Letter to the Editor of News-Leader.com by Diana Kline
“Farmers feed people, they do not poison them.”
Dan Erdel has slandered me via his quote (“Are horses livestock? DNR weighs question, considers horse-slaughter permit,” Jan. 7):“If the new general operating permit issued to Rains by DNR in late January contains language prohibiting equine processing, it will be a clear indication to many that Jay Nixon and (Attorney General) Chris Koster are not friends of farmers, ranchers and the agriculture business in Missouri.”
If Rains Natural Meats is allowed to open for horse slaughter, this will give farmers, ranchers and agricultural business a huge black eye. My family has been in farming since the 1800s. I have owned horses for 40 years. I am completely against horse slaughter and I take great offense to what Erdel said. This is completely a misrepresentation of the truth.
Farmers feed people. They do not poison them.
Horses are classified as non-food companion animals by the FDA. We are allowed to give horses over 100 horse drugs that are clearly labeled, “not for use in horses intended for food.” Phenylbutazone is not allowed in beef cattle because it is a known human carcinogen. However, it is allowed in horses, and we have no tracking system in place.
Rains Natural Meats would have to quarantine the horses for four years to do this correctly, and properly label the meat with a disclaimer, “This horse meat may contain ingredients that are harmful to humans.” So far, I have read that the quarantine will be for 45 days and only two drugs will be tested for.
Horses being shipped for slaughter are not required to have health certificates, so Rains would be bringing horses across state lines and likely spreading disease. Horse theft has always gone up around horse slaughter plants…(CONTINUED)
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Thank you, R,T. The newspaper edited slightly what I sent to them. I was speaking about the fact that birth control for horses is good for four years. As we all know, there is no withdrawal period for Phenylbutazone.
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Thank you for putting it simply: “Farmers Feed People, They Don’t Poison Them”
This would be a good slogan for the Anti-Horse Slaughter Movement
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Good light shed on Political ‘Spinning’ by politicians and lawyers.
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Lots of good comments on this letter at News-Leader.
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If horses are classified as non-food companion animals by the FDA then why are they letting our American horses be slaughtered as we speak, stop the slaughter of our horses today! Very good article!
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There certainly are some good comments Barbara. Here’s one of them.
http://www.news-leader.com/comments/article/20140110/OPINIONS03/301100010/horse-slaughter
Who’s who in the zoo. Dan Erdel isn’t just any old lawyer. He’s a law partner of Randal Owing, who is related to Miller Owing who is the contact person for Sue Wallis’ shell company “Chevaline”. Miller, a former pork man from Oklahoma recently bought a house in Moberly, MO where he apparently works for Wallis out of his home – just like WY state representative Sue Wallis works out of her house in Recluse, WY. Where are the corporate offices for this meat outfit? You might want to check in Belgium. Are these really legitimate business people? Someone please correct me if my suspicions are unwarranted. So far, Wallis and friends have sued the USDA for not granting them a permit, the Missouri DNR for not granting them a permit, and the New Mexico Attorney General for stopping the opening of Horse Meat R Us in NM. I don’t want to be next on their list of victims as they abuse of the court system filing frivolous lawsuits as a method of bullying and intimidation.
Meanwhile, in New Mexico, the same tactics are taking place. Convicted felon Ricardo De Los Santos is hailed as a small businessman just trying to make a living butchering horses after he couldn’t make it in the cattle slaughtering business. De Los Santos isn’t the owner of Valley Meats though. The same Belgian company, along with a Japanese company are involved. There are also ties to a Mexican mogul. There’s been a lack of truth-telling.
But it’s interesting that A. Blair Dunn, the lawyer who represents both Valley Meats in NM and Rains in MO (in another lawsuit), is the son of Aubrey Dunn – who is running for Public Land Commissioner (you know, that land where wild horses live…). Dad Dunn is friends with the Swickards – Jack and Michael. Jack Swickard is a newspaper guy who is friends with Jeri Clausing – you know, the pro-slaughter writer who has been publishing lies in AP articles for the past few years. And here’s a really interesting connection: US Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM).
In Missouri, it is Sen. Roy Blunt who was responsible for opening this can of horse meat by removing the language in the last appropriations bill that would have defunded USDA horse meat inspections and stopped horse slaughter. Congress had already approved the defunding. Ol’ Roy, a stealth legislator, went against congress and against the will of the people to put horse meat back on the table. Congress once again voted to defund horse meat inspections. We will see if the language remains this time or if Blunt will pull more shenanigans.
This is the rough synopsis. But no matter which way you look at it, it stinks of rotting meat.
Personally, I oppose horse slaughter. Personally, I am offended by these tactics and strategies of these profiteers to bully people wherever they go. They use lies, deception, coercion, and throw around their political weight to get what will benefit them regardless of what citizens want and don’t want. We don’t want horse slaughter. And we don’t want these dirty politicians pulling our chains. Horse slaughter is NOT a legitimate enterprise.
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There certainly are some good comments there, Barbara. Here’s one of them.
http://www.news-leader.com/comments/article/20140110/OPINIONS03/301100010/horse-slaughter
Who’s who in the zoo. Dan Erdel isn’t just any old lawyer. He’s a law partner of Randal Owing, who is related to Miller Owing who is the contact person for Sue Wallis’ shell company “Chevaline”. Miller, a former pork man from Oklahoma recently bought a house in Moberly, MO where he apparently works for Wallis out of his home – just like WY state representative Sue Wallis works out of her house in Recluse, WY. Where are the corporate offices for this meat outfit? You might want to check in Belgium. Are these really legitimate business people? Someone please correct me if my suspicions are unwarranted. So far, Wallis and friends have sued the USDA for not granting them a permit, the Missouri DNR for not granting them a permit, and the New Mexico Attorney General for stopping the opening of Horse Meat R Us in NM. I don’t want to be next on their list of victims as they abuse of the court system filing frivolous lawsuits as a method of bullying and intimidation.
Meanwhile, in New Mexico, the same tactics are taking place. Convicted felon Ricardo De Los Santos is hailed as a small businessman just trying to make a living butchering horses after he couldn’t make it in the cattle slaughtering business. De Los Santos isn’t the owner of Valley Meats though. The same Belgian company, along with a Japanese company are involved. There are also ties to a Mexican mogul. There’s been a lack of truth-telling.
But it’s interesting that A. Blair Dunn, the lawyer who represents both Valley Meats in NM and Rains in MO (in another lawsuit), is the son of Aubrey Dunn – who is running for Public Land Commissioner (you know, that land where wild horses live…). Dad Dunn is friends with the Swickards – Jack and Michael. Jack Swickard is a newspaper guy who is friends with Jeri Clausing – you know, the pro-slaughter writer who has been publishing lies in AP articles for the past few years. And here’s a really interesting connection: US Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM).
In Missouri, it is Sen. Roy Blunt who was responsible for opening this can of horse meat by removing the language in the last appropriations bill that would have defunded USDA horse meat inspections and stopped horse slaughter. Congress had already approved the defunding. Ol’ Roy, a stealth legislator, went against congress and against the will of the people to put horse meat back on the table. Congress once again voted to defund horse meat inspections. We will see if the language remains this time or if Blunt will pull more shenanigans.
This is the rough synopsis. But no matter which way you look at it, it stinks of rotting meat.
Personally, I oppose horse slaughter. Personally, I am offended by these tactics and strategies of these profiteers to bully people wherever they go. They use lies, deception, coercion, and throw around their political weight to get what will benefit them regardless of what citizens want and don’t want. We don’t want horse slaughter. And we don’t want these dirty politicians pulling our chains. Horse slaughter is NOT a legitimate enterprise.
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As usual Louie C, you have come up with another winner. Thanks.
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Saw that Louie. If that’s the case, certainly makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
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@Shirley, the FDA can’t control the horses crossing the borders to Canada and Mexico, so technically they aren’t “letting” our horses be slaughtered. We need to work to ensure our legislators pass the S.A.F.E. act, if we really want to protect our horses.
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Did everyone read the Hannibal Lector comment? Seems there are layers & layers of Mr. Erdel, Sue W, Blair Dunn etc etc. Not that its a surprise – BUT kind of nice that someone found the connections.
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Barbara, here certainly are some good comments. Maggie, here is that comments that you mentioned.
http://www.news-leader.com/comments/article/20140110/OPINIONS03/301100010/horse-slaughter
Who’s who in the zoo. Dan Erdel isn’t just any old lawyer. He’s a law partner of Randal Owing, who is related to Miller Owing who is the contact person for Sue Wallis’ shell company “Chevaline”. Miller, a former pork man from Oklahoma recently bought a house in Moberly, MO where he apparently works for Wallis out of his home – just like WY state representative Sue Wallis works out of her house in Recluse, WY.
Where are the corporate offices for this meat outfit? You might want to check in Belgium. Are these really legitimate business people? Someone please correct me if my suspicions are unwarranted. So far, Wallis and friends have sued the USDA for not granting them a permit, the Missouri DNR for not granting them a permit, and the New Mexico Attorney General for stopping the opening of Horse Meat R Us in NM. I don’t want to b…
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There is a long list here….check out the ones in your state.
http://whohateshorses.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/do-you-know-who-supports-horse-slaughter/
Do you know who supports Horse Slaughter?
Missouri Equine Council, Inc.
Missouri Pork Producers Association
Missouri Quarter Horse Association
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“Owings”
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Thanks, Louie C!
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Congratulations I have nominated you for the Light House Award. Go to my blog at http://donkeywhispererfarm2010.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/light-house-award-a-blog-that-brings-light-to-a-dark-world/ to pick up your award. Melody
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I won’t comment over there because I’m not leaping thru hoops to sign in. But I can’t stop rolling my eyes over the absurd arguments that people make about how throughout history horse meat and even dog meat has been eaten. Honestly, even if you aren’t morally opposed, ‘history’ didn’t use to involve the medication pets, horses, dogs etc are treated with today, that would make the meat unfit (or at least unwise) for human consumption.
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Agreed…..
By PSA reasoning, humans should go live in a cave (without their smart phones) and gorge on toxic meat ~ wouldn’t that be historically special ?
EVOLVE ALREADY !!!!
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Terri, good points. Also throughout history, people ate what they personally killed, not what was shredded, freeze dried, chemically treated and re-formed into “food products” then frozen and shipped around the world. At least formerly it was self-limiting and someone could more or less know what they were ingesting. Today we can’t even get labels that tell us the truth on most of what we eat.
I’d also remind that horsemeat sold elsewhere is most likely being eaten by tourists to that area, so there is no safety net within the human food chain once horsemeat is introduced unless all meat products in all countries are DNA tested. Even if not used for human food, many questions are raised about what animals end up eating the tainted horsemeat, and if those animals are part of the human food supply. Pelleted poultry feed, for on example, has been known to contain things even starving chickens would never knowingly eat if given a choice.
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American horse slaughter is Public Money for Private Profit for Poisoned Product for Foreign Markets
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Louie C and everyone else, thank you for your comments. Stop horse slaughter, period. I am so sick and tired of Sue Wallis and her crap. Flush them down the toilet and cleanup their crazy acts of torture and slaughter happy venues. BLM release our 50 thousand mustangs back in their prospective lands with freedom attached to their necks pronto. Saving our wild horses and pass our bills through Congress to maintain the freedom and safety of all animals in the wild. Our wild horses deserve their freedom now. Give it back to them.
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