Story by Victor Thorn of The American Free Press
Noted Advocate Places Blame Squarely on Obama’s Shoulders
When Barack Obama signed the 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill on Nov. 18, it opened a door for the renewed slaughter of over 100,000 horses per year on American soil. Some of the president’s most ardent loyalists felt personally betrayed by this move because Obama had initially supported the 2009 Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503) which outlawed the transportation or purchase of horses for the intent of human consumption.
During a Dec. 6 interview, Jerry Finch, president of Habitat for Horses, voiced his disappointment to this writer. “The Obama administration stabbed us in the back. He flat-out lied to us. Obama has the ability to initiate an Executive Order that says our borders are closed to the transportation of horses for the purpose of slaughter, while no horses could be killed domestically, either. The president promised us, and he needs to stand up to his promises.”
Without any regulations on this industry, America could see a return to the 1980s when over 300,000 horses were slain annually. Finch speaks for many in this nation that are appalled by such savagery. “The vast majority of people are against horse slaughter,” he began. “But a small minority in the horse slaughter business can make billions a year shipping horse meat to Europe and Asia via their shell corporations. According to some reports, they can get $26-30 a pound for horse meat.”
When asked about advocates of this legislation that claim slaughtering horses inside America is more humane than trucking them to Mexico or Canada, Finch responded, “There are a hellacious number of pedophiles that travel overseas to fiddle around with little kids. So, using that logic, shouldn’t we just open up pedophile centers here in America? If something is wrong over there, it’s wrong here, too.”
To provide a brief glimpse into the pervasive cruelty being exerted upon these horses, Finch spoke with a distinct sadness when describing what takes place inside these slaughterhouses. “The practice is more than horrifying. It’s a common occurrence to poke out a horse’s eyes so that they won’t resist or attack anyone while being corralled.”
When asked about the primary culprits behind this barbarity, Finch explained, “Nevada is one of the states hungry for more processing plants. But the American Quarter Horse Association is mostly responsible.”
Finch then described their dirty little secret. “This association breeds more horses than anyone else, but most horses can’t be sold for a profit. So, they sell the rest to slaughterhouses where they can make $200 or $300 per horse. There are too many horses because they’re being bred like mad. The real problem doesn’t lie with slaughterhouses, but with the breeders.”
There is, however, some hope of humanity, as Finch told AFP. “Horse slaughterers can’t operate in states that already specifically outlaw this practice. It’s also important for people to understand that only one-percent of the horse population is being killed. The other 99 percent are being cared for. Isn’t it coincidental, though, that there’s such a high demand for the meat of those ‘unwanted’ horses in the one-percent?”
As a closing thought, Finch made a plea. “I wish I knew someone that knew President Obama’s daughters so that they could go up to him and say: Daddy, why are you doing this to those horses?”
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
It is a sad day when we as a society depend on the common sense and innocence of children to make ANY sense at all in a mad world of exploitation and greed. The irresponsible over breeding is not just affecting America’s horses, but dogs and cats nationwide, who all pay the ultimate price for deliberate human ignorance. It is beyond appalling that in a country that creates more new bills to regulate and control its society and shrinks our freedoms daily, such a mess can exist, whereas animals are the victims of archaic protection laws, non-existing governance in regards to breeding and simply the motto: Throw away society. America is a land of wasteful ideas in many aspects but to waste the lives of sentient beings and pretend they don’t suffer and sell the idea as an evil necessity, is preposterous. Education is key, and many need it desperately. I urge everyone to network the link to Katia Lousie’s global award winning documentary, http://www.savingamericashorses.org and tell the story, as it must be told.
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“Saving America’s Horses” is in the running for a national TV spot and you can help with just a simple click! Please vote for “Saving America’s Horses” daily by following the link. Voting ends Dec 31st. Thank you! http://apps.facebook.com/legalzoomcontest/contests/147142/voteable_entries
WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN – just vote please – it only takes a click to make that difference for America’s horses !
THANK YOU !!
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How HORRIFIC!! People who don’t value life of any kind or species will do this and not have even a tinge of conscience. They scare me! It’s proven that people who harm animals for pleasure or profit can, and often do, harm people for the same reasons. They are seriously SICK!
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For some the death of a cow brings a profit so the death of a horse becomes insignificant in the process. Death brings profit. Armies scourge the world to gather profit. The world is consumed from the top of the mountains to the depths of the oceans for profit. Our entire culture is profit based. Every judge protects capital, every politician echos the words JOBS and GROWTH. Profit trumps all. Even Wild Mustangs reap millions in profit for some. BUT why is it though that someones right to profit always wins out over our right to a soul?
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So very profound, and poignant.
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Petition Facebook & White House! Contact info in Bonnie’s article. Please read, sign, make calls & network! NEED 250,000 signatures!
http://www.examiner.com/animal-advocacy-in-national/take-action-to-overturn-legalization-of-horse-slaughter-the-u-s
Obama signed the law that makes horse slaughter legal again!
http://www.examiner.com/animal-advocacy-in-national/take-action-to-overturn-legalization-of-horse-slaughter-the-u-s
My Letter to the President – CROSSPOST – You may use mine if you like or send your own – PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO SAVE OUR HORSES FROM DINNER PLATES!!! INFORMATION HERE: Obama signed the law that makes horse slaughter legal again!
Dear Mr. President,
Despite the cries of advocates from across the country to take the language out of an appropriations bill that would fund the inspection of horse slaughter plants and keep horse slaughterhouses closed down, it all fell on deaf ears when you signed into law the bill that did include that language. It won’t be long now before the Horrific Screams of Our American Horses, and the conveyor belts of hell with the body parts of our American icons will begin to roll in states such as Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Georgia and Missouri, who have all been considering opening horse slaughter plants. I usually abstain from posting my political views, but, for me anyway…Mr. President, You Have Lost My Vote! Unless you immediately take action to stop this torturous legislation, you can be assured I will not be voting for you in 2012! You have reneged on your Campaign Promise to end Horse Slaughter for Human Consumption, I had to retire early because there are no jobs, and the economy is still in the toilet!
There is a petition currently circulating on Facebook to gather 250,000 signatures. PLEASE, Mr. President, PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO SAVE OUR HERITAGE…OUR AMERICAN HORSES NEED NOT ONLY OUR SUPPORT, BUT ALSO WE NEED YOURS ABOVE ALL!
Respectfully,
Rich Russom
Registered Voter
The Great State of Illinois
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Copying this link and sending it in an email to the WH address saying Obama had my vote last time, but NOT this time. RP
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AMEN!!!
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Go green and recycle Congress!! Obama surely knows that most ranching today is corporate… as he knew in Illinois that most farming is also corporate. We are not a privileged group in the least and I would venture to guess we are not all lily white either. Every kind of people love horses!!
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It’s frightening to think that the leader of our country…this insipid little man…does not care about having the blood of animals on his hands. It really gives you a window into his true personality.
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Written and published, Sunday December 17,2011 in the Amarillo Globe News by AQHA’s executive director of competition and breed integrity. The headquarters of American Quarter horse is in Amarillo, Texas. http://amarillo.com/opinion/opinion-columnist/guest-columist/2011-12-17/usda-reopens-debate-over-equine-slaughter
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Sorry correct link is http://amarillo.com/opinion/opinion-columnist/guest-columnist/2011-12-17/usda-reopens-debate-over-equine-slaughter
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Folks, copy the story link and send it to the WH with your “NO” vote. The readers will have to see it too! Share it on your fb pages and email lists to do the same thing. Make this grow. 70% of Americans oppose horse slaughter. Get your like-minded friends to tell the prez they are not voting for him because he won’t support a vast majority of Americans, and keep his own promises to them!
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P.S. For everyone that hasn’t acted and forwarded their energy to others, being horrified, offended, angered, as well as caring about equines, is not enough. We have to ACT! For those of us who are, don’t quit!
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Can someone please provide Obama’s quotes about being anti-slaughter? When and where did he make that statement? Is it in writing? On tape? Need that ASAP.
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Thanks to the Finches..they are seemingly one tireless group of voices for the equines..The breeders are the slaughter problem..there are countless accounts proving that…Goggle AMQHA…go to the financial section..there is were the true volumes of slaughter horses stem from…in 2009 books I read that it was one of the worst years of finances for the QH Assc. In years!!! Yet they still showed profits of millions…Where does that money all come from..Horse registrations…Every breeder cries about low horse prices and no sales..but still keep breeding..Greed is the driver..Every QH breeder is looking for that next world champion..They even ship them because the color isn’t rite…A breeder even stated that on a interview on TV..if the foal is a bay you mite just as well put it down rite away..nobody wants a bay….Now if that isn’t the true definition of greed ..I don’t know what else he could say…Breeders and Greed…Anyone who has a stud in the yard and breeding any bloodline is guilty of this…Our governments are the only ones who can stop this slaughter business..I said this before..We have to find people who know the wives of all our Goverment elecs..Every married person knows exactly what I am getting at here..EH??
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Just a note on clairity of last names:
Jerry Finch is a good friend of ours and the Founder of Habitat for Horses
Terry Fitch is my wife, equine photographer, formerly a treasurer for Habitat for Horses and co-founder of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
R.T. Fitch is me, married to Terry (not Jerry), author, writer and co-founder of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
So there are no Finchs but there are a few Fitchs, hope that clears things up a bit. The dark side still does not have it right but that would take the combined abilities of being able to read and comprehend and they think that “read” is a plant found growing in marshy areas and to “comprehend” is what happens when you put money in an interest bearing account, not a buried mayonnaise jar, and don’t touch it for years.
________________________________
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Took me a year and a half to figure the name difference…..
Fitch or Finch, remarkable humans regardless and the equines could give a poop less. The Fitch’s and Finch’s (as we here) keep hearing them scream for help.
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Highlight this portion…perfect analogy:
When asked about advocates of this legislation that claim slaughtering horses inside America is more humane than trucking them to Mexico or Canada, Finch responded, “There are a hellacious number of pedophiles that travel overseas to fiddle around with little kids. So, using that logic, shouldn’t we just open up pedophile centers here in America? If something is wrong over there, it’s wrong here, too.”
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That photo just gets harder and harder to look at.
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WHAT AN AWFUL PHOTOGRAPH GOOD GOD DON’T YOU THINK THE ARTICLE WAS BAD ENOUGH. WHO DO YOU THINK READS THESE ARTICLES (THE DARK SIDE?) THAT YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE SHOCK VALUE? GOD!
We get it!
god!
Jeesh!
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The photo is from THE article…it is what it is. We did not edit it out of the article because it IS horrible and the darkside DOES try to pretty it up.
I am always offended by the subject of horse slaughter and the public really needs to know exactly how ugly it is. So we kept the picture in.
________________________________
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Janet we horse lovers know of the horrors of what is happening to our beloved Companions but the rest of the people do not, I couldn’t look at the picture myself, instantly my blood pressure rose when I did! 😦 Using pictures and articles like this one will bring the issue to light. The same happen in 1970, 1994 and 2002 when the American people FINALLY learn of the horrors of what was going on and they spoke up! Every year since 2002 the House has pass the anti-slaughter Bill and in 2007 the Senate listen and funding for the USDA inspectors was pulled, this was a very good sign. The problem we have been facing is the Senate, they have rejected the anti-slaughter Bill every year, we thought in 2007 it would pass but it didn’t. BUT this year we have a GREAT opportunity, the House version has passed already and we only need 24 more Senators to pass the Senate version and the POTUS will have to sign it! This is the closest we have ever been since 1971 and we must all come together now and inform the people as too what is going on!
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Well I guess the WOOL has finally been removed from the eyes of those who elected him! He is a no good lying double crossing no experience leader! He is trashing our Constitution and at the same time killing and staining our tax payers hands with the blood of our beloved Companions!
We will be LAUGHED at all over the world, this is suppose to be the LAND OF THE FREE where our Mustangs are by law suppose to be running free but yet obama in just his first term has killed more horses/Mustangs then any other president MOST COMBINED!
He talks about wanting to put America back to work but yet won’t approve the Keystone pipeline (it will be SAFER than the AK pipeline and there has NEVER been a major spill or problem with that pipeline, I,lived from for 15 years and my family has lived there for 50 years).
He promised to care about our animals/horses but yet just another LIE! I HOPE THOSE WHO VOTED FOR HIM OPEN THEIR EYES HE MUST GO and we must all (D,R and I) work together and SAVE OUR EQUINES when the nest POTUS gets into office!
AS a Disabled Veteran and a Veterans Advocate I work with the gov on a daily bases and the one thing D.C. listens and response to is PRESSURE! WE ALL NEED TO PUT PRESSURE ON OUR Congressional members and Senators by DEMANDING they pass H.R.2966 / S.503 The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act and H.R. 1018 / S. 1579 The Restore Our Mustang Act>
WE OUT NUMBER the pro-slaughter people by 10-1 WE ALL JUST NEED TO COME TOGETHER. THIS IS NOT A RIGHT or LEFT ISSUE, THIS IS AN AMERICAN ISSUE! PUT our political issues aside and REMOVE obama and all those who voted for Agriculture Appropriations Bill NOW!
WE THE PEOPLE RUN THIS COUNTRY NOT THOSE IN D.C., OUR CONSTITUTION DEMANDS THIS!!! GET MAD, GET ANGRY, as we say in the military GET YOU SOME!
Join me and my very active non-political pro-horse group on Facebook (no need for you to leave your other groups) https://www.facebook.com/groups/saveourhorses/
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My apology RT…I know it’s Fitch…oldtimerz glitch when I typed in the name..it was meant as a compliment to you and Terri..So again thanks to you and Terri for your endless energy bringing us these informative writings…also a Merry Christmas to you and your’s and hopefully a great new 2012 for the equines of our world…
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Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln, Jackson, Kennedy, Truman, loved and respected horses. Mr. Kennedy allowed Macroni to come visit the Oval Office, Truman when he was a wartime Captain had the opportunity to mow down the German foes as they were scrambling to get their horses to safety….when a junior officer inquired why aren’t you giving the command to fire? Truman responded, “Let them get their horses to safety….we will put them under fire when they come down the hill.” Mr. Lincoln likewise was compassionate with animals….He was riding to an urgent appointment when he saw a baby bird tumble out of the nest. He reined up his horse, dismounted and gently put the bird back into the nest. When one of his companions rebuked him for stopping the President said, “I would not be able to sleep tonight if I left an innocent creature without help.” Seems like Mr. Obama does not have the full compassion required of bone fide Christians.
Could it be possible the president’s christianity is for winning public trust only? We are all held to the examples of Christ to be compassionate and loving with all creation no matter what high or low station we hold in life…..Christ commands: “Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate.”
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