Man, it was a busy day, and I hate to inundate you with new posts, but maybe all these entries will tide you over for the weekend, or during your Monday morning coffee or what-have-you.
As I've blogged before, the horse slaughter in the United States continues due to a loophole that was created by a rewrite of a new federal law before it went into effect:
Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., who sponsored the original provision, was incensed when congressional leaders rewrote his legislation, and he ended up voting against the final bill, said spokeswoman Melissa Carlson.And there's the rub. As long as animals are considered property, like cars, computers, and shoes, they will not receive the treatment that ought to be accorded to a living, sentient being. Hell, some people treat their "things" better than animals.
The slaughter plants interpreted the new language as allowing fee-for-service inspections, as has long been done for such exotic species as bison and ostrich, and petitioned the Agriculture Department, which agreed to provide them at the plants' expense.
Meanwhile, slaughter opponents sent 10 pickup trucks pulling empty horse trailers -- symbolizing animals gone to slaughter -- from New Hampshire to Washington.
They also requested that the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia issue a temporary restraining order preventing the fee-for-service program, arguing that it was the intent of Congress to stop horse slaughter.
The court has yet to take any action.
"We are sitting around anxiously awaiting a decision from the judge," said Chris Heyde, a lobbyist with the Society for Animal Protective Legislation. "We are obviously disappointed by the USDA's action. The language was clear. But the amendment also was not the ultimate goal. It would have stopped horse slaughter only a short time."
Anti-horse slaughter activists have long enjoyed the support of such animal-welfare groups as the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Protection of Animals, and have garnered publicity by enlisting such celebrities as Bo Derek, Whoopi Goldberg, Morgan Freeman, Viggo Mortensen and Mira Sorvino.
But in the past month, the three outgunned horse-meat suppliers have ratcheted up their low-key lobbying effort, hiring former Rep. Charles Stenholm, a Texas Democrat had been a powerful member of the House Agriculture Committee, and signing on a Washington-based public-relations and lobbying firm, SciWords.
"Many horse owners absolutely oppose horse slaughter," Stenholm said. "And I agree with them -- on their horse. The fundamental issue involved is that the horse owner makes the choice. It's always been a property-rights issue."
And thus the argument for animal rights...
Categories: horse slaughter
