(In My Humble Opinion) by R.T. Fitch ~ Author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart”
This has been a banner week for the horses and that’s something that we cannot lay claim to near often enough.
1.) The new EU rules are about to kick in which will, in effect, make almost every single horse in the US ineligible for human consumption in Europe.
2.) The Canadian Government is contemplating a bill that will shutter all of the Equine Slaughterhouses that market horse meat for human consumption.
3.) The EU is investigating the cruelty that is inflicted upon horses in Mexican slaughterhouses, go figure.
And last but not least; the fanatical, lunatic queen of Horse Eaters herself, Wyoming Rep. “Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis, showed her true slimy and creepy side to Federal employees and the American public as well. Caught on camera and on voice recorders she was so outlandish and bizarre that she has been stripped of any relevance or credibility what so ever…same for her chum, David Duquette.
So what are the dark little creepy things doing now that they see their entire limp lifeboat slipping under the waves in their self-induced sea of equine blood? Their losing their cookies and taking a queue from their Princess of Perversion by spouting nonsense, threats, cuss words and out and out lies.
Let me give you a few examples that have hit the ole comment section here at “Straight from the Horse’s Heart”. I just HAVE to share these gems with you as it would be rude to keep them all to myself but be forewarned; if cuss words, stupidity, misspelling, ranting and poor punctuation put you off, then don’t read on as you will be banging your head against the wall wondering how these people function in the real world, let alone the horror that they can reproduce and thereby create more insanity.
Let’s look at letter number one, doesn’t take a real “scientific rocket” to figure out that this person is a kill buyer. After doing a little internet research I came up with several different options as to who this is but in an effort to protect the innocent, we won’t go public, just yet:
“you idiots dont know what your talking about……. these blind crippled and crazy horses are useless….. we need to kill a few hundred thousand more cause we are running out of land for them……. think about it ….we still get money out of them but not much when you used to be able to get 1k for horses for slaughter and now you cant give one away hardly…………later secondchancelivestockco………..
scott hockman
Well golly gosh Scotty, ole buddy, ole pal, ole chum…my heart goes out to you as horse slaughter has never been dead. Since the shuttering of the plants in ’07 (dat’s “ought seban” in imbecile language) there have been more horses trucked across the U.S. boarders to be slaughtered than there used to be butchered right here in the good ole US of A, Scotty. What about dat?!?
Do you think that maybe the market for horses has slumped because, let me think for a moment, ahhhhh, this is going to be difficult to figure out, hmmmmm….no one has a job or any blinking money you social reject?!?! What sort of rock have you been hanging out under? Ever pick up a newspaper and read something other than comics or the TV guide?
And the comment on the “blind, crippled and crazy horses”, what the frig? You must have been hitting the ole “whacky tobaccy” and got your buddies confused with the horses or something. I have met a few blind horses, not too many crippled ones as they have difficulty using crutches and few fit in into wheelchairs but crazy, a true crazy horse? Nope, can’t say that I ever have. Some of my best friends are horses and not one of them appears to be crazy. Gifted, playful, stubborn or ornery but not crazy. About the craziest thing I have ever run into is your nutso, head horse eater,” Slaughterhouse” Sue and that, my friend, is scary crazy. So Scott, go back to pulling the wings off of flies and let the rest of the sentient world alone. Oh, sentient…I forgot…I used a word with more than one syllable; that means alive, aware, self-actualized. Hell, I am just confusing you further, aren’t I; sorry.
Let’s move on, here’s another rat that’s a tad bit restless so he came to visit us this weekend, again. It’s my ole buddy Bill Hunter, my what an original name. Billy visited us several weeks ago and had this to say:
“You moron horse huggers are causing the real sufferring of horsesnot the kill plants. How f#%&ing dumb are you idiots? We will still ship the damm things to Canada and Mexico with all the f&%#ing anti transportation laws you c*%&suckers pass! GO straight to hell you animal huggin morons!”
Bill Hunter
Why William, what a potty mouth you have. I am shocked and entertained as you even spelled “damm” wrong, how Hoover of you. And how did you know I was a horse hugger, I love to hug our ponies. There’s nothing wrong with a man showing affection not only to the woman that he loves but to animal companions who add richness to his life. I am not only secure in my sexuality but very, very comfortable in my own skin, how about you Billy?
But Billy must be ultra- pissed as he dropped by again, today, to leave me another love note. I just want to reach right out through my computer screen and hug the little horse-eater, he is just so very entertaining, don’t you think?
“Only 2 states have laws banning horse slaughter. Charlie Crist signed some bull shit law the other day! Horse slaughter is legal in all the other states. We need more Sue Wallis’s in the world……common sense poiticians that have solutions for real problems. I suppose you idiots on this post send money to Wayne Pacelle…..now there is a thief !!!!!!!!
As for R T someone needs to take him out behind the barn and whip his stupid ass!!!!!!”
Bill Hunter
Awww…poor Billy still has not figured out how to use spell check but now he is going to whip my “stupid ass”. That begs the question; how does he know if my ass is stupid? I mean, I should be glad that he didn’t say he was going to whip my “fat ass” or even worse my “ugly ass” because then I would be worried about who told him.
But instead he is going to whip my “stupid ass”. Which tells me that Billy is transferring a lot of his own emotions and understanding upon myself because in his limited world of comprehension his brain and center of attention resides in HIS ass so he assumes that my ass is the home of my intellect, also. Last time I checked that was not the case for I was sitting on my ass and if my brain lived there, it would have a very serious headache about now. Sorry for your defect William, it would be rude of me to make fun of someone with such a handicap.
But Billy, a little word of advice. As a man, it is never a good practice to sit behind a keyboard and threaten another man with bodily harm, especially if you do not know anything about who he is, where he came from and what he is trained in and capable of doing. For I am here to tell you that if you ever attempted to take my ‘charming ass” around the barn to beat it you might quickly learn that it was the last thing that you ever did on this planet. Suffice it to say that a veteran of two armed conflicts with a final stop in Special Operations might just know how to manage his ” red, white and blue ass” (note I did not say “black and blue ass”). So tread lightly, William, and you might live another day to be the poster child for the dark side and to give us the ammunition that we need to progress ever closer to the truth. (would that make me a “mean ass” or better yet a “bad ass”, yes, I like that one)
And for our grand finale for the day, an individual that many of us who travel the cyber-space trail of advocacy have run into on occasion before, it’s our ole Auctioneer buddy from Illinois, Mr. CJ Oakwood. CJ grew up on a farm within a nice family in the Midwest. While the rest of his family moved on to be animal lovers and advocates for those who cannot speak for themselves, old CJ fell off from the Compassion Wagon sometime back and has been struggling with common sense and decency ever since.
CJ has been a visitor here on several occasions but I have simply hit the delete key versus giving him a platform to speak upon. But his latest effort of making an ass, (oh…I forgot, I am the bad ass) out of himself came in last night as he ranted against Faith Bjalobok, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, Duquesne University, Fellow of Oxford Center for Animal Advocacy, who kindly submitted the article “The Requirements of Justice” which is an excerpt from her 20 page document that she will be presenting at the Pennsylvania Bar Animal Law conference in Pittsburgh.
“Horses are meat animals. The bleeding hearts want ALL Animals not to be used for food. Unfortunately, they are liberal, socialist democrats and a few brain dead peoplr of other political parties. Personally, I think your article is full of HORSE SHIT!
Animals do NOT have rights…….they are no human!! They deserve proper treatment and well being, nothing more – nothing less! If you want to keep your animal till it dies fine, but if you want to do other wise you should have that choice.
“As I professor of ethics I know of no accepted religious or secular theory of ethics whose principles would support your claim. This is your problem…..you are a college professor!!!!!
“By their own admission proponents of horse slaughter admit it is in fact cruel because they keep telling us they are working to develop a humane method of horse slaughter.” This is total bull…………………………………………we have humane methods of putting animals down……get your facts straight you college educated idiot!
Personally, we need your thought like we need another oil spill in the Gulf!”
Poor ole CJ struggles with his alter-ego by negating his entire tirade with the comment, “They deserve proper treatment and well being, nothing more – nothing less”. Kinda gets ya right between the ole gluteus maximi don’t it? This is, perhaps, why ole CJ keeps referring to the 5th grade as his Senior year. It sort of makes your heart go out to him and your stomach turn in disgust at the same time. (ohhhh, I just love when that happens.) Sorry CJ, Faith is above insulting as she has more horse sense and equine knowledge in her pinky finger than you will ever have in your ass, errr..brain. (that ass thing was a lot of fun)
So what’s got these people all riled up? Why do we suddenly have this tremendous influx of commentators who lack basic communication skills and moral decency crawling out of the woodwork?
It doesn’t take many moments of introspection to land on the fact that they are afraid, they are terrified of their little house of bloody cards falling down. They don’t want to try to understand people who have a brain larger than a pea; who are not attracted to bright shiny objects; have more than one eyebrow and can count higher than 7 without using their fingers. They are scared assless, and it shows. (I love this new word)
When you back a rat into a corner it comes out fighting regardless of the size, skill or the tools possessed by its opponent and that is just what these night crawlers are doing, here. When confronted with the truth and the facts they begin screaming while spiraling down that dark abyss of nonsensical gibberish dusted with ample doses of profanity. They do it every single time.
So what do we do with these creatures of the night, these bug like things that run for the darkness when you turn the light on? What do we do?
First, we rejoice because we have them on the run and the cockroaches smell the Raid a coming.
Second, we pump up the volume and load their sinking lifeboat with the wholesome ballast of truth, facts and honesty.
Thirdly, we throw a life ring to those who want to be saved; there may not be many as you just can’t polish a turd but perhaps a few might be worth salvaging. If we were to turn our backs on them we would be no better than they are. So have that life ring ready.
And finally; we stay focused and dedicated to the cause, the direction and to each other as we continue to seek out what is right, what is just and what is the best way forward to ensure the safety, welfare and future for our equine companions be they domestic or wild. They deserve our allegiance and our dedication for without them we would not be where we are today, as a nation, as a world and as a species.
The horses carried us to this juncture in time and it is our turn to carry them to this new victory. We are almost there and the rats know it. Keep it light, keep it simple and above all, keep the faith.
May the “Force of the Horse®” be with you, my friends.
“Bad Ass” R.T.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Canadian MP seeks ban on “irresponsible” slaughter trade (horsetalk.co.nz)
- Will Consumer Safety Concerns End Slaughter of U.S. Horses? (animals.change.org)
- Inspectors accused of failing to prevent suffering of horses at slaughterhouses (theglobeandmail.com)
Categories: Horse Slaughter, The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
R.T., You are SO funny, I mean your comments back to those horse-hating idiots are absolutely hilarious!! Thank you for sharing this with us, the world needs more compassionate, animal-loving people like you in it!! If you’re a Dad, “Happy Father’s Day” to you!!
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Thanks for the happy wish; all of our children have hooves, paws, claws and fins. Not one two legged youngun among them.
But we love them all with everything we have.
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Hey! I don’t have any two legged kids either, but I sure do have fun with the four legged ones!
Oh, that was a great post! You bet yer bad ass it was!
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This might be your best blog yet, BA RT, and I love your metaphors throughout. (Still laughing my . . .head off!) Thanks for a little levity with your expose’ on these creatures.
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Happy Dad’s Day to you!!!! best BA I know!!!!!
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Well, you are a bad ass, in a real good way!! Loved this piece because, 1. it’s so dang funny, 2. I”m so glad this atrocity may be nearing the end. Thank you for you work and your heart! wouldn’t the world be a better place if there were more thinkers like you, my bad ass horse loving friend!
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Well done R.T.
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The world is full of cerebral midgets and R.T. you know how to handle them!
Thanks for my laugh of the day!! In fact I am laughing my ass off as I type this!
LOL,
Marge
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IF good-ole-boy Billy ever decides to “whip your BA” Let me know, I’ll tell my former Marine hubby and he will round up his friends and be right there. LOL As far as SS, I’ll bring her life jacket,……..filled with sand.
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Hello everyone – we have come from behind and have taken over the lead against the pro wild horse slaughter group in just 2 days!
Keep cross posting this!
CNN poll today” Would you eat horse meat?
Looks like the SS proslaughter PR machine is up and running, however lamely.
Please take the poll to outnumber her fans that say they would eat horsemeat.
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/06/22/lunchtime-poll-horse-meat/
I’m going to post this on a few other Articles to catch some that might not be reading this one – sorry if you get it a few times from me – but lets tell Sue who the Pulblic is and what they will or won’t put up with!
Thanks
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For the pathetic CJ:
Darlin’, every animal on Earth, with the exception of maybe blowfish & jellyfish, is a meat animal. The fact that proponents of Horse Slaughter STILL can’t find a way to humanely kill a Horse without torturing it first, well, shucks, to me, that’s an indicator that maybe GOD designed them that way.
See that? A little religion.
That any slaughter proponent advocates the use of Horses for human consumption, Horses heavily laden with nasty chemicals, proves you’re not just Anti-Horse, but not exactly fulla Grace when it comes to Humans, either.
Top priority – the ability to have someone ELSE kill the Horse you obviously weren’t reponsible enough to have in the first place.
Compassion is not a character flaw – no matter how much proponents would like the world believe it is. It’s an evolutionary leap FORWARD. And I think proponents would be surprised to find how many compassionate Horsie-Huggers are quite capable of going Smack Down.
RT – It brings us great joy when you get all Snidely Whiplash on their asses. That you can read these diatribes without wreakin’ your PC bespeaks much of what it takes to be a Compassionate Bad-ass – and not a simple-minded, foamin’ at the mouth, Horse-n-Human hatin’ throwback to a past we’d seriously love to leave behind.
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R.T., Priceless!
I read this same sort of stuff all over other blogs and YouTubes (without the cussing) on all sorts of topics. If I reply, I ask them, what startegy course did they take in college or even high school, or maybe some late night informercial they bought into, that says cursing and calling names will sway someone to your side? Then I hope I never get another reply. But sadly, they are not smart enough to let it go, and, sadly, neither am I. But eventualy I sign off “this is my last dance with you’ – my toes are broken!” make one last simple point, and never open them up again.
I’d love for SS to get an unbiased article on say Huffigton Post and let her see what her Public reallly thinks. Those people are not nice like here.
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Roxy, And many of those same intelligent minds created our non-profit opportunity in this country – the original idea! Not an IDEAL apparently, as NOW, we need to turn around and take a look again!
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Interesting possible topic for another day – crazy horses. My grandfather had some stories about peyote eating crazy horses (I only remember the main crux, not details, wish I’d paid more attention to that) – perhaps some of my fine blood brother/sister Native Americans and good cowboys here can add to that some day.
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And – how about those natives? With no other apparent option they sell their Sacred Equines, and relinquish their spiritual fates to what Karma may come. The horse to the native american used to mean a very different thing, am I right? Or am I right?
The ones who sell them to kill buyers have no choice, because their needs are truly pushed aside in this culture we’ve found ourselves in (we didn’t create it consciously but we must undo it that way!!!). We can mold a new one. Beginning on the individual level, with simple choices made diligently everyday, and on into the future. Buy products from companies that make a difference or that simply FIT RIGHT into a better national identity. Quite your job if it somehow harms us!!! Do something better. Pick one good company to work for. And continue to TRY everyday, all day to change your bad habits, particularly in regards to the animals you have or care for, to the GOOD. Too many are not truly hurtful people, they are just pissed off or have given up. But they all must turn around because it is actually predestined that they grow stronger not weaker – Those with integrity, I mean:)
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Maybe I should have said a horse that eats peyote plants (or some other hallucingenic plant out on the range) does go crazy, so I’m told.
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There are no humane ways to kill horses: the captive bolt works for food animals, but Dr. Friedlander, retired USDA inspector specifically has stated that it does not work for horses: they come to and know they are being vivisected alive.
Slaughterhouse Sue has made herself the most hated woman in WY, if not in the entire US. She was shut down at the BLM meeting and for good reason. She is an ugly, vicious person whose greed would have horses pay the ultimate price to line her own pockets. In our culture, horses are not and never will be food animals. And those of us who advocate for the horse, do eat food animals, contrary to what is said in the above article. It is not safe to eat horsemeat for man or beast: that is why the slaughter has to stop now. Killing horses just to win a point when there is no market is insidious and cruel. Those most vocal are still breeding too many horses and are foaling as I write this comment. If there are too many horses(which has never been proven) then it is the breeder who needs to back off and stop the breeding. Overproduction of anything decreases the price and the same is true of all animals or crops. Thanks for a great article as always, R.T. For the horses!
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Why dont you have your own comedy show R.T.
Lure them in, tell them jokes for 5 minutes and then the rest of the time educate them on the issues. They will all go home crying, haha.
You know how to combine the dire issues with comedy.
It is priceless. Thank you.
Simone.
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be a change from all those horse dealers and horse traders and horse killers making US cry ourselves to sleep every night.
I don’t even know how the sue wallises’ of the world even sleep at night or manage to crack a smile, all the horses they have killed should haunt them forever.
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Crazy Horse…definition: (1) One bad ass warrior and leader that kicked the sh*t out of some arrogant humans in the 1800’s; (2) An equine owned by an arrogant, ignorant and irresponsible human in the 21st century.
RT…you need to sell tickets and turn it into a funraiser for equines when that behind the barn thing happens…can I be your corner man?
Good job and a fun read. Thanks.
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I only got two complaints RT.
1. What’s wrong with people that just read the Comics and the TV Guide? Galldangitall, that hurts. At least I don’t read the Personals. Well, anymore, really.
2. You used Ass in vain. How can you put The Name of our four footed friends even in the same sentence with those no account people?
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That was great RT, and I agree maybe one of your best! And since it’s Father’s Day, one of my Dad’s favorite sayings was ” There are a lot of stupid people in the world, some are just more stupid than others.” A tall Texas man always wearing a Stetson hat and another bad ass that I respected.
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Great work RT, Thank You 🙂
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Bad Ass R.T.-
I love you man….. you ARE the man… the bad ass man… shucks I have no words to describe my feelings… I am (for the first time in a very long time) speechless!
I just love saying it! Bad Ass- Bad Ass- Bad Ass- Bad Ass-
Thank you so much for a wonderful ending to this (incredibly hot & sticky) weekend!
Happy Father’s Day!
Kathleen
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“Humane Slaughter”
“Jumbo Shrimp”
“Government Intelligence”
The Horse slaughter issue isn’t confined to the BLM mustangs. I recently adopted my beautiful two year old paint from a rescue group who bailed him out of a kill pen here in NJ… He’s neither blind, nor crippled nor crazy… His biggest mistake in life was being unwanted by the morons who thought it would be a good idea to breed his dam and sire. Most of the horses in these kill pens are (or were) someone’s beloved pet and trusted friend at one time. Most of the horses in the kill pens are sweet, well trained animals who have literally spent their entire lives trusting humans WITH their lives and never had any reason to distrust. I can’t imagine the depth of fear they must feel when the smell of death emanating from the slaughter house reaches their sensitive noses.
It’s funny (or not, actually…) but if “they” did to dogs what they are doing to horses, the uproar from the public would be deafening. In all honesty, I think horses should be held in a higher regard than dogs and cats… Not that I have anything against them but… Horses have helped us win battles, build our nation, plow our fields, carry us and our belongings, provided physical and emotional therapy for us and our children, offer their companionship, entertain us via movies, television and sports, and they’re the only animals to compete in the Olympics and bring home the gold. I just don’t get it… how can anyone with even an ounce of caring and compassion think that slaughtering them is a viable, humane solution to their perceived problem… or that there even is such a thing as “humane slaughter”
Thanks for the great article.
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Are you aware that over 8 million dogs and cats are killed every year in this country? many die by humane injection, BUT, there are still millions that die by gas chamber. Ever see how that happens? it is brutal. it takes bigger adult dogs 30-45 minutes to die a horrible death. I volunteer for a local animal pound who uses the heartstick method to euthanize unadoptable dogs. that’s not 100% accurate or pleasant either, and happens just like it sounds.
We are a disposable society, dogs and cats wind up at pounds all over for this country for multitudes of excuses; but bottom line, no one wants them anymore.
There is an outcry by many of us, but not enough to make a big difference.
Slaughtering horses is NOT humane, but don’t think other animals in this country have it any better. Captive bolts don’t work too well on cows either, and whether they’re raised for food or not, cows and pigs deserve quality of life before they die and a humane death.
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Jan!
WE should go in, get them, and turn them all loose to be feral. It’s a better idea than anyone else is coming up with (but I guess I’m an extremist) ?? At least, they would get a half hour or so of freedom – maybe more!
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Andrea, we must stop breeding and buying dogs and cats (and horses). And we must stop being snobs about owning a “breed” or winning more ribbons until animal control and rescues are at 1/100th% capacity or less form todays counts. Sorry dog breeders (all breeders actually).
Rescue, adopt, foster! Assist with spay neuter clinics for those that cannot afford it, and EDUCATION! Please, don’t turn them loose – that only adds to the problem. If you can’t afford the “turn in” fee at the pound, please put your hands out to friends and family. Rescues are full but doesn’t hurt to call around to them also – some organizations can help you out with pound fees.
Visit Best Friends Sanctuary and see all they do and how you can protest at Dog Stores that sell innocent, often sick inbred puppies from puppy mills or backyarders. Puppy mills make our poor wild horses in holding seem like they are at the spa in comparison. There are far more dogs put to sleep in packed gas chambers every month than are horses going to slaughter every year.
If we did not have those dog breeder sponsored shows on TV and these movies (another one coming out soon) that would be one good first step – boycott those and their sponsors and let them know why.
Maybe I’m just in the mega angry phase of grieving right now and this is even long for me. But do these following numbers and laws (and the lies) chap anyone else?
To vets listening in – you have priced animal ownership out of the market – haven’t you noticed there is a recession? I paid 1/2 a mortgage payment, out of 1/2 income from forced early retirement, to have my two put down for old age – come on!
Dental had already gone up long ago over $100 a year from $99 to over $300. I said NO to that – was told they would get dental disease and die, and I said YOU vet will be the cause of that. Luckily I found a clinic, but way across town, backlogged in appointments, so no use in an emergency with old dying dogs. The lame reason for the cost – the gas to put them under had gone up – $100 a year? Where is that gas from? I know most vets around here have frozen wages and COLA 4 & 5 or more years ago and rents have NOT gone up!
Another one, vets got some law passed in AZ you can longer take a dog for veterinary euthanasia based on your knowledge of your dogs quality of life – Nooooo -have to run blood, X-rays, over $300, on a 17 year old dog that can barely walk, is blind and deaf (I won’t even go into the other ugly details). And I have since found out that interpretation of that law might be an “exaggeration” – lie – by all vets – (anyone ever hear of industry collusion and “price fixing”?). Even the clinic would not put my 17 year old down 6 months ago – afraid of repercussion from his industry, without trying hundreds of dollars of alternatives. I felt intuitively that his industry was trying to put him out of business because of his low clinic charges. I know my dog, progressively, needlessly, suffered for those 6 months. I talked this neighboring vet I was forced to go to into bypassing the blood and x-rays because it was already over $350 without it and I would have to take them to the pound. The animal hospital would have been even more and I was lucky to get an appointment quickly with this busy, well respected vet – not respected by me anymore, an entire local industry not respected by me anymore.
Another law that vets got passed – the pound can no longer give shots other than rabies. Try to get shots at a vet without a checkup! My Clinic told me – years ago there was proof that those shots, other than rabies, were NOT needed annually, not even every two years, possibly harmful given annually to an old dog.
I have always taken mine for annual checkups, all the shots, and dentals – I had a great job with a secure future (oh well) and felt that was my responsibility. Most people I knew only got rabies and license and thought I was foolish. So I guess vets, with the down turn in the economy wanted to grab even more from people who could least afford it.
Seems like everyone wanted in on the banking scam idea by talking otherwise intelligent individuals, animal “welfare/rights” groups and legislators into supporting them to get ridiculous, intentionally vague laws passed for no reason other than to line their pockets. My opinion, this industry is guilty of collusion and a sneaky way to price fix. I’m now looking into what has been occurring around the country in the last 5 – 6 years – any similar new laws out there (Ever hear of a national industry collusion? Nothing surprises me anymore).
We have homeless families with little kids and infants on the streets in huge growing numbers that they can’t even feed or take to the doctor, seniors losing homes and retirements to Enron schemes and tanked 401Ks, much less keeping their pets, and as a society at the same time we’re breeding dogs (and horses) and vet fees are going up?
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Andrea, I won’t join you in letting them out, as dogs really don’t want to run free, they want a family! I WILL support spay/neuter education, transport from high kill shelters to rescues, adopt not buy, and do what I can to help out.
Roxy, I give my dogs and horses shots myself, bought @ TSC store for $6 annually, do HW tests myself, give antibiotic injections as needed for my horses, do most basic vet care myself for years at a HUGE savings. a little known fact, the ivermectin wormer I worm my horses with is the same ivermectin that’s in Hearguard heartworm preventive for dogs. so, I use the same wormer on my dogs, at a vast savings.
My vet charges about $100 to euthanize with no exam required.
The cost is why many horse owners send their horses to a sale, they don’t want to have to pay vet costs, burial or renderer pick up costs; I’m not defending them, but that’s what the decision is based on: money. “at least I’ll get something for the horse, instead of it costing me.”
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Thanks Jan, I don’t know if I have that in me. Dropped out of nurses aid training when they brought out the grapefruits and needles. But maybe the necessity to save one more pooch will drive me. Do you have any ideas of search topics, or links for this “self vet” topic? I don’t want to take up anymore space here.
Except to say I hope AZ law does not spread to your state (actually none of our laws – what a mess).
We can still get rabies at the pound for 1/2 the vet cost, or about a 10th or less after you figure in the office visit – that the law “supposedly” now requries.
My biggst problem is in the unknown when it comes time to put them down, thats why I can’t turn them in at the pound. Maybe I’ll be out of this hellish State before long!
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All those assless-aliens from the dark side would not be where they are today if it was not for our equine friends. The ignorance which has infiltrated their minds is proof that they have only evolved in one thing: to build their egotistic and exploitative schemes. Corruption will not go unpunished forever – whilst there is suffering and injustice caused by those who have lost all honor, integrity and wisdom – in the end, they will meet their well-deserved fate.
We can’t fix stupid. They are shouting now, in a panic mode that only shows how very insecure they really are. No professionalism nor intelligence present.No clue on the history of the relationship between humans and animals. No understanding of the vital importance – to human well-being- of expanding our positive connections to the natural world and it’s inhabitants. Have they ever been touched by the significance of human-animal bonds, that cross spans of time, culture, gender and age ? To understand that animal-human relating, goes back so many millenia and is empowering knowledge. This brings with it serious responsibility. Horses have given to humans the power of speed. The species of horses, perhaps more than any other animal, have paired not only with our human society but also with our spirit.
Read “Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilization”, by J. Edward Chamberlin.
I would assume the assless aliens can read a literature of this niveau and then ask themselves secretly if the horse would not deserve a bit more respect, because otherwise the assless Homo sapiens would not even be here.
I think they are not just stupid, but very forgetful.
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I think the people who look at horses as meat need to know that you are fighting them because you see THEM in those horses. We are all one. And the misery between us and in so many, and in all these animals, farmed or otherwise used and abused, is hurting the entire World, in a way.
It’s that WAY they don’t agree with. They do not see the connectedness. They were raised not to, more likely than not, and for no other reason. They are not bad people. They were RAISED differently. Or, in other words, they were influenced somewhere in there.
Well, who’s going to winheYhe truth is we are all one.
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I agree that all animals deserve humane, compassionate treatment, and that we have much to improve in the processing of food animals of all kinds. I do dog and cat rescue, and have rehomed and rehabbed many who were destined for the horrific gas chamber, another despicable method of eliminating unwanted animals from the earth. We, as a society, have much work to do to bring ourselves into a planet where all life is valued and cherished, and while I believe that animals choose as we do when they incarnate what their earthly path will be, I will never accept the contention that horses are meant for food. They are not, they never were and they never will be. The horse has played a specific role in the advancement of our civilization and it should be treated as an integral part of our history. Without the horse and its contributions to society, we would not be where we are today. All forms of life deserve humane, compassionate treatment from those in a position to provide it.
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They are truly frightened that radical vegan extremists will take over the universe. Where is Stephen Hawkings when you need him? Oh, that’s right, his stupid ass is college educated too.
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Elizabeth, can you elaborate on what mean by that? It’s not clear. I’m interested. Thank you!
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Elizabeth – good one!
Why do these groups always point to the least likely extreme scenario possible to make a point? Seems to work in their circles though doesn’t it? They always seem rhetoric bound, Talking Head fanatics, repeat a lie enough tactic (that one really get to me – seen any current congressional debate lately? Yikes!), unable to think for themselves, to me.
Everyone – turn off those Talking Heads on all sides for just one month – I know its addictive, but you can do it! Once you listen back you will never listen again!
Sure, dumb ass Phd educated geniuses are wrong too, even bad ass cowboys sometimes (though I find no evidence – just giving a fair shake all the way around), and make some real bone head conclusions (not talking about Hawkings or any particular cowboy here) , but most likely not, ESPECIALLY when held up to comparison.
We need to get rid of all the extreme division somehow, humble ourselves onto a calm sea of accepting each others errors, and try some consensus building or we may all be sunk in the same boat.
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Andrea, clearly, we have the pro slaughter people up against the ropes. They have irrational arguments that we are all radical vegan extremists attempting to upset the balance of the universe. Stephen Hawking is a theoretical physicist. He is a brilliant man. He is additionally challenged by his disability resulting from cerebral palsy. Pro slaughter people find logical, educated opposing arguments frightening. In other words, ranching is usually a family business. Offspring are likely to learn all that is related to ranching and nothing else. Education is not a priority. They are egocentric and ethnocentric. They are incapable of stretching their minds. This is not their fault, but we must continue to challenge their mind set. Knowledge is power. We will never eliminate a rigid mind set. Our rational logic frightens them. “It is better to be feared than loved” – Nicolo Machiavelli. Pro slaughter people are very afraid. Now, are we ready to win?
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Even the well educated, went through 4-H, moved out of state to the big city to go to equine science and/or ranch business college (forget the term right now), are pigeon holed. We have had many here promoting slaughter of wild horses, any slaughter is bad enough, but they try to impose their college educations of Equine science to wild horses. Only one so far that I know of conceded slightly that wild horse ecology might be different than domestic horse science and business.
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‘Ain’t it the truth, R.T.! When they’re cornered they can only spew venom and bile. Plus most of their sentences are incoherent. We’ve had a few of them at the CHDC.
Your last few paragraphs are stunning. Thank you! Oh, and the chuckles were well worth the price of admission!
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Elizabeth,
Thank you for responding. It sounds like you actually think education is good. I agree. Although, I have a major problem with many universities and their labs. I have a problem with citizens who come out of school and enter the workforce as abusers, unwittingly; then they keep their jobs because that is how they think it works and that they have no other choice. I’m specifically talking about kids and adults who gets degrees and end up working for drug companies, who poison animals to see what will happen, or the like. But that’s a topic for another day because we are Saving Americas Horses right now!!
Well, if logical COHERENT articles are what they fear and NEED, we all need to stop and take a deep breath. Ask yourself what kind of grudge you are waking up with in the morning. What kind of walls in your MIND are preventing you as an activist from evolving in this critical time? The internet makes it so easy for any one of us to get up on our soap boxes, fan our own feathers, and get our writing chops in for the day, reacting to the latest buzz with sarcasm, pessimism, swear words, name calling, posturing, etc., etc…. Right now more than before this is really doing ourselves a disservice. WE lose people this way. Instantly!
WE don’t need to be so prolific online. Who is seeing it???????People need to be informed, but once we tell the good, decent, and intelligent individual citizens of this country about this problem ONCE, they get it! Move on to the next guy. WE need millions here, not a rehash to the ol’ same tired ears. Our articles need to be comprehensive, coherent, logical whatever. What they don’t need to be is more of the same.
We need to ask ourselves right now, everyone does, “In what way am I a hypocrite?” Because we are going to need to be above reproach going into this change. Are you somehow supporting the very thing your are against? What products do you regularly buy? What do you do with your trash? Do you still dump oil and other toxins onto the ground or in the water? Because you’ve gotten used to it? Also : Do you recognize the major challenges for the opposition? And: Are you aware and sensitive to all that?
It’s amazing you should mention “It is better to be feared than loved” – Nicolo Machiavelli. This problem is just like the final battle in the latest Alice and Wonderland movie? Remember when the White Queen gives her sister one last chance to turn it around? Didn’t happen. And it is not going to happen here either. We are going to have to slay the jabberwock! We must gather ourselves, overcome our personal limitations and – “Off with their heads”! Let’s be the Champions and not more fools in the court!
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We do have new people coming here every day (I hope) so some rehash, even off topic is a good thing, as they will only get to the most recent few Articles probably. I have trouble going back and finding stuff from old articles myself, and have yet to go back all the way from when I first came on.
Just my thoughts. The Article presents a brief hstory and announces big NEW news. Our blogs are responsible for filling in some gaps and engagaing new people in back and forth discussion, further educating ourseles and others, correcting each others errors, and sharing newly found links. No?
One for exampe, someone said horses have never been food animals. Not so, not even in the USA. That is an evolving cultural distinction (and a good one) to USA and others.
If I find something on the oil spill, CNG,or legislation for example I try to find that last Article, but not always – if I can’t find the exact appropriate place I go with what is in front of me to get the “new” news out. Sometimes (ok, often) I just let go. And I found inspiration in Andreas, what she called soap box.
And I further adhere to Ginger Kathrens view that what is going on in any one arena is evidence of our current state of democracy and add my own, state of cruelness in our society increasing as such with too many of our youth (this new fetish – lets not even say the name). We are, sort of, a canary in the coal mine for both slaughter and wild horses. Meaning – some cross over does exists between topics.
Another example, coming out on HBO this month – some documentary about “Fractured Gas” (something like that), about CNG horrors across the west that might have something in it for the Ruby issue – and us – fire coming out of water faucets!?!?!?! I don’t get HBO, but maybe on Netflix, or maybe someone here will watch it and share. I’ll copy this to the last Ruby or energy article that I can find.
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Quick PS – The political blogs are all over the place – and the nastier the better seem to draw in engagment, that includes links to more from the thoughful amongst the “rhetorics” (I’m going to start coining that phrase), that eventually end up in intelligent exchange of ideas and thoughts, a search for new knowledge, even when in disagreement. You do have to wade through the rest of the rhetorics (thats setting very well), but they sort of become background noise. One can only hope they might be learning to have a more diverse open mind?
Even R.T lets some through once in a while to get our blood boiling! He has a current article about that very subject. (Opps we should be having this conversation there!)
Point is, the discussion would not have started without the alarming, the rediculous, the insulting, off the wall, including right against right, left against left, in the first place.
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Andrea;
Please understand that I am not taking a poke at R.T. I love this article. When we are in the political arena, we need to be smarter than the opposition. Each issue is unto itself. Focus on one issue at a time. In this way, we will conquer ignorance strike by strike. They are so scared. They feel the need to stereotype us. I suppose that I have done the same stereotyping of them, but look at the evidence. Closed mindedness and rhetorical propaganda will never win their argument. Especially since there are options, other than slaughter available for resolving and managing horse ‘overpopulation’. Congressman Cynthia Lummis’ statement to the Ag committee can be found on You Tube. She states that wild horses are nonnative species. Are cows? She also stated that horses threaten wildlife like mountain lions, bears, and wolves. Hmmm. She goes on and on with her rhetoric. She states that there are no other methods to manage wild herds. I wish R.T. would do an article about her presentation. Oh, and by the way, Sue is a self proclaimed poet and founder of the United Organization of the Horse. These facts should be published in ‘Ripley’s Believe it or not.’
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“Each issue is unto itself. ” You are right. And in that sense all this blogging is very beneficial because each individual brings something to the table that others have not yet thought about, and that moves things forward. Onward and upward! Thank you!
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All glory and honor to God for this victory and for His continuing generosity.
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For the record I eat meat. Not so much beef, but I do eat turkey and chicken. Beef is okay on ocassion but I find it to rich. Also as I have learned since Barbaro the cattle industry is well–they do welfare ranching. I applaud and salute the family rancher (I think most of us do). But the rancers I’m talking about are owned by BIG corporations that could more than easily pay for their grazing rights.
By the way it was my pleasure to speak to a cowboy at Expo last week. I got to tell him just how disgusting slaughter is. He asked me about what to do for rogue horses. I told him we support HUMANE euthanasial. Even a well placed bullet is better than betraying a friendship like that.
RT I don’t know if I made a difference. But I can tell you that it made what I read, talk about and listen for–my words hit home for me. It made it that much more concrete for me.
Just for the record RT–these people scare the ever loving daylights outta me. If they could betray a bond with an animal like that; how do they treat the humans in their lives????
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Should of qualified all my statements here, re: “soap box”, “hypocrisy” with this: I know because I am one. It takes one to know one. I’m guilty, just like the next guy, of enjoying my soap box, or finding it hard not to take convenience and comfort, or a free hand out!, when it’s offered, in spite of the complications to the environment.
Trying to change now. Thanks again to you all. I hope my comments don’t offend. Personally, I think getting offended is a character flaw.
By the way, I have a class A commercial driver license if anyone ever needs a driver!
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We all grow by asking questions and sharing perspectives from various backgrounds. And, I liked your soap box!
Thanks, a fellow hypocryte (aka human)
PS copied this whole discussion for futue reference – jewels of wisdom Andrea and Elizabeth. Wish I’d read it before I went on my vet/breeder tyraid.
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Don’t beat yourself up, Andrea. It’s all good.
I sit down to the keyboard with something gnawing at me and look what happens.
Actually, you can ask my wife, Terry, that the same thing happens a lot with my mouth. I can hear her moan when someone says, “You know, they shouldn’t have closed those horse slaughterhouses down.” But in reality, I never walked away without the other person becoming a believer, of course we may be there for a half an hour, do you know why? Because people have been fed lies for so long they just don’t know the truth. They have never heard the other side…so that is why we are here, that is why our book was written and that is the promise that I made to my very best equine friend, I would get the word out.
Keep after it…you are doing great!!! B->
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Hey! Who’s beating themselves up?
😉 I don’t think you could stop me if you tried
thank you. I hear ya. 8 hrs sleep in 60.
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I do rescue, and I agree with Roxy. Do lots of vetting on my own. But I still try to do dentals as much as I can afford with 12 dogs here all of the time. We agree that breeding should be stopped in many areas to compensate for the numbers of unhomed and unwanted animals of all kinds. It is all about the money. And Vets are getting more and more greedy and not caring as much about their “oath of care” as they do their bank accounts. Thanks goodness there are still a few vets out there that volunteer free or discounted services for many of the needed medical treatments. I also do a lot of my own vaccinations, but in WY as in other states, a vet has to do the rabies vaccination. I have a vet that will do that and that alone. How do you do a heartworm check, Roxy? My vet doesn’t charge much($12) for that service, so I doubt I could do it cheaper.
Thanks for all of your comments. It is a sad commentary on the state of affairs of the animal kingdom.
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Judy, I don’t do anything on my own other than organic good and homeopathic and naturopathic stuff from a specialty shop. I am so fearful of hurting my pets that I don’t even cut their toes or wings – they get that at the groomers. Though one time a cat had a convulsive disorder that went into metabolic sydrome and I had to give her the under the skin treatment from a bag from the vet (I sort of went into “out of body” experience everytime!) I’m a woose with pets – not so with food animals or hunting – farm and ranch upbringing.
I had fortunalty been able to afford to do all that other stuff all at the vet until recently. I have had rescues in my life almost constantly, from my very first 2 horses, rabbits, dogs and cats – starting from birth, no more. My grandmother even gave me one of her prized banty chickens to nurse one time and remained my pet, does that count as a rescue?
Does foster offer any vet support? I would do that in a heart beat if I thought I could then give them up – never mind. Forget me even volunteering at rescues and the like. I’ll just spread the word.
Andrea, wish I had a license of some sort to go to work. Best wishes to you. If I get to move cross state this year I’ll find your blog here and contact you. Trying to get from Phoenix to Sacramento/Carson City area, maybe Best Friends area, or maybe to New Mexico (but too far from the sea).
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Hi Roxy
Was like you but necessity and poverty intervened and I’ve had to learn to do vaccinations and sub Q fluids myself. It can be done. Unemployment and my illness has really cut into our income, so we do the best we can with what we have. Our own furkids are very healthy because of what we feed, and we do homeopathics and alternative medicine as much as possible. I, too, have the groomer do the bigger dogs, but I still do the nails for the little ones that will allow it. I have been blessed with a groomer that does special rates for rescues: mine and the rescues on their way to other homes. That helps a lot, but right now we have 16 dogs in residence: 4 are adoptable and one is headed for another rescue as soon as they arrange a transport to a foster home in WI. The other 11 are ours, and they range from 5 lbs to 80 lbs. I just do the best I can with what I have. Have another boy that needs a dental badly and he will be the next one to get his teeth done. Costs more for the dogs than for me to get my own cleaned!
Just do what you can and don’t eat yourself up for circumstances. We are all in the same boat right now. But we sleep well at night knowing we have done what we can do at the moment. Keep rescuing, transporting and saving. And get that lucky little Chi and love him or her. Fosters don’t usually pay for medical in my experience; the rescue does that. All the foster family usually does is feed them and love them.
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And yes, Roxy, the banty chicken is definitely a rescue. Good for you!
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Roxy, most rescues that have foster homes provide the vetting for whatever animals go through the rescue. My vet offers WAY reduced spay/neuter/vet costs for rescues. If you can’t foster, be a transporter, if they can’t get to the rescues, they can’t be fostered! there are loads of ways to help out rescues and local shelters.
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Can I stop myself from accidentaly bringing one to my house instead? Thats the question. Opps, must have taken a wrong turn!
I’m talking myself into a Chihauha as we speak. But when it gets old or seriously sick the rescue will have to take it back (and they do state that in their adoption papers), unless I win a lottery.
There aren’t’ any vets within a 100 miles of me that give discounts if you take on a rescue as your own pet. Just that one Clinic that I know of in a population of a few million people. Believe me I was all other the internet. Lots of blogs claiming low cost (I even tried to find some humane way to euthanize the worse one myself, and got the c**p beat out of me -“shouldn’t have one if you can’t afford a few $ for the vet to do it!” – “Dude, who knew the economy would tank while vet costs go up in tripple digits like those wild horse numbers changing on HMAs! Go get a reality check!” )
Last animal I had put down at the vet was $45 just 6 or so years ago. 3 years ago I had the vet come to my house for a great dane for $100. Same vet as the one I just went to BTW for over $175 EACH (2, not over 5 lbs each) in the office!
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Get them RT!!! I wish some of the horse hating pro-slaughter and apparently uneducated people would want to come to my home to kick my butt as I haven’t had the chance to defend myself since the Persian Gulf War. I look forward to doing what I did best.
A VA farmer raising Boer meat goats, Angus beef as well as owner of 22 wonderful horses ranging in age from 2 months to 39 years.
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Bless yer l’il pea-pickin’ heart & animal-lovin’ soul, Tom Durfee!!
(And a personal ‘Thank You’ for your Service, Sir.)
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You go Tom! Gulf war vet, myself. But I know I am older as I stretch back to the Viet Nam era.
Keep the faith and best to all your critters.
Welcome aboard.
R.T.
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And you know what? I think you’re pretty darn cool too. I’m learning. It’s been a long time coming. Thanks for everything you all are saying. I see the point of the other side is all. I can’t help it, it’s too close to me. I think this cause has been with me my whole life. I’m just now starting to do something about it.
Good night from Seattle! Sorry to all those toes I crunched in this little dance today!
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You know, I have a few more points to get across, and this seems like a good place to do it.
I am not “beating myself up”, R.T., about being hypocritical or otherwise, because I know it is not my fault. I know I am an innocent, impressionable human, like the rest of us, just trying to survive. I was raised in this country, and formed by the conditions and trends of my time. Like I said, we didn’t create this mess consciously – at least, WE didn’t. But we’ll have to undo it that way.
Many, many people somehow posses a sense of where things are headed in any given situation, but lack the power to change it. For instance, many of us felt dread and fear when Bush was elected. We knew something was terribly wrong the moment things began to go bad in that first election. The moment Gore looked suddenly powerless to stop it. Florida? We knew the American people were getting a snow job. We couldn’t do anything about it.
Do you honestly think those same powers that made that election sway the way it did didn’t have a hand in electing Obama? Do you think it was a lucky break that we got our first African American (half white of course because that’s more acceptable to the old yankies)? It was a very clever PR plan, that is all. “We get a woman, or a black guy in here, and they’ll all think everything is ok now. They’ll think America still has a heart. They’ll go on with their puny little lives, and do their nasty little jobs for us, the jobs we don’t want to do, the cleanup of all our disasters and the productions of all our plans to make lots of money. Woohoo! And we’ll make sure and give them things like facebook and twitter so they think they are actually connecting with each other. But we’ll monitor all that, and make sure nothing get’s out of hand (well I’m not certain about that) Soccer now? Great idea! That will make them feel like they actually have a culture in this country, though we know there’s little chance of a vibrant culture when they are so occupied serving us. We’ll control TV, Film, News to make sure it goes our way. Well, at least they’ll THINK they are still living their own lives.” I guess I AM a conspiracy theorist (not really), I just don’t think it’s actually conspiracy. I think it’s just human nature and potentiality, and some people are intune with those potentialities. Some aren’t.
Well, my intuition tells me, the time is now to rebuild a culture in this country. Art and culture always have been our best (and perhaps only) defense. But, I don’t know if storming the whitehouse isn’t a good idea that should be resurrected. They won’t shoot us or anything!!!!! Not if we speak from the heart without getting all emotional, not if we know what we are talking about. In this case, God isn’t in the details anymore. He’s in the broad perspective. So don’t go pointing out details anymore. It’s only a point of contention and you run the risk of spewing misinformation so readily thrown out on the internet.
With so much suffering (and just plain bad attitudes) we don’t experience our days quite as happily as the sun intends each morning when it rises. Every day is shrouded these days with the reality of just how bad things are, and how much they have truly gotten out of hand. Though the birds do try to sing, and we do rise each morning and pour our first cups of coffee, juice or tea (whatever) we don’t have anywhere really productive to go from there. We write and write, we talk and talk online, we bicker and complain, but that’s fine. They know we do that. They don’t mind. “Go ahead, snivel all you want, WE CAN’T HEAR YOU…”
We must not take on the victim mentality! WE most certainly have been doing that, and it leads us to believe we are powerless.
I am jumping on this opportunity to speak up because the time is now to turn things around. If you were not one of the people who could TELL where we were headed in the first Bush election, like I was talking about, then step aside. Because you don’t have a clue about how controlled you are and how easily you are controlled.
Now, I do need to address the SYSTEM we have in place. We don’t want to get rid of all this convenience, plenty and possibility. And we don’t have to! As you pine away at your keyboards, in the comfort of your own home, remember REMEMBER! that there are people like you with massive minds, educations and positions who are working on new technology and systems to carry us forward, fulfilling our needs in a better way. The technology is really there already. WE have the ability to put transportation and food production in a viable harmonious order. I’m sure of it. And it is only a matter of time.
In the mean time, learn how you are influenced and controlled by the trends and fads put out in the world to appease and distract you. Listen to the people who have an innate intuition about these things. Listen to their warnings and change your life accordingly! What I mean is, don’t fear- you have the majority on your side. If the @#$$%%^& hit the fan – hey we all know how to ride a horse! And what do you think would be the single most important form of transportation if we really did find ourselves in total chaos? (ok maybe this is more like a great story idea then a glimpse at our real future, but you should rest assured that you always have the skills to survive)
Self-reliance is the only way to speak from the heart!
Now, I would like to share with you that I interviewed an ex-PMU farm owning couple in N. Dakota. Their farm was shut down when all the farms moved to Canada. Many things I learned from them, but most importantly I’d like to say, that these farms were pushed into Canada at the time, and so was slaughter, because, like the Native Americans, the Canadians and Mexicans were really working with only their apparent options, at the time. We in the US were so self-righteous, with such an entitlement complex, (over the last few decades) “Oh no, we’re better then that we don’t need that blood on OUR Hands, YOU do it.” And so opulent! Well, they did our dirty work on that larger scale, just like we do the dirty work for the gov now on an individual and group scale.
It is always an individual choice. You only have control over yourself, right? Even the powers that be must make their own choices now on an individual level – Are they going to continue to participate in the scheme that’s destroying the splendor of the world they’d like to leave their grandkids, or are they going to make changes everyday all day to try to turn it around. It is only an individual choice, but then it is a collective effort which will carry us forward. So make your choices, and join the majority around you cares and wants their country back, and we’ll get her back. The pendulum always swings back the other way. … When we are all wise enough, we’ll hold in the middle somehow.
Forgive all my spirituality, but this is where we are headed. May be stalled now, but it’s only a matter of moments. Trust me.
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Andrea, you are doing a great job! Honestly, my brain can only handle one issue at a time. I feel overwhelmed by all this political crappe’. Perhaps I’m paranoid, but it seems as though our politicians are puppets, pimped out by large corporations. I have tried to stay away from the political arena, but the horse slaughter issue is over the top. It is a symptom of a greater problem. I’ll say it again. “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Ghandi. Oh, that’s right, Ghandi was a radical vegan extremists. Wisdom is wisdom, isn’t it?
When I was faced with the implementation of a horse slaughterhouse in my town, I felt the need to research this issue. I know in my heart that it is wrong. I simply did not have information about alternatives and problems related to slaughter. Most people here do not have that information. The politicians here are closed minded. They have told me personally, that there are no alternatives to horse slaughter and that my opposition is merely ’emotional’. I will never change their minds. Interestingly enough, the candidates for governor refuse to comment on horse slaughter, even when asked by newspaper reporters! Hmm, what do you think that means?
Tom, you do a great job! Please do not be offended by my comments about education. It seems like you have a lot of heart, but the pro-slaughter people do not! In the political arena, look like a rat and be a cat. Just the facts! We may not change their minds but, someone will swallow the whole thing and vomit the notion of horse slaughter. FYI: I am not trying to give advice. I am venting and sharing my experience.
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Dang – you guys are good! Andrea, Elizabeth, I would like to see you two in a debate on opposite views. I’d join and throw myself to the wind just for the experience.
4 points, if I may –
1. I don’t know if it will be Obama or not that will be our Robin Hood (great current movie btw), our dragon slayer (don’t those helicopters remind you of dragons?), but I do not discount him. I mean this is in an “UN” political way – trying to find a way to acknowledge that politics are in fact part of this, but keep it “real”. I think the American people did elect him. I continually remember Kennedy (I was in high school then – a good republican child) “they” thought he would be a “tow the liner”, but he was not (of course look what happened to him). Roosevelt survived a coup attempt by Preston Bush, Rockefeller, and others (documents are on line if interested – not a “conspiracy theory” – a real conspiracy) because he turned out to be his own man for the people. Now, neither walked on water of course. Nixon did great things that are overshadowed by Watergate, he went aginst his party and froze rents and prices and stopped runaway inflation and he stopped Viet Nam (maybe that’s why he got busted?). Bush senior enacted ADA and Federal fire protection measures and pursued some other both moderate and “left” agendas.
2. They WILL shoot us – Kent State. An individual has to decide what they are willing to potentially go to jail or die for. Was stopping Viet Nam and the civil rights movement worth it – I say yes, and those are my heros that can carry that possibility and fate. Is getting shot a real possibility – yes, is it a real “probability” NO.
3. Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing up “entitlements”. This is important to the wild horse cause how? Back to Nixon for a moment – since I voted for him I was still in disbelief until he got on that helicopter. Then I had to accept the shame and acknowledge the truth that he and others gave themselves entitlements above the law of the land. And life went on, and better for that journey. Bush – we have to accept the truth, work through it, learn from it, and move on the journey – many are stuck. Does not matter what party he was. Truth – my good republican Goldwater mother would NOT be still defending this party, she would feel duped (she is turning in her grave). Our horses have suffered from a self entitled bunch that suckered the citizens of their own party for an agenda that suited a few. Will Obama be better – I HAVE to believe so. We are all skeptics right now, but let’s give him at least another 18 months, then condemn him if need be. This notion of hoping he will fail is hoping our country will fail, that our democracy will fail, that we ourselves as wild horse advocates will fail, for what, party rhetoric? I never hoped Bush would “fail” – didn’t like him – but never conjured that he would do such harm.
Nature does not “entitle” any animal, not even human. We forget we are “animals’ – just part of the circle of life. Maybe modern man is an unfortunate mutation, and as such we are not sustainable at all as Mother Nature intends – just too much evidence that this is a real possibility in my opinion. But maybe there is still a gene in us that will be able to overtake the mutated one – who knows.
4. “Wisdom is wisdom”, truth is truth. You can have many opinions about the truth. Those opinions change as evidence unfolds, as research, discovery, invention and investigation go forward. But the truth was always there. Sometimes we would never know if it if not for those “conspiracy theorists”, which I mean in a most positive connotation. Is this something “wise” people know?
“Conspiracy theorist” is a phrase, manipulated by some bullies to have a certain connotation, to stop the “thinking” and investigative nature.
Closing – I’m the worst offender of any and all errors. Like Andrea, I won’t be willingly going away anytime soon. Free speech, open debate, finding FACTS & TRUTH, contacting as many people every day as I can to spread the word, thinking out side the box – that’s my particular niche. Others take care of the many other portions of the battle. I would not, however, be able to go toe to toe on a political blog (my latest venture) or on a pro slaughter/anti wild horse YouTube without everything, both on and off topic that everyone here tackles. Now, how best to use that – I think is a lesson I’ve entertained here the last couple of days. So in effect, this seemingly off topic discussion, has, in fact brought us to be better advocates.
Thanks to Vicki Tobins article too – think I’ll read that again. Much to think about these days.
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I live in Wyoming and to my dismay so does that damn Sue Wallis. I won’t call her representative Wallis because she doesn’t represent the people of the state of Wyoming, most of us with half a brain anyway. I am hoping that silly bitch gets voted out of office as she is a “huge” embarrassment to the whole state. You will go away Sue Wallis, you forgot, that we have brains and don’t believe your silly shit.
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As some may know, last year the Board of Directors of the Arabian Horse Association approved a resolution that endorses the reopening of US horse slaughter facilities. As a member of AHA, as well as an owner and breeder of Arabian horses, I was dumbstruck by this outlandish decision made by 29 board members on behalf of an organization that represents approximately 30,000 owners and breeders.
As a result, we started a group called ‘AHAMS’ (Arabian Horse Association Mission Supporters) of which the sole purpose is to gather petition signatures that will support a motion to rescind this ill-considered resolution.
During some of our early email campaigns, we received several ‘cringe-inducing’ responses very similar to the ones you have shared here. The emails are usually typed with lots of CAPS, as the people we tend to upset are not only slaughter supporters, but are typically angry, grammar-challenged boors who commonly resort to name calling and personal insults.
Despite the unpleasantness of reading this absurdity, it is always rewarding to read the notes of support and encouragement by those opposed to slaughter and the AHA’s position regarding it. In addition, based on petition signers and emails, our statistics reflect that AHAMS supporters outnumber the pro-slaughter crowd handily by a steady margin of 20 to 1.
Kathleen Gregory
http://www.ahamsupport.com
(Please take a moment to visit our website and sign the petition!)
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Kathleen,
Thank you so much for your efforts and your industry should be thanking you for shedding new light on what otherwise is a horrible black mark for Arabian Horse enthusiasts. I have, in fact boycotted all Arabian Horse shows in my area, and have printed that list Sue Wallis published and spread it around as “the bad guys”. I wish you success in getting your association to abandon its pro slaughter quest.
While the SCREAMERS and cursers, as you describe them, are busy on their quest, many of us here are on different efforts, that of spreading the word. Whats that saying about “just one unhappy customer can destroy an entire business”, something like that?
You should revisit us every now and then and repost – we have new advocates all the time that will miss this otherwise.
Best Wishes to you and AHAMS! Has your organization entertained signing the Wild Horse Roundup Moretorium? To do so please visit The Cloud Foundation, find that article or just drop a line to Makendra at Contact Us.
PS can you get your industry to cut back on breeding until this recession is over and the rescues are no longer busitng at the seams?
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Kathleen, thank you for this message of hope, I will gladly support this petition,
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Can someone please explain why respected horse associations take a pro slaughter stance?
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Because they are afraid to tell their breeders to stop over producing! Its the groups like the Quarterhorse assoc. who are the ONLY reason there are 100,000 horses a year slaughtered.
These old school horse breeding registries should take notice of large canine groups like AKC… they don’t just register animals and have shows! their registries are much more broad and helpfull to animal wellbeing- than the horse registries!
Quarterhorse assoc has spent MILLIONS of their registry fees to lobby in washingtondc against humane bills and spent ZERO to help stop the puppymill-like horse breeders STOP the breeding. Thank God horses don’t have litters like dogs or the horse-hoarders would be even worse. One would think the horse breeders are still living in the 1800s!!
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Profit – the mindless, soulless, corrupt, self perpetuating “feed me” above all else profit.
Our problems are not with industry per se or entirely with capitalism and free market systems, but with our current skewed Corporate scheme of “personage”, “CEO/Board of Directors”, and “in the moment only” demands striped of sustainability or social responsibility. Ever notice how they tout self responsibility until it’s time for them to be responsible? It’s not their fault; fact – they are required by law to produce as much profit as possible above all else, including teh basics of safety, quality and oversight. They have set up laws over time that demand CEOs and Boards of Directors to follow sociopathic business ethics and actions. Now their brains are wired that way, they feel entitled. There is another legislative effort in my opinion that if not pursued, will likely destroy all of us.
Some have found ways to redefine these roles and include sustainability and social resposiblilty as core in their portfolios and business practices to be able to “continue” profits and reputation. CEO of FLOR Carpet as example. The horse industries (and dog breeders too) should study this framework before they implode.
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typos again – sorry!
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Laura;
Any ideas about how we can start to implement change. I, myself, had a bad experience with the AQHA. I decided not to register my horse. I recently received an email from their foundation stating that they do not support slaughter. (Yeah, right!) Now, if people cannot afford to feed their horses, it makes sense that they cannot afford to register them. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to them to think out of the box and address these problems in a reasonable way?
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They should take out full page ads against horse slaughter that either Sue Wallis included them erroneously in her list of supporters, or there was an error in their understanding.
It will be, even with that, almost impossible to erase that already published list from the pro slaughter group of supporters from everyones minds. IF they are serious they need to wage an all out campaingn with published recant across the nation.
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The economy, technology and the regulation of/lack of demand for horse flesh in current markets (along with the decline of registries that promote breeding and ease of cruel disposal [TBs, STB{ although STBs are more humane proactive than most use, abuse and dump registries} and QHs) will bring these creeps to a slow screech withing the next 3 years. Their poor business accumen along with the sanctioned abuse of their product (look at racing for an example) will stop them sooner then they know, but not soon enough for those of us that do.
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Elizabeth, can you post the email here?
I like Laura’s response. I’d add that the only horses they think should be alive are show quality ones. They do not connect Spirit with Life. Also, they really do believe there are too many “unwanted horse” (hmm who’s fault is that, duh) and feel bad for the suffering (in this sense they do consider Spirit). Well… They want to play – They’ll have to untie their fancy ribbons and let their hair down if they ever want to win.
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Its all the “just business” wiring of the brain – they start them out young too, those ribbons are just the first “drugs”, they’ll move onto to more serious actions and breach of morals later. Soon those horse they once loved become nothing more than products.
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I’ll share this with you all – I had a vision recently. Basically, God said to me, very frankly, “It’s none of your business what they look like.” It happened while I was pondering selective breeding at puppy mills.
That is the original mistake. It was never any of our business to interfere with reproduction of animals. But hey, I live in an ideal world!
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This is on CNN today, looks like slaughterhouse Sue is hard at work trying to make her case to eat horses. please go here and vote no to horsemeat in america! the pro slaughters have flooded the yes votes!
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/06/22/lunchtime-poll-horse-meat/#comment-4743
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Done. And if you are bloging a comment make it a reply to one at the top. They are posted oldest one first.
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And here’s the other part of it
http://www.wildearthguardians.org/library/paper.asp?nMode=2&nLibraryID=874
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Andrea thanks for this article – very important.
And this is good, but not great, nor the best.
Great would be to charge the “real cost” that would include both direct and “indirect” costs of $500 million. Guessing they used $123 million as direct cost = $7.64 and $12.26 per animal unit month, and I’ll even give a little on the math, saying that is about 1/4 would bring that $12.26 up to over $48.00.
Best – get the damn things off the public lands, at least the wild horse portion!
But I’m going after the whole sha bang with everything I’ve got. This particular proposal may just be a way to get the likes of me off their backs – I post somewhere about them every day – facts, dollars and cents, with links – I’ll leave them to you guys to pull on their heart strings, but frankly I don’t think they have any.
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URGENT – BP is burning endangered sea turtles alive!
Got this from a post. My software won’t open it allowing pictures and the like, I never open those, but wanted to get this out.
Opening it is ok, but proceding to the next step at you own risk:
act@credoaction.com
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Andrea;
Is there any way I can give you my email without actually posting it? I live in Wyoming and things are really crazy here. Honestly, there have been death threats and harassment on and from both sides. My privacy is essential.
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Wyoming can take some patience and some PRESSURE! Many people have fought for their lives there. You are a memeber of an elite club!
But they also surprise us!
I don’t mind threats. Please do let me know your side if you dissagree wit me or otherwise. My email is alynix@gmail.com
I am not afraid. And I know there is no reason to be. I’m sorry for the danger around you though!
I’m sorry
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Elizabeth, :),
You know something? Right now, as luck would have it, I’m not working and haven’t been for eight months. In that time I’ve gone through a transformation, a little bit. I tend to be able to spend a lot of time alone, and I prefer it. I live in a community where I almost know everyone, so there is no shortage of “Hi’s” to say. It is enough for me.
So, while you have many people surrounding you who pull you this way or that, who you must appease with some sort of response, all I have to do right now is have a relationship with exactly the people I want to. You and everyone near.
It makes it so I can control my day. Maybe, it’s a compromised state to be in. But I realize every facet of this gem has its own little gems. And the benefit of my current and recent lifestyle is already obvious to you by what I’ve said so far and how you’ve compared it to your own life.
I do not have to dance with others to allow them their vices anymore. My family has long gotten used to me. My community is beginning to understand me, but has also given me everything I need to learn, and continues to do so. Happens to be an ideal place to live.
All these things make it so that I can ponder gently, something it is nearly impossible for everyone else to do.
There are others like me who have been unemployed for awhile. I am not a guru. I am a human being. I can see everything clearly because I’m not running around chasing after my own glory, or dumping my fortune’s in someone else’s lap. I’m not spending my time, currently, doing a job that I hate. Or working around people that I think I hate.
Its possible for us to entirely tear down this world and clean up the mess and rebuild. The powers that be must shift stock, manpower and tech into already existing proven cottage industry and appropriate technology. AND not exploit the next round. We have it all out there. It is only that these guys own stock in the old companies, however; they do not have it out for you quite like you think they do.
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RoxyRoxy “Best – get the damn things off the public lands, at least the wild horse portion!” Can you explain this sentence?
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Of course. It is estimated that cattle have replaced wild horses on at least 20 million acres of Public Lands. More if you were to figure where horses were actually located at the time of the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Legislation, which intended for them to have that land as their “Primary Use”. Ginger Kathrens has spoken to this on the Howling Ridge radio spots. I would have likely drop my pursuit of ridding our public Lands of all cattle if those 20 – 30 million acres were returned to the horses. However, now I have learned the whole story of the *Welfare Ranching scheme, and current BLM methods of putting more cattle after removing horses from forage that BLM said was not adequate in the first place. And so I must object on taxpayer principal and I intend to continue working to eliminate all of my taxes going for any of this corporate for profit scheme.
I would, if I had any say, take the money for Salazoo, give it first to legitimate family ranchers and let them buy land to compensate, emove those cattel once and for all, and then they don’t have to pay anyone any more. I would just as soon boot the corporate ones off with nothing.
Cattle grazing on Public Lands *costs over $500 million dollars a year of taxpayer money to go directly into the pockets of CEOs and Boards of Directors, and the cattle are then *exported for profit – enough! Cattle grazing on Public lands represent only 3% of all cattle production in the USA. I doubt that any of us will starve if that whole 3% were simply eliminated all together, considering the overproduction of beef in our country, that gets exported, then beef from South American gets imported to us. Rediculous.
Add to that what I have learned about the benefits of horses and the detriment to the land from cattle and it’s as they say a “no brainer”. Horses do NOT poop in water, they are very careful around delicate riparian ways – they seem to know. They do not digest seeds necessary for good ground retention of top soil – they spread seeds around as they roam on delicate feet, not tromping like cattle. They do not pull up forage from the roots, except in eating winter dead brush that will otherwise add to summer fire fuel. They eat oily noxious exotic invasive weeds like cheat grass before its seeds (USFIRSERVICE) that would otherwise become a horrible contributor to the BTU (heat measure) of wild fires that we see exaggerated every year after year. Is this coincidental to the removal of horses? My answer – why do fire services bring in goats to do the same thing? But they found the goats really do eat more like cattle, down into the root systems. Which is a claim by cattle interests that the horses eat that way – we see in all the documentaries that this is simply not true of wild horses. They break through ice to drink with the delicate hooves when needed that allows other wildlife to drink – recent information indicates that they aid big horned sheep to get through ice packed forage. And they are, as far as I can tell the only wild animal of such diverse coloration and wondrous social structure that is animated and beautiful to behold (cows – not so much) and accessible. There is a real tourist Serengeti right here in the USA that we have not tapped into. Then of course their history as an American icon – but I’ve gone on enough.
Off with the cattle!
*My information comes from CATO Institute 1997 Policy Analysis on Welfare Ranching and the USDA.
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We cannot degrade the cattle any longer, though. I can’t be part of the dialogue in that way. A better way to look at it would be to be passionate about them too. I know someone who is. He really is.
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I feel that way about every animal. And I wish everyone had a passion like that man did. I will a world where we walk/ride 😉 about, play and work, live, like death were at our ear.
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And we do it all with the animals and sea.
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I understand that and we don’t have to agree on every point.
Cattle are however intentionaly bred for slaughter and food, wild horses are wildlife. Cattle are intentionally placed on our Public Lands, it is not their native soil.
Breed all the cattle one wants – why am I supposed to pay taxes for it to be exported to other parts of the world? In other words, just not out of my pocket at the detriment to wild horses. That is what this is about – replacing wild horses on public lands with cattle and then subsidizing the cattle.
Cattle degrade the land – that is why there are such strict rules about grazing -rotating, moving them around. You can look up the evidence on the web – there are millions of acres in swaths across our country that are baren because of over grazing by cattle in the 19th and early 20th century that have still not recovered.
Anyway, there is no reason to move catle onto Public Lands. The welfare system in place had a reason in the Depression, it has become a welfare entitlement that mostly benefits “for profit” corporations – has nothing to do with hating or degrading cattle. My idea – Give the Salazoo money to the family cattle ranchers to buy land outside the Pulbic Lands, then they don’t have to pay BLM for grazing at all anymore.
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My next strategy to try out at Whole Foods and around – “I will not eat the flesh of an animal that has directly replaced one wild horse on the horses own rightful land – to subject them to the horrors of a roundup and of holding – just waiting to die, or worse yet – slaughter.”
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I continue to email the AQHA. I request that they become responsibly proactive in addressing horse overpopulation. They don’t like me.
Roxy, thank goodness that I can drive to the Colorado Whole Foods. There seem to be no indigenous fruits or vegetables in Wyoming. All they eat is cow, potatoes and pine cones. LOL
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