Re: EDITORIAL

[cberto@juno.com (connie B Berto)]

Maryben, I have read the wording of Prop. 6 on Horse Slaughter.  I happen
to think that Proposition 6 is a dumb idea, and my letter about that was
printed in today's San Fran. "Chronicle."     It doesn't stop horse
slaughter for canned dog/cat food which is OK, as   you can't have the
only legal disposal of horse bodies to be putting them in landfill.  
There are laws against horse theft already, but Prop. 6  won't  stop
horse stealing and the attendant sorrow to the owners of the stolen
horses.   It addresses a situation that doesn't exist in California (we
have no slaughter houses licensed for the human horsemeat trade).   
Nobody knows if horsemeat is sold anywhere or served up anywhere.   There
are no stations in place on our roads for  inspecting horsetrailers
heading out of state to determine "reason for travelling," nor would we
want there to be.  Most of the rest of the world eats horsemeat.  Every
town in France that has a butcher shop advertises horsemeat for sale.   I
find the idea of eating horsemeat *extremely* repugnant but I would not
force my personal revulsion on other cultures.  To make the serving  of
horsemeat (or any other diet component)  a legal infraction is ludicrous
.
    HOWEVER!     Having said all this, I find that, according to your
quotes of at Mercury News editorial, that they probably did  write an
incredibly coarse, insensitive, and cruel editorial, with all the wrong
attributes, pejorative labels  and push-button terms.  I will try to get
a copy of the editorial and will write them from what I read.
    I haven't owned many horses in my life but I've had to dispose of a
beloved mare when her time was up.  I was fortunate;  after the lethal
injection, a vet used her body to teach horse anatomy, with dissection, 
at a class he was giving.  I was able to watch (tears and all) and I
found it an incredibly therapeutic, educational, even uplifting 
experience.  Yes, her parts were taken to the dogfood plant afterward,
but she had continued to instruct humans even after death.  And, having
seen what's inside, I'll never ride a horse quite the same way again.
    Back to Prop. 6.   Maybe I'm mistaken, but I believe that horsepeople
are ALL concerned about animal welfare (I am not an animal "rights"
fanatic).  We darn well should have serious  concerns about regulations 
for  humane transport and humane treatment for those unfortunates headed
for slaughter, and we should be petitioning our legislators for such
laws.  Not one word in  Prop. 6 addresses  those REAL  issues.  It's one
more all-but-unenforceable  layer of beaurocracy.   Prop. 6 does not
belong on the ballot  and I say, vote no.    Best wishes, Connie B. 
(Marin)

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