Posted on 05/19/2004 6:22:07 AM PDT by billorites
SPRINGFIELD -- Horse slaughter opponents applied star power Tuesday when they brought in a Hollywood movie star to lobby their cause. Actress Bo Derek, national spokeswoman for the National Horse Protection Coalition, visited Springfield to present complaints from animal-rights activists. Horses, she said, are companions not cuisine.
"They deserve better. It's not humane. We don't raise them for food. We raise them as pets or for sport," said Derek, famous for portraying the woman of Dudley Moore's dreams in the 1979 hit "10."
The House narrowly rejected banning horse slaughtering in March, but supporters in the Senate have resurrected the campaign to close a controversial horse slaughterhouse in DeKalb.
Opponents of the ban say horse slaughtering should be a choice. Currently, horse owners can sell their horses for slaughter to Cavel International in DeKalb or pay to get rid of them when they die.
In addition, supporters say the Belgium-based company helps DeKalb's economy.
Cavel, which is scheduled to open sometime this week after rebuilding from a fire two years ago, will employ 40 people, add $90,000 in property taxes for local government and pour more than $1 million into the economy, said state Rep. Bob Pritchard, R-Hinckley.
"It will allow them to support and care for their children. It will allow them to be active members of society," said Pritchard, who represents DeKalb. "I feel that as this state is losing jobs by the thousands, ... that we need this source of revenue."
Pritchard didn't think Derek's movie-star status would help efforts to end the practice of slaughtering horses.
"I know a lot of people in the drama and movie industry have tried to impose their values on other people, but I think people across Illinois will make that decision based on the respect for choice," he said.
State Sen. Todd Sieben, R-Geneseo, wasn't star-struck. Derek pulled him aside for a five-minute debate after her press conference.
"I'm still a 'no' vote," Sieben said.
Cavel is one of only three horse slaughterhouses in the country. The company sends the meat to Europe for human consumption.
"I'm not going to judge another culture and what they choose to eat, but I don't know why they have to eat our American horses," Derek said.
If the state institutes the ban, Jim Tucker, a Cavel manager, has said he could challenge the law in court because federal law allows the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Also, he said he could file for an injunction, meaning the law wouldn't apply to his company.
Congress also is considering banning horse slaughter for human consumption. The so-called American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act has 180 co-sponsors while only 218 votes are needed to pass the U.S. House.
House Bill 649 is currently pending in the Illinois Senate and could be called for a vote sometime this week.
It doesn't matter to me what your reasons were. I bet I wouldn't respect you more knowing. See my above.
C'mere
Now that's a decent argument.
Well, I understand. Thanks for the heads up anyway. It's something I'll think about if I ever have to have one put down. I pinged old Reggie here. He has some info about premarin adoptions I think.
I want to be a real cowboy when I grow up. But so far they won't even sell me the belt buckle. :^(
I have eaten zebra in Africa...was pretty good, but my favorite is wildebeast...very tasty, especially when prepared in clay ovens by Indians, (indians with dots...not feathers).
There is a great restaurant in Nairobi called "The Carnivore"...you can find just about anything on the menu there. Yikes!! I'm hungry!!
I agree. I think I would prefer to use a bullet rather than a stick on that mean of a caballo though:')
I find the sushi= fish thing a very common misconception, even among people who enjoy sushi.
For the rest: sush = cold cooked vinegared rice. Everything else, nori (seaweed wrap), sashimi (raw fish), shrimp (yummy!) or various vegetables is optional.
BTW, I will eat sushi with fish, but only when I find a top-quality sushi place with a master chef so you get that non-fishy tasting melt-in-your-mouth experience. Otherwise it makes me gag.
LOL. (But it's disappointing, isn't it?)
I think it would be best if we framed the debate. I understand being against specific practices that result in the abuse of horses and the slaughter of what was the family pet (although I know a guy who raised his pig as a pet, showed it at 4H and then ate it). What I don't understand is being against the eating of horses in general -- they're animals, they're meat, they're here for us to eat.
I just realized that last bit almost sounded like a highschool cheer. :)
It did sound a little like a cheer.
If you can get a tidy frame around this debate, I'd be all for it. It isn't nice and square for me ;~D
Caught a trainer doing similar things to one of our horses one time - it was his last day on the job.
You probably think "The Horse Whisperer" was a true story.
First of all, you don't know a thing about me. My horses are out my window right now, and I have never bought a sugar cube.
Look. You came on here bragging about your acts of extreme punishment against horses like it was the coolest act of bravado. I treated you exactly the way I would treat any guy bragging about how he lost his temper.
PS - Horses like sugar cubes...
The cutting horse to which I was referring cost $5000.
He had a penchant for biting when my daughter tried to get in the saddle.
You can't use a restraining strap on a cutting horse. He needs the movement of his head.
After that incident, he never tried to bite me again, but he continued to bite my daughter because she was not the master.
I finally sold him for a big loss.
The proud cut gelding was what some people would call "spirited".
No, he was just mean.
When I took the breaking bit out of his mouth I was the one who could ride him without a rodeo everytime.
Well, aren't you a perfect little bully...
I see you!
~humbly thanks you~
It takes a brave soul to wear one of them big buckles on the front.... in a crash, I'd think it would act like a big ole blade ;~D
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