Straight from the Horse's Heart

Schweitzer: “No governor in Montana history has sent more bison to slaughter than this governor.“

Opinion by R.T. Fitch, author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart“

HOUSTON (SFHH) – Montana’s Governor Brian Schweitzer garnered international notoriety, earlier this year, by allowing a controversial bill to linger on his desk and become law while he partied at the Kentucky Derby.  Ironically; that bill, sponsored  by Montana Rep. “Red” Ed Butcher, would allow for the construction of horse slaughter plants in that state.  After an earlier veto over verbiage the state Legislators sent the bill straight back to the Governor without modifications.  Instead of defending his earlier stance Schweitzer elected the coward’s way out and turned inaction into action by letting it become law through ignoring it, while sipping on Mint Juleps.

It has come to light that America’s wild and domestic horses are not the only creatures that Schweitzer enjoys putting a bloody axe to; apparently native Bison are also on his chopping block.

In a recent address to the Montana Stockgrowers Association Schweitzer proudly proclaimed before God and country that “No governor in Montana history has sent more bison to slaughter than this governor”.  Schweitzer was, of course, referring to our native bison on public land i.e. Yellowstone National Park.

It appears that the Gov has a thirst for blood that just the horses alone cannot quench.  Maybe we should give Schweitzer a point or two for slaughter diversity as he may need all the help he can get because his wishy-washy stance has managed to anger both sides of the political aisle. The failing Governor now finds himself being squeezed from every direction.

One inflamed group’s membership extends beyond Montana’s state boarders and encompasses the international community.   This concerned body is seething over Schweitzer’s spineless manner of endorsing “Red” Butcher’s bogus bill to build slaughter plants in Montana by the Communist Chinese and, likewise, flies in the face of Federal law. Adding injury to insult, Schweitzer stood silent while the Bureau of Land Management decimated Montana’s Pryor Mountain Wild Horse herd this past Labor Day weekend.  Hundreds of calls and letters to stop the inhumane roundup went unanswered; which seems to be the standard operating procedure for this current administration.

Meanwhile, the other side of the coin wants Schweitzer’s hide over his total failure to support the livestock industry and his continuing campaign to bloody Montana’s other major industry, tourism.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer has failed the good people, the once plentiful wildlife and the global perception of Montana.  Formerly viewed as the last stronghold of the wild American frontier the beleaguered state is now on the vacationing blacklist of tourists from Spuds, Florida to Vic, Spain.  The loss of tourist dollars is the direct result of the actions, or lack of action, of a Governor and State Legislators who have lost their vision and no longer support the will of their constituents.

Perhaps plummeting polls, droves of negative feedback and the focus of international disdain may drive the lost officials to relocate their collective moral compasses; if not, they may find themselves riding the last horse out of town come election day, that is if there are any horses left to ride.