Story by JoAnne Young of the Lincoln Journal Star
Politicians Prove Deceptive in Promoting Horse Slaughter
Senators advanced a bill in Nebraska on Wednesday to allow for a state meat inspection program and possibly a horse slaughter and processing facility, but one senator took the opportunity to discredit the Humane Society of the United States.
Sen. Tom Carlson of Holdrege, the chairman of the Agriculture Committee used strong language, calling the national group deceptive, unethical, overreaching, shameless, ruthless.
He made the distinction between HSUS and local humane societies, saying it is not the same as such groups as the Capital Humane Society and the Nebraska Humane Society.
He said the majority of the money donated to the HSUS goes to political propaganda, which he labeled “dangerous political poison,” and to executive salaries.
Carlson went on to say HSUS is largely responsible for USDA inspectors no longer inspecting horse processing facilities and for the subsequent closing of plants in Texas and Illinois. He estimated 100,000 horses are now abandoned each year in this country because of that, and horse refuges are “woefully inadequate” to meet the needs.
Horses must now be hauled to Mexico and Canada for slaughter and processing, he said.
“The result of this irresponsible behavior is the waste of a wonderful natural resource that could feed a lot of people in countries around the world,” he said.
Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill, who introduced the bill (LB305), said a state meat and poultry inspection program is needed to provide better access to inspection for rural and small meat producers. It’s an economic development issue, he said.
Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber, the lone no vote in bringing the bill out of the Agriculture Committee, said this was not the right time for establishing a state meat inspection program.
“Let’s not get the cart before the proverbial horse,” he said.
A former owner of a meat market himself, Karpisek said processors have told him the state does not need state inspectors and that it would be a waste of state dollars. The federal inspection program is sufficient to meet the needs of the state, he said.
Any U.S. inspected plant can inspect any of the meats processed in the state, he said. And any processor in the state is able to get a federal inspector.
Why would processors pay extra, if user fees are charged, for what federal inspectors do now for free, he asked.
“Folks, we’re spinning this baby,” Karpisek said. “I said I’m not going to get upset and I don’t want to kill this bill, but stop the spin.”
Senators advanced the bill to a second round of debate on a 35-1 vote. They also adopted an amendment to the bill that would allow a study on the feasibility of establishing a state meat inspection program and a report on what resources would be needed to develop and maintain such a program. It also would recommend a fee schedule to fund such a program.
Jocelyn Nickerson, Nebraska director of USHS, later responded to Carlson’s comments about the organization, saying that an unfounded fear and misleading information has gotten to Nebraska farmers and ranchers.
Much of the information Carlson relayed about USHS was untrue, she said. It is not trying to destroy Nebraska agriculture or the state’s way of life, as he said. And it is not trying to make everyone vegetarians, she said.
She encouraged anyone with questions about USHS to email her at jnickerson@humanesociety.org.
Click (HERE) to read article in it’s entirety and comment!
Related Articles
- Radical Horse Slaughter Group Pushes for Horse Cruelty in Nevada (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- EWA Prez Wins One for the Horses in Slaughter Debate (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Horse Slaughter is Bad for the Economy, the Community and the Taxpayer (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Nebraska Horse Eating Senator is “Out of Line” (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Nebraska Bill Would Slaughter Horses and Penalize Rescues (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
When will someone hand these Senators a copy of the EU regulations regarding horse meat? They aren’t accepting U.S. horse mean any more unless it can be shown that the horse has not been receiving supplements “not for human consumption” in its lifetime. Horses have to be raised as food to qualify and U.S. horses are not. So, what do they think breeders will now start raising horses as food, which means they won’t get wormed at all as this is just one of the regular maintenance treatments that states “not for use in horses intended for human consumption.”
And don’t they know that Canada’s plants may be headed in the same direction as the U.S. ones now that people there know exactly how brutally the horses are treated?
The HSUS’ mission is to end cruelty to animals in whatever form it takes–horse slaughter is cruel and inhumane no matter how it’s done. These Senators are deluded if they think otherwise. The plants in the U.S. were cruel, they’re cruel in Canada and they are horrific in Mexico. Why do they continually refuse to deal with the problem, which is too many horses being produced?
LikeLike
Yesterday I was reading a horse blog where they were talking about horse slaughter again. I can not believe just how miss informed so many people are. After all the evidence they still say there are too many horses because the slaughter houses closed. Nothing else is the reason. REALLY!!!! I also read an article from Spain that said their horses are in trouble too. They do not send their horses to slaughter and yet they have way too many and even the Andalusian is found starving in fields. So one more time “ITS THE ECONOMY STUPID.” Its all about the economy and too many horses being bred. People do not have the money right now. Supply and demand. Stop breeding and let it catch up. But too many are too dam greedy.
Even the article below proves it. Leachman had 2 stallions in a field of over 800 horses and the babies are dropping now adding to the over population. How hard would it have been to keep the stallions away from the mares with only 2 of them? Stupid, stupid people. Now most of those horses are likely to go to slaughter. Quarter horses all!
LikeLike
The lies still continue. I personally was part of a group that pushed to close the
slaughter plant in DeKalb, Illinois. I agree with the previous posts. These block
headed legislators know nothing about this industry. I have heard the same
rhetoric thrown about regarding the the Humane Society. All untruths and lies!
I’m amazed at how stupid these people are. They need to do some research into
the difference between cattle and horses. Cattle are not allowed some of the
pharmaceticals that are administered to horses. But and the other wormers
indicate the liability on the box – NOT INTENDED FOR ANIMALS USED FOR
HUMAN CONSUMPTION. It is all ABOUT THE MONEY…NOT ABOUT THE
CARE OR CONCERN FOR THE HORSES! I bet they don’t even know what
a carcingen is..We must all continue to fight for the horses..And the knuckle
heads who keep breeding horses need their heads examined…
LikeLike
I remember writing letters, emails and calling trying to get the IL plant and the one in TX closed. Perhaps Larsen would like to talk to all the residents who testified again and again in both states of the horrors of living near these houses of torture and death, of hearing the horses screaming. Most Americans, thank God, are appalled even at the thought of eating horses.
LikeLike
Isn’t NE one of the state’s that is warehousing our wild ones in long term holding? If so, they are direct threat of this.
LikeLike
It sounds as if the People of Nebraska are going to have a horse slaughter plant rammed down their throats by some of their legislators (and whoever is backing this bill), unless they put their collective foot down–or squarely on the backsides of these opportunistic public servants. The following is a quote from John Holland and it bears repeating:
Larson claims that opening a horse slaughter plant would be good for Nebraska’s economy, but Nebraska already enjoys the second lowest unemployment in the country (4.4 percent).
In fact, history tells us that it would bring only misery and loss to Nebraskans.
I will present evidence proving that horse slaughter is bad for the economy, the community, the taxpayers, horse owners and the horses themselves. American horse slaughter is a dying practice, and spending treasure to resuscitate it is folly.
Ignoring the worst economy in living memory, both [Charles] Stenholm and Larson claim that the closing of the slaughter plants has harmed the horse market and increased equine neglect. I will first prove this is impossible.
A brief history of horse slaughter:
In 1990, there were about 12 horse slaughter plants operating in the U.S. One of these was Central Nebraska Packing in North Platte. Along with plants in Canada and Mexico USDA statistics show they slaughtered a total of 419,133 American horses that year. Both the number of slaughterhouses and horses slaughtered declined steadily through the decade despite no legal restrictions until California banned slaughter in 1998. Nobody claimed that this 77.5 percent reduction caused any problems.
LikeLike
I feel so heartily sorry for these poor horses and they are so brilliant with special children. Horses should be loved and respected not hunted down in a savage way. Its absolutely disgraceful that horses are treated this way and just used like meat not appreciated and loved like an animal should be.
LikeLike
When profit driven racketeers smell a profitable loophole, they will dance around the subject any twist they want, just to get around the core concerns. Everyone knows horse meat is tainted, and poses a public health hazard. The naivete dooming in this minds of some who play plain stupid is amazing. Now the nation is worried about stuff like food coloring being dangerous – but heck, let’s feed adulaterated meat to people. QUIT over breeding horses ! There are other solutions and alternatives, slaughter is NOT the answer ! Also discrediting any organization that counters this sick propaganda of horse slaughter just demonstrates the lack of being open minded as they alway resort to attacking anyone who states the truth. The truth of horse slaughter is such an ugly picture, in all aspects: unnecessary and cheap dumping grounds promote irresponsible horse owners… the cruelty, the un-american moral of slaughtering an animal not raised for food, and the health hazards…. How on earth can be Legislators and Senators be so dim-witted ??
It’s all about the money – money, money, money ! That is their religion. I feel the HSUS ought to step up and start a counter campaign on a much grander scale. These propaganda people in NE need to go crawl back under the rock where they belong.
LikeLike
So then,it’s up to us to inform these people,isn’t it.Could you please get out a list of contacts of the representatives and senators in Nebraska?So we can start sending them emails with videos and vet testimonials and such!Get to it,people!
LikeLike
I just want to say that I feel that THE FOOD AND DRUG ORGANIZATIONS go hand and hand. They are all good friends and they pass the ole mighty BUCK around to shut your eyes from the real truth.
First they feed you bad meat that has been passed through $$$$$$$$ while no one else was looking. That will make you SICK. Then the drug and medical professions can try and make you well. They all win the $$$$$$$$$.
While “WE” suffer the consequences. We were never supposed to eat horses. Yes they eat them in other countries but I thought that AMERICA was a lot smarter than other countries. If you read the BIBLE you will see just what we were supposed to eat.
That is if you want to live a LONG HEALTHY LIFE!!!!!! What’s NEXT????? Will we eat our DOGS, CATS, PARROTS??????? OH COME ON PEOPLE YOU WHO WANT TO EAT HORSES. We all know it is just so you can have MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET!!!!!!
LikeLike
Wow, so these are the jobs that we’ve been promised for the past 24+ months? I think I will wait. I wonder when the human meat processing plant will be opening. I’ll have a dozen human fingers and a brainburger.
Hey, at least we have been able to invest in another military conflagration (this one in Africa, so we’re spreading out now onto different continents).
$700 million a year on military (seven times more than any other country). Maybe they can start hiring internally (auditors). Senator Tommy Carlson made this intelligent, well-thought-out remark about animal rights groups and their thoughts about horse slaughter:
“We will defeat them in Nebraska,” he said. “Then, we will tell the nation how they operate and how to defeat them.”
(He then proceeded to spit Skoal remnants into a tin can while waving his shotgun.)
Someone with half (a fiduciary) brain – the one who voted against the bill:
Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber, the only lawmaker to vote against the bill, said federal meat inspectors are accessible. A former meat marketer himself, Karpisek questioned why the state would fund its own meat inspection program when people can use the USDA inspection program for free.
LikeLike
They can inspect it and inspect…still is not going to get the chemicals out of the meat….READ the box of the wormers for domestic horses…it tells you don’t slaughter if you are going to worm the toxic chemicals stay in the horses…They want the money for the horse meat. Selling all the mustangs has raised the price on the hoof to go up….everyone wants the $. READ, and here comes that word THINK THINK do you want your kids eating chemicals…toxic when it has it written on the box..I’m going to take a photo of the warnings on the wormer box. So you can inspect all you want….and I am willing to bet they don’t eat horse meat. Most horse meat go to our cats and dogs. Then to zoo’s then shipped over to Europe they have their own horses they don’t need ours. It is your money, your future we still to this day do not know if the horse meat people ate feed to their kids caused cancer with those chemicals. You ban cigarette but not this…Leave our horses alone…put them down with respect they carried you on their backs ….so you can build America. They got your coal so you could keep warm..they went to war so you can be free…and this is how you pay them back you eat them. Then lift the ban on cigarettes. Race horses are filled with drugs…feed them to your kids. No one has inspected into the health of a human and horse meat. Horses are not listed as live stock now they are listed as pets and companions. So we are slaughtering our companions.
LikeLike
These fools have already been told the FDA will NOT inspect horse meat because there are NO guidlines. Yet they are claiming they can get the meat USDA inspected. NO, they can’t. That’s why they want state inspecters. Americans aren’t going to suddenly eat horse meat just because Joe Idiot says it is better for us than beef or fish.
For those of you who read Christianna’s post… that’s Leviticus Chapter 11. If you want to go a step further, read Rev. 9:16. I would imagine those mentioned in Rev, would be all those tortured by humans. It is right the Bible would use these animals to dole out the punishments on humans who so deserve God’s wrath upon them.
Nebraska needs to WAKE UP! I can not believe the majority of the people of Nebraska would vote FOR this. Unless of course they have no choice in the matter…
LikeLike