OpEd by R.T. Fitch ~ Author and President of the Wild Horse Freedom Federation
Travel Channel‘s Andrew Zimmern Shows the World his Ass
Travel Channel's Andrew Zimmern often lacks good taste and common sense, as illustrated.
There is a lot of weird crap floating around the internet, so much so that if you give it much notice it can set your head to spinning but when a major media outlet is so lame as to pick up and regurgitate sickening perversion and tout it as news or a topic of interest it begins to make one wonder where the world made the wrong turn.
Recently, CNN’s “Eatocracy” published an article about Andrew Zimmern’s “5 Foods that can change the World”. You know Zimmern, he is the host for that TV show on the Travel Channel called Bizarre Foods that no one watches. I, for one, spend 7 out of 12 months in foreign countries and just can’t wait to get back to the U.S. to eat something that I can identify and don’t have to go to Biology class to recognize (watch out for fried scorpion, sauteed jellyfish, duck’s feet, fungus, stuffed pig ears and bush meat). So I don’t think ole Simmern has much up on me as my major concern is monitoring, carefully, what passes past my lips as the bulk of where I travel has no good ole, western, sit down toilets.
But ole Zimmern has a plan to save the world and he feels it lies atop the gentle hooves and loving disposition of the unassuming donkey. Yup, you heard me right, the faithful non-food animal, beast of burden, donkey. We fight the horse-eaters on a daily basis as they want to lie and collude to kill and eat American horses in an effort to line their pockets with equine blood money; but CNN has allowed this twit to offer up, with no scientific data, the salvation of the modern world’s gastric desires in the way of the gentle burro. We quote directly form the article, below:
Five Foods That Can Change the World: Andrew Zimmern
1. Donkey
“This is one of my favorite lean healthy meats, popular all around the world. Goat in America is like soccer; we know the rest of the world loves it but we just don’t get it. But there is goat available, and like soccer, it’s growing every year. Donkey is ideally suited for pasturing in America, the muscles can be portioned larger (we love those big steaks!) and the breeds that are most suited for eating pleasure are small and won’t make Americans squeamish like horse does – another animal we should be eating by the way.Really, any alternative hoofed protein source would be beneficial for the economy and our physical health. Venison, kudu, elk, buffalo – it’s all out there waiting to get us off our addiction to feedlot beef and commodity-raised pig. Heck, I will throw rabbit in there as well, even though they have paws and not hooves.”
Zimmern goes on to name 4 other types of animals, and a few plants, that must go over the teeth and through the gums to save mankind from itself. It is, perhaps, a worthy endeavor to read this article and to leave a comment for both CNN regarding their lack of editorial consideration and to Zimmern for his total, ugh, lack of good taste.
Maybe we should also swing by the ole Travel Channel and let them know what we think of this blood sucking leech…argh, along with “Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis this guy is the stuff that nightmares are born of.
Click (HERE) to read article at CNN and to Comment
Click (HERE) to visit the Donkey-Eater’s lair at the Travel Channel
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Burros
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE HEARD IT ALL?????? Then some one like this makes you sick and want to barf !!!! The more of this that is allowed to go on the more I love the animals, and the less I think of Mankind, and am ashamed of them……….. We are all given the gift of animals to explore and protect , love and learn from them, such a beautiful pure gift of love from the higher power and some of us just dont get it to the point of this horrific kind of behavior by those of us who make the rest of us who love all of our animals look bad !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I appreciate this gift of Love presented to us especially the Horses, each one so unique , each one with love and knowledge to give …………………………….I have never watch this persons disgusting program and never will !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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It has been difficult for me to convince others that they do and are slaughtering donkeys too. Just a few weeks ago 40 were cleared to cross to Mexico. They are such a sweet animal, and have done nothing but serve with humility mankind’s every effort. In fact, there are many accomplishments that never make the news. For instance, they have served in every war, and are serving in Afghanistan now.
Wild Burro Protection League is working hard to save the wild burros of SW Texas, and many point to the National Park as being burro friendly. But, no, their dirty secret is that they gather the burros that come into that park and shuffle them to the boarder to be auctioned for slaughter.
I hope this disgusting man has his show canceled and he chokes on his own gluttony.
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Wild Burro Protection League has achieved a brief halt of bullets for the burros of Big Bend Ranch State Park. This is temporary, but it is progress. Thank you to all who have supported our efforts to save the wild burro.
This is a reprieve not a victory. Congratulations to all for the hard work and passion put into saving these amazing animals. The pressure is having an effect, and now is not the time to let up. As HSUS conducts their aerial survey, and negotiates a live management program, we too must stay active to give HSUS the power of our voices to buoy their efforts. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has made it clear that they are not going to change their policy, and will continue killing off species essential to the health of this precious biosphere. So, time is short because they will start shooting again as soon as they think the public has forgotten. Just as they did in 2010 they will quietly just start shooting again.
It is more important than ever to get legislation passed that will protect this national heritage species once and for all from being destroyed. It is more important than ever that our efforts include critical review of the flawed science being used to justify the dangerous and destructive actions being carried out on our state lands. There is a better way, and it is called holistic range management. Our lands need animal diversity, and 86% of the people who visit these state parks, do so to enjoy living wildlife. They are not hunters, they are nature enthusiasts. The policies being carried out by our state agency, TPWD is destroying the land and hastening desertification. Meanwhile, scientists are proving that holistic range management will reverse desertification. The difference between these two approaches is demonstratively clear when looking at the evidence of results. For 70 years our agencies throughout Texas and the United States have practiced reduction and over-rest even though they keep getting the same poor results. It is time to change and do what has been shown demonstratively to work, holistic management. It improves water utilization, soil health, and animal diversity.
The Wild Burro Protection League March For Mercy will continue as scheduled on April 7th in Austin. We seek nothing less than complete studies done by independent scientist who will submit their work for review to NAS. All data collected should be made transparent and available to all for review. We also want the status of the wild burro as a national heritage species to be recognized in Texas. These animals mean a great deal to millions of people, yet the Texas policy allows for their destruction without a shred of remorse for all the people this hurts deeply. Just because the burros don’t have the high dollar lobbyist that the bighorn have, it doesn’t mean they should be forgotten and destroyed. They do have us. Lets keep it up because it is working. We need the patience of our burros to follow through until they are truly safe and living in an ecosystem that is thriving due to biodiversity. We have power in our numbers and this animal is historically significant and culturally important to the people of Texas and the United States. Good work everybody, see you in Austin on April 7th, as we celebrate the contributions of this magnificent animal.
Marjorie Farabee
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I just got off the phone with CNN and told them I refuse to watch their channel because of this program encouraging the eatting of donkeys and other equines. In our World today I am not at all surprised about the disgusting and tortorous things people do to animals. Is this a sign of our time for some? Satan must really be sending his Demons from hell to torture all of us and God’s beautiful creatures…
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RT: Thanks for the link to CNN. I left a comment for them about this story. Hope others will use the link to leave their comments also.
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Not sure I can stomach this one (pun intended). What a moron.
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I CAN NOT figure out how to make a comment on the CNN site—there is no “comment” link button—if a person has to be Facebooking, I am out, as I do not do social media—-too bad
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Susan: I’m not very good at this internet stuff, but if you look on left hand side of page you’ll see “Comments” (there were over 100 already when I was there earlier). If I remember right, just scroll down to the end of all the comments and you’ll see where you can make a comment.
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Zimmern makes me furious. I have written to the Travel Channel in regards to his stupidity. He makes a joke of the death of innocents. We have enough food supplies in this country that are healthy and we do not need to butcher horses,donkeys or burros!
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Thank You Kathryn Baker my sentiments exactly !!!!
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http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/03/19/55-andrew-zimmerns-five-foods-that-can-change-the-world/#comment-272298
Leave comments here.
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SHAME ON CNN !!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS BROADCASTING AT ITS WORST !!!!!!!!!!!!! Left my comment there !!!!!!!!!!
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Trouble with these folks is they are missing a key neuro network in the frontal lobe cortex that allows decisions to be made based on empathy and compassion for those around them including other species and the environment. Yes there truly IS such a network and thank goodness that 80% of Americans have it.
Here in Oklahoma a Representative Skye McNeil tried to pull a fast one by introducing HB2340 titled: Oklahoma Horse and Burro Ranching Act. Well, turns out when you looked at the bill it was what we call a “shell” bill, meaning it had only a date and a title but NO content. Red flag indeed!!!
As soon as Oklahomans found out about the bill we made calls to her office and caught her off guard as she was surprised anyone even KNEW about the bill. She came back by saying, well this is about the BLM Mustangs and burros here in captivity and lessening the financial burden on the BLM and state tax payer and it had nothing to do with slaughter. REALLY McNeil? Are we in Oklahoma or are we singing a song on a non existent beach from the top of Mt. Everest?
Within three days of hounding her office with hundreds of calls, she withdrew the bill from Appropriations and Budget committee and dropped it into the Rules committee, where most bills go to “die”. Indeed the time was almost up, the bill never had a hearing (nor was one requested) and so therefore never went for a vote. “Died in committee” is what we call it.
The same went for HB2758…50% tax break bill for a horse slaughter plant if built in Oklahoma. Thank Rep. Jerry McPeak for that little piece of brilliance. TONS of calls made to his office, hearing never requested, and it too “died in committee”.
Now we sure can’t leave Senator Coates out now can we? He literally turned his back and walked away from a horse advocate at the capitol, making it clear when they were “talking” that he was pro horse killer all the way. He even has a delightful bill on the books that would give tax incentives to any out of state company that will come here, set up shop, and hire undocumented workers. I have three words for that nonsense: KILL FLOOR BUTCHERS.
The Summit of Exploitation and Ignorance (Summit of the Horse) is coming up in two weeks right here in Oklahoma City. The fight is far from over, as the above horse slaughter bills may have been table for this session, but I have no doubt that closed door meetings will be happening nonetheless between Unified Equine LLC and some of our less than elegant legislators.
And I have NO doubt they would LOVE nothing more than to announce their first plant will be in Oklahoma, despite all the gyrations in Missouri and Oregon and Tennessee. Missouri was (and still is) in my mind a dead ringer. It ranks #1 in the nation for Black Market Puppy Mill breeders and the home of none other than Mindy Patterson who helped keep puppy mills humming and drumming, and could be seen standing with Sue Wallis at the meeting in Mtn. Grove at the auction barn and assisting Sue is “answering questions” from the audience.
But our fight really is not with them, it with our legislators who need a big kick in the buttocks and a fierce reminder that truly it is the American people that have the last word, now and always, especially when it comes to our horses, burros and donkeys.
Hope to see folks in Oklahoma in two weeks! Come on down!
Here is a link below to how to contact CNN for a variety of reason and in a variety of ways. Go get ’em America.
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/
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Horseshoe Angel: I agree with you 100%! That was beautiful worded and thank you for shining the light on the “roaches” of Oklahoma’s legislature and various representatives of the people. They need to remember that those horses,donkeys and burros are OUR animals, not theirs to destroy.
I am so tired of the greedy and merciless taking advantage of the innocent and voiceless.
Horse Warriors unite and continue to fight against the cruelty.
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If you are concerned that our wild horses and burros are going to slaughtered, please call, write, fax Representative Mike Simpson ( R ) Idaho, Chairman of the House Subcommittee for Interior Appropriations. This committee appropriates the funds for our wild horses and burros, and it is essential that they understand that we don’t care if the funds to continue feeding and caring for our wild horses takes 100% of BLM’s budget. If these federal employees could come up with no better management plan than removing 45,000 to 50,000 wild horses from their legally designated herd areas and replacing them with privately owned cattle before the dust even settled, then the consequences need to be felt by the incompetent employees.
Thanks to R. T., Laura, Ginger, Suzanne Roy, HSUS, ASPCEA, IDEA, and others we understand how these wild horses were removed over time through these range management plans. We also know that for whatever reasons (and there is little evidence to support that these reasons included humane concerns) the BLM had access to birth control which it chose not to use. Given the hand-in-glove policy recommendations of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association and the Public Lands Council that have been followed by the BLM, one needs to ask why wouldn’t the PLC have insisted years ago that the BLM treat wild horses and burros with birth control? They certainly appear to have a vested interest on whether or not OUR wild horses are removed from public lands and harvested—-now.
Come on BLM, what are you and your rancher friends doing with our wild horses when you herd them up? Where are you taking them? What are you doing with them once you get them there? If you aren’t doing anything illegal you have nothing to hide. Maybe Josh Heyler is their pilot of choice because he is so good at separating the horses, divvying up two to go here, two to go there.
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Thank You Horseshoe Angel for taking the time to write about our state of Oklahoma. We don’t want to be known as the Horse Slaughtering Capital of the World. Being the Horseshow Capital of the World is much better.
Wasn’t our state just ranked 2nd in doing things behind closed doors? It’s amazing that those that supposedly represent the citizens continue to think we don’t have rights to give our input. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m tired of the “Good Ole Boys” deciding for me and my family what is best.
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What garbage to broadcast on a national network. Just disgusting!
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YOU are the deceiive element…please comment to CNN re their take on eating donkeys.
by AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR ANIMAL PROTECTION on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 4:14pm ·
It is the Will of the People to BAN U.S. HORSESLAUGHTER. Our U.S. TAXES PAY for any horse slaughtered in the U.S. for foreign profit. We don’t eat horses in the U.S., so therefore: we should not pay for the USDA to inspect these pets for foreign consumption.
If a U.S. citizen feels like selling their beloved PET for slaughter for human consumption, it is the will of the U.S. TAXPAYING VOTING citizen that we not pay the USDA to inspect these pets and stamp them as ‘edible gourmet’ for human consumption for foreign profit in another country, at our expense.
An American CAN sell their pet for human consumption, if they are so desperate as to sell that pet for the purpose of slaughter for human consumption….as long as THE PEOPLE do not pay for it….which means: please call CONGRESS now at (202) 224-3121 and let them know that WE THE PEOPLE are not paying for anyone’s equine-burger, so therefor: please ban U.S. HORSESLAUGHTER NOW! I suppose if someone is that desperate for that extra two hundred bucks from the meat man, that they would sell their PET for a foreigner to eat, all for foreign profit, they can….but they’ll have to have the meat man truck that equine to some other country to do it….it beats having the U.S. taxpayer supporting a filthy dirty scamming blight on the equine industry. Thanks, R.T., for all your noble efforts to BAN U.S. HORSESLAUGHTER FOR FOREIGN PROFIT AT THE U.S. TAX PAYERS’ EXPENSE AND GRIEF! Remember: if we the people allow Belgium into our country to slaughter our pet equines, and we the people are paying the USDA to inspect those pets and we the people just bought Belgium their LUNCH, there is nothing to stop other countries (like VietNam, Korea, and China) from opening up dog-slaughter and cat-slaughter plants in our own country, and we the people will have to pay for those USDA INSPECTIONS of these animals, simply because cat and dog is seen as a ‘delicacy’ in that foreign country, (‘you let Belgium slaughter your horses in your own home town, and you pay for the USDA inspections of those equines for foreign profit, so hey, why NOT allow other foreign countries to do the same for their own ‘delicacy’, you sucker, stupid Americans?’ I can hear other counries say…) and we the people will have to pay the USDA to stamp those U.S. pets as ‘edible gourmet’….all for foreign profit, all at the U.S. TAXPAYERS’ EXPENSE…how much longer before other infringements of our U.S. rights to happiness, freedom, and a purposeful quality of life are further infringed upon us? THE BUCK STOPS HERE, BELGIUM. Go back home, raise your own equines for human consumption….NOT IN MY COUNTRY. NOT ON MY MEAL TICKET. NO U.S. HORSESLAUGHTER. EVER. THAT’s not what our U.S. TAXES are for, Monsieur. The American Citizen cannot afford to buy you lunch. EVER.
Julian St.John
Dekalb, IL.
U.S.A.
(MY COMMENT TO:)
CNN Losses Credibility with Story on “Eating Donkeys”
by R.T. Fitch ALL: PLEASE ADD YOUR OWN COMMENTS TO THIS STORY, TO LET CNN KNOW THAT WE THE PEOPLE SAY BAN U.S. HORSE SLAUGHTER….and let the reporters know that we cannot afford to pay for USDA inspections of PETS for human consumtpion….hopefully, CNN will cover our views, the views of the American taxpayer. It’s OUR money, America. Know where it goes. Protest the buying of some other country’s lunch of our pets…we the people do not see so much as one cent for this outrage. Belgium is scamming us, by making us pay the USDA inspections of our pets, all for Belgium’s profits…the foreign-owned/for foreign profit horse slaughter plant owners ARE NOT U.S. CITIZENS and DO NOT PAY the USDA INSPECTONS of horses slaughtered in the U.S. for foreign profit…WE THE PEOPLE do… Know this. Only YOU can stop it, America: CALL CONGRESS NOW! (202) 224-3121
I would never eat my horse, nor my dog nor my cat….and I don’t want to pay for the inspections of any horse, dog, nor cat to be slaughtered in my own country for foreign profit, at my expense….
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American Society for Animal Protection…..well said. If the French and the Belgians and others want to eat horse meat then let them keep it in their own countries. Although I hate to see it done anywhere.
They have no right to impose their values or lack thereof and their tastes on the American public. As far as I’m concerned they are barbaric as well as Korea and all of the countries that butcher dogs and cats, I despise the fact that it goes on in todays world. I hope to see a better world someday where humans wise up and quit inflicting their cruelty on animals and other humans.
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Amer. Soc. for Animal Protection: I’m with you 150% on this. It’s wonderful to have so many passionate people like your organization who are vehemently against horse slaughter. But, apparently, the only way to get thru to some of these politicians is to KEEP AFTER THEM. How come so many people against horse slaughter have to fight and fight and still the politicians won’t listen. Just keep after all of them with emails, letters, phone calls. We won’t go away.
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Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
Starring Andrew Zimmern
Production
Executive producer(s) Colleen Steward
Editor(s) Troy Heller, Erik J. Fremstad
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80%of Americans DO NOT want Horse Slaughter on Our American Soil! What part of that do they not understand?????
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Really disgusting and Gross:(
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Well, I had to put my comments down for Mr. Zimmern. They are for others reading the story, since I am sure he is off eating some disgusting creature. I think he should watch some of the youtube videos of donkeys being shot and killed with their babies by their side, and then switch to some of the horse slaughter videos out of Mexico. Perhaps end his view with one of the helicopters chasing down exhausted horses for a “gathering”. I wonder if his appetite would be changed, or a recipe? Thank you R.T. for not letting this story slither by.
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Bet he really doesn’t eat this stuff. He looks more like a powdered sugar on Elephant Ear (big slab of hot, fried dough) kind of guy to me.
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Sorry, but this guy sounds like a plain, old attention w*ore with misogynistic pathology ….up there with Bourdain.
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The best way to get this crap off the air is to boycott the advertisers and let them know that you’re boycotting! Nothing hurts more than hitting them in the wallet. With all the social networks, boycotting spreads like wildfire very quickly. Believe me, they don’t want this to happen. It does not good to write to the chef himself — he won’t listen — but if you write to the advertisers, they will take notice! Remember Rush Limbaugh? He didn’t apologize because he was “sorry”, he apologized because all the advertisers pulled their ads and he got into trouble with the radio execs! Do it.
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The way to take a stand with this besides the suggestions R.T. made is to let CNN know you will be contacting all sponsors (commercials) of that show & boycotting their products in protest of this show. That’s how you make the big boys listen, hit their blasted wallets. It should be fairly easy to find out what companies air their products in this shows time slot. Then you contact them and tell them you are boycotting them for supporting donkey and horse slaughter on the show. It works and will make CNN take a step back but quick if enough folks call their major sponsors!
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Dear Bevkins77 I have not watched the show !!!!!! Who are the sponsors??????? , Ill get on this immediately, its a awesome idea !!!!
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Arlene, I believe this is a cable channel and I don’t get cable either, so have not seen this show either. If you find out their sponsors, if you could please post them I would appreciate the infor, so that we can boycott them hear also. Thanks.
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Dear Geri I am trying to find out !!!!!!!!I will post when I get this info, meanwhile everyone here should go to that website RT posted, on cnn OMG there are some really bad comments being made for eating horse and Burro !!!!!! Lots of them are attacking everything horse and burro advocates say !!!!!!!! There is lots of plain stupid going on over there………………….. I dont like wasting time there but of the remarks are targeting all Horse and Burro advocates ………….
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I posted to zimmers site. Hope he takes it to heart. Disgusting! Craig
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