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"Four deaths occurred: 2 year old mare (#0341) was euthanized after antibiotics failed to control a massive infection resulting from difficult birth, involving foal extraction and likely uterine laceration; 7-year-old mare (#0074) found dead in pen - cause unknown; 15-year-old stallion (#1560) euthanized after being found in pen with spinal injury; 7-year-old stallion (#1306) discovered dead in pen - cause unknown."
Fallon Facility 94
Foals 3
Round-up Site 7
Aborted Foals 39
Total 143 |
| Dissecting Disinformation |
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Wallis Statements | To use a horse for food would become a felony crime commensurate with aggravated assault and battery, arson, burglary, illegal drug sales, embezzlement, grand theft, tax evasion, treason, espionage, racketeering, robbery, murder, rape, kidnapping and fraud.
These bills represent an arrogant cultural bigotry that should never be contemplated in polite society, much less received a second's consideration by any elected official. The United States slaughters and exports beef, pork, and chicken, all of which is killed humanely under regulated inspection, but horse meat-which is consumed by the majority of world cultures including our closest neighbors in Canada, Iceland, Mexico, and South America; which appears on the menus of the finest restaurants in Europe; and which is purveyed in grocery stores right alongside the other meats all over Asia and Polynesia-would be a felony for Americans.
This would represent the first time that the consumption of ANY domestic animal is prohibited in the United States. If it can be legally established that the regulated slaughter of horses is in and of itself inherently cruel and inhumane-then it is also true that the regulated slaughter of cows, pigs, and chickens is also cruel and inhumane. There is nothing that makes horses different than any other livestock animal. Thus the legal precedent would be set to make it a felony to consume the flesh of any animal.
Extracted from The Fundamental Truth of Animal Agriculture by Sue Wallis
The entire diatribe by Wallis goes back to the year 1215 but ends with commentary as if social morays from hundreds of years ago are applicable in today's society. The last paragraph is another attempt by Wallis to try to confuse reality with emotional scare tactics.
The legislation does not prohibit an owner from "using" the horse for food for their own personal use. An owner can kill their horse and eat it. Why on earth pass a law that doesn't carry consequences? Just because people ate horse meat hundreds of years ago or have been dumping their horses at slaughter doesn't mean it is acceptable in today's society. I challenge you find anyone that dumps their horse to say they are slaughtering the horse to provide food. They are dumping the horse to get rid of it. Period. They don't care what happens after the horse leaves their hands.
Notice how she changes from livestock to domestic animals? Call them what you want, Sue - livestock, domestic animals, farm animals, etc. The different classification won't make them food animals.
Wallis also employs scare tactics on the "changing other cultures" theme she continues repeating. What she totally ignores is that we are not trying to change anyone's culture. Other countries are free to eat what they choose. What she fails to acknowledge that in OUR culture, we don't eat our horses. That is not a slam on other cultures, but that is our culture and she should respect - not try to change - the culture of her own country. American horses do not belong on foreign menus. The beef, chicken and pig that are exported are also consumed by Americans and acceptable food sources in America. There is no other American animal that slaughtered and the entire product exported. In fact, there isn't one business in the US that is foreign owned that exports their entire product. That is the fundamental truth, Sue.
Millions of Americans were free to use cell phones, anywhere and anytime but laws are being implemented restricting use. Drugs were not always illegal. People of all ages used to be able drink and smoke legally. Should we change our laws because "other" countries have no restrictions? Other countries prohibit the slaughter of cattle. Is Wallis proposing that we do the same so it is not perceived as an arrogant cultural bigotry?
As society changes, laws and regulations are implemented to reflected current day society. All walks of life are impacted by changing laws in one way or another. There will always be a segment of society that doesn't want the laws changed because it requires change on their part. It causes them to change a lifestyle or way of doing business that has been commonplace to them for years. In the case of horse slaughter, it has been commonplace for owners of less than 2% of the horse population. It is high time the practice of the owners of 98% of the horse population is recognized. Why should owners of 2% of the population dictate norms? Why should owners of 2% of the population be allowed to put consumers at risk or horse owners at risk of having their horse stolen or bought under false pretenses and sent to slaughter? They suffer irreparable harm and far out-trump the owners of 2% wanting to send their horses to slaughter.
Wallis & her followers are among the small segment of society that doesn't want change. It is quite evident they want to continue doing business as usual by constantly referring to society from hundreds of years ago. This is 2010. Horses serve many purposes in our country; none of them being a food animal. In our country, we do not slaughter non-food animals. Dog and Cat owners recognize this and are not trying to allow their slaughter for foreign markets. Each step taken toward the ending of horse slaughter is ignored. They've had years to prepare and have done nothing. Not one effort to make any adjustments or recognize today's social morays and culture. When a small segment of today's society is not willing to step up and take responsibility for their actions, the alternative is to pass legislation that will protect consumers and equines.
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