slaughtered and eaten, unless first killed by predators or by disease or accident--outcomes which the ranchers work fervently to prevent, so as to ensure that the individuals will instead be slaughtered and eaten.
Indeed, horses are raised primarily for other pursuits. But
"blaming" the slaughter market on irresponsibile breeding and irresponsible ownership while we raise entire other species for meat is pretty hard to justify.
For the record, I also oppose the transport and housing atrocities that
occur in the equine slaughter industry--byt those atrocities have been greatly exacerbated by the do-gooders who have OPPOSED horse slaughter, and who have forced closure of the small local plants where owners could take horses directly to the plants on "kill days," thus avoiding the transport and housing problems. The "stun" process is no different than that used for cattle--and is perfectly effective when applied properly. I've not been in any of the larger plants, but have spent sufficient time on the "kill floor" of a small local plant (before it was closed) to know that the "stun gun" is just as effective as when I put a well-placed bullet through a horse's brain. (It was not uncommon for clients to still want their vet to do a necropsy on a horse they were sending to the local kill plant--and in order to do so, I had to be there when the horse was killed, so that I didn't cause an interruption in the day's work.)
As for irresponsible ownership, thanks to Angie for posting the article
that she did. That is the realistic consequence of the anti-slaughter movement--more and more suffering on the part of the horses. The anti-slaughter legislation is downright diabolical.
Heidi
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