Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Horse Slaughter Is Reconsidered
The Wall Street Journal ^ | JANUARY 5, 2011 | By STEPHANIE SIMON

Posted on 01/05/2011 8:06:31 AM PST by 1rudeboy

Animal-Welfare Groups Are Joining Ranchers in a Push to Revive an Industry That Died in 2007

Less than four years after the last equine slaughterhouses in the U.S. closed down, an unlikely coalition of ranchers, horse owners and animal-welfare groups is trying to bring them back.

The group, gathering in Las Vegas this week for a conference called Summit of the Horse, aims to map out a strategy for reviving an industry that slaughtered as many as 100,000 horses a year in the U.S. before it was effectively shut down by congressional action in 2007.

Advocates say the slaughterhouses could bring an economic boost to rural areas and give owners who no longer have the means or inclination to care for the horses an economical and humane way to dispose of them.

"We believe that humane processing is absolutely a moral and an ethical choice," said Sue Wallis, a Wyoming state lawmaker who organized the event.

Ms. Wallis is working on bringing a slaughterhouse to her state, but said her coalition first must overcome what she called "the 'ick' factor."

Indeed, animal-welfare activists opposed to the resumption of slaughter say the public will rally to stop it, since many Americans grew up with such books as "Black Beauty" and TV shows like "Mister Ed" and consider horses companions, not meals.

"Public opinion is with us," said Patti Klein Manke, executive director of the Hooved Animal Humane Society.

Pressure from animal-rights groups and from undercover videos that circulated on the Internet and showed apparent cruelties in the horse-butchering process prompted Congress to shut off all funds for inspecting equine slaughterhouses in 2007. That dealt the industry a fatal blow, as federal inspections were required by law before the meat could be exported for human consumption.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: horse
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-65 next last
To: 1rudeboy

Already did. What’s your point?


21 posted on 01/05/2011 8:37:36 AM PST by airborne (Why is it we won't allow the Bible in school, but we will in prison? Think about it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy
Says the Dude who prides himself on rudeness.
22 posted on 01/05/2011 8:37:47 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (DEFCON I ALERT: The federal cancer has metastasized. All personnel report to their battle stations.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Now let’s be accurate: I’m only rude to the stupid.


23 posted on 01/05/2011 8:39:14 AM PST by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: airborne

I’m wondering what your problem is with the issue of “dignity.” You appeared to have an adverse reaction to the word.


24 posted on 01/05/2011 8:40:49 AM PST by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: sasquatch

I was raised on a farm so I have no problem killing livestock. And it’s common sense that the better you treat your animals, the more food they will produce for you (in the freezer).

And horse is good eatin’!


25 posted on 01/05/2011 8:40:50 AM PST by airborne (Why is it we won't allow the Bible in school, but we will in prison? Think about it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

Is being rude to yourself sort of like giving yourself a hum job?


26 posted on 01/05/2011 8:41:35 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (DEFCON I ALERT: The federal cancer has metastasized. All personnel report to their battle stations.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

Wow.. how often do you get a liberal interest group to say “oops — nevermind.”


27 posted on 01/05/2011 8:42:47 AM PST by Elwood P. Doud (America, you voted for a negro socialist with an Islamic name - so why act surprised?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Is being incapable of walking and chewing gum at the same time genetic, or learned?


28 posted on 01/05/2011 8:42:57 AM PST by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

Horse meat is yummy.


29 posted on 01/05/2011 8:42:59 AM PST by antiRepublicrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy
I’m wondering what your problem is with the issue of “dignity.”You appeared to have an adverse reaction to the word.

No, you only assumed that.

30 posted on 01/05/2011 8:43:33 AM PST by airborne (Why is it we won't allow the Bible in school, but we will in prison? Think about it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: antiRepublicrat

I’ve had it . . . didn’t find it very special. Just meat.


31 posted on 01/05/2011 8:44:01 AM PST by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

Tastes like chicken.


32 posted on 01/05/2011 8:44:44 AM PST by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

Well said. I have a hunting camp on a farm I go to every weekend. I do not understand the “They are just animals crowd”. Even if you are going to raise animals to eat them, you can treat the well. And I fully agree with your statement. People that are kind to animals, are kind people. People that think little of animal life, think little of life.


33 posted on 01/05/2011 8:45:14 AM PST by Robbin (If Sarah isnÂ’t welcome, IÂ’m not welcome, itÂ’s just that simpleÂ…)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: airborne
No, you only assumed that.

Ok, so you didn't intend to type that quotation mark after the word, even though you did.

34 posted on 01/05/2011 8:45:27 AM PST by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

“...Imbue livestock with the same rights as humans, and soon humans will be considered nothing more than livestock...”

Which is EXACTLY how the Left views human beings, and always has, since Day One.

And which is exactly why we need to fight them, always, everywhere, forever, by any means necessary, until they are beaten down and thrown on the trash heap of failed ideologies of history.


35 posted on 01/05/2011 8:46:50 AM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy
Okay, here's the deal.

I said livestock should be treated like livestock. By that I meant valuable property that should be treated as valuable property. That precludes abusing them.

Having Tourette's Syndrome, you knee-jerk made the implication that I was advocating cruelty and that livestock should be treated with "dignity."

We eat livestock. Not much dignity in that.

But go ahead and act like an air-headed fourteen-year old know-it-all. It fits you like a glove.

36 posted on 01/05/2011 8:49:22 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (DEFCON I ALERT: The federal cancer has metastasized. All personnel report to their battle stations.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: cjshapi

Everything you say is true.

Hooved Animal Humane Society = cruel bastards. And I say this as horse owner and a horse rescuer.


37 posted on 01/05/2011 8:50:09 AM PST by Noumenon ("We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Robbin

The “They are just animals crowd” simply is reacting to the PETA control-freaks. That’s what led to my “walk and chew gum” comment: you can hold the opinion that it is preferable to slaughter these animals in a centralized and convenient location instead of trucking them to Mexico where anything can happen, without becoming someone who throws paint at people wearing fur coats.


38 posted on 01/05/2011 8:50:37 AM PST by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: I still care

That was Ferdinand and before that the great champion Exceller. Both were slaughtered overseas. Ferdinand was slaughtered in Japan and Exceller was slaughtered in Sweden.

I am against horse slaughter for humane reasons. I am for stiffer penalties for animal abuse and for those horse owners who can no longer care for their horses, there should be places where they can take their horses to put them to sleep or turned over to horse rescue organizations.

To me, horses are not livestock and have plowed our fields, served us in battle and were beasts of burden. They deserve a better fate.


39 posted on 01/05/2011 8:50:53 AM PST by lone star annie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: C210N

“..Ooops, excuse me. I came here thinking this was a thread about Louise Slaughter...”

Dude...it said “Horse”...not “pig”....

I’m just sayin’....


40 posted on 01/05/2011 8:52:43 AM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-65 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson