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Like many American horse racing fans I find it to be ironic that the Breeders’ Cup
is being held a stone’s throw from the two of foreign owned horse slaughterhouses
operating in the United States. Lone Star Park is definitely doing their part to see
to it that this issue gets the attention it is due by allowing the Fund For Horses to
pass out information on the efforts to ban horse slaughter in our country.
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association has made its support of the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act (HR 857) very clear. The American Public as well as the US
House of Representatives have also made their support of this bill clear, 91% of
Americans are opposed to horse slaughter and HR 857 has 226 co-sponsors (that’s over
half the House, easily enough votes to pass).
You think that it would be law by now, however one man is blocking the bill from
the House floor. That man is Representative Robert Goodlatte. Instead of uniting
behind his countrymen in support of this bill, he has chosen to side with foreigners
who have a taste for horsemeat.
Horses play a great part in American culture. Thoroughbreds thrill us at the racetrack,
our wild mustangs symbolize freedom and power, and horses have aided our soldiers by
taking them into the rugged mountains of Afghanistan.
The people Goodlatte has sided with have no respect for American culture or ideals. Below
is a statement made by the former proprietor at the Cavel West horse slaughterhouse in
Redmond, Oregon which has since burned down. Cavel is wholly owned by European stakeholders
and has re-opened their processing plant in DeKalb, IL.
(From AP Wire: 01/04/1997 11:03 EST, by Martha Mendoza) "’Killed on Friday, processed
Monday, Thursday we load the truck and then it's flown to Europe,' said Derde. ‘Monday
it's sold in Belgium, Tuesday eaten, Wednesday it's back in the soil.’"
Cviano, half brother to Birdstone, narrowly escaped this fate. Ferdinand and Exceller
weren't so lucky, they were slaughtered and eaten. Their final resting place is a
foreign sewer system. This is not an honorable end for any horse.
Given the strong cultural link horses have to America, it is an outrage that the foreign
owned horse slaughter business is allowed to continue. If people like Bob Goodlatte are
allowed to have their way the slaughter of US horses for human consumption abroad will
not only continue, this business will be allowed to expand its operations. Mr. Goodlatte
should be ashamed of himself for siding with these people instead of his own, he is a
disgrace to the American way!!
If you feel the same way, let Goodlatte know it. His e-mail address is:
talk2bob@mail.house.gov
Duane L. Burright, Jr.
Malibu, CA
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