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.
But what about the dogs that will starve because of the shortage of “meat byproducts” in their fancy dog food?
Send your steak back if you can see the marks where the jockey hit it.
Lucky horse
Of course, he developed the taste for it in the trenches during WW I. I suspect that anything beats the hell out of hardtack.
Unless, like me, you eat sushi without fish.
I don't want to have horse steaks, but Derek doesn't make a convincing argument. She was on Hannity and Colmes a couple of weeks ago and could not support her POV in a logical fashion.
I do too. Avacado/cucumber roll, hold the parasites.
Isn't that circular reasoning? We mustn't slaughter horses for food because we don't slaughter horses for food?
"Eating raw food in this day and age is not the smartest approach. Ever consider the number of parasites that live there and will live in your intestines if you eat it? Sobering thought for the sushi crowd "
Ok...First of all I have to say that to me any Sushi is delicious, and especially with the "raw fish". It practically melts in your mouth. It's so delicate and soft. Personally I can't understand why people find it so repulsive. Culinary ignorance is all I can think of. .This senseless paranoia stems from the 'western' tradition of cooking everything and eating meat from assorted game animals, beef, chicken etc... which must be cooked (due to parasites). We've just had this one view imprinted in our culture and some people are apparently not able to get their minds out of it.
The majority of fish that are used to make Sushi are salt water fish - which do not contain your standard parasites/viruses due to the fish living in salt water. Such parasites can only survive in freshwater fish. For example that's why freshwater salmon is never commercially caught for consumption. Plus (as mentioned) the chefs are trained to use the best cuts of meat. And don't the Japanese have the best longevity in the world because a large portion of their diet is fish?
The only valid argument is that of industrially polluted water with heavy metals and such. I'll grant you that one. However....what ISN'T polluted these days? The very air you breath is filled with toxins. And eating processed food that is not naturally grown is far more harmful than some raw fish. Chugging down Coke and eating KFC is much worse, in my opinion. Why do you think we have such an "obesity issue"? Processed food is easier to break down and goes through our system faster, so we don't feel as full and only get the basic nutrients out of the food (ie. fat) . To compensate for that we simply eat more. I'd take sushi any day over the garbage Americans normally eat these days.
It's not the issue that is conservative. Her politics are conservative. And it's not the eating of a horse that is the problem. It's the way they are treated that is so reprehensible. A "killer" will buy a horse at an auction that has been around people their entire life. They will pack them into an overcrowded trailer and drive for days without food or water to the slaughter house. They are very frightened and are aware of the impending and brutal slaughter because they can see and hear the horses in front of them. These are intelligent animals that have served humans and they don't deserve to be treaded this way. This is very different front cattle.
She was on Hannity and Colmes talking about this a few weeks ago. Sean asked her about eating beef and she said she did and didn't see a problem with it because they are raised for consumption. When asked if horses were raised for consumption would it then be fine to eat them she really didn't have an answer. Her whole defense on the matter seemed to be "but their horses!"
The problem is that Americans love horses, and we breed too many of them.
You all can have Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham.
I know who my favorite Republican is....
I wish she'd indulge some of mine...
If Sushi and Sashimi were unsafe, Japanese, who have been eating it for centuries would have died out a long time ago. But instead they have the longest life expectancy in the world.
Sashimi is raw fish.
My argument against horse slaughter is both emotional and logical, at least to my sensibilities. I am against it because I think we make a higher contract with horses when we halter them, bridle them, and say "trust me, work with me, and I won't hurt you." I think it is fundamentally unfair to send them to slaughter because they have been broken in our service. It's as reprehensible to me as selling my dog for meat when he becomes sick. My animals will never have that fate.
In "this day and age" meat, when properly handled, is cleaner than ever. Sushi or other raw meat is handled very carefully by highly trained chefs--and meat itself is, internally sterile. Parasites and other food poisoning buggies come from surface contamination.
Considering how well people treat horses--I'd imagine horse-meat is not unsafe at all. Considering also the fact that Japan has a significantly higher average age of death than we do--sushi sounds healthy to me.
Eating sushi or other meats uncooked is no more unsafe--assuming its handled right--than a rare steak. Rare hamburgers on the other-hand...NOT a good idea.
"but their horses!"
I agree with Bo. Eating horses is just barbaric, in my opinion. (I dont care that its a delicacy in Asia or France)
My mother raised show horses (quarter, paints) and I was riding before I was walking... so I am biased.
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