animal slaughter

[Dalya]

just watched a video of how horses are slaughtered in america and i literally feel like i'm going to puke. i can't eat meat anymore. i dont care how sick i get.

[Irock]

A lot of people don't see any connection. I had a long conversation with a friend of mine about it because she was OUTRAGED to find out about horse slaughter in the US, but she eats beef. I said, same diff. "The only reason you believe slaughtering horses is wrong and slaughtering cows is right is because it's a socital norm; same with dogs, cats, etc." I sort of feel like - when it comes to killing them - an animal's an animal. She completely disagrees. To her, a horse's life is more valuable because they're smarter (though you could argue that point). I wouldn't say that she was a hypocrite for choosing personally not to eat any particular animal, but I did think it was a little hypocritical for her to feel so strongly that horse slaughter should be outlawed in the states (not like they wouldn't just drive 'em to Mexico), but that hamburgers are awesome.

[Dalya]

i'm sorry but cows are one of the most beautiful and peaceful animals on this planet. there is a reason they are sacred. horses are beautiful in a wild and spirited way, but cows are like ghandi. their eyes say everything. there is a poem called ode to sow, i think, and it talks about "the long perfect loveliness of a sow". perfect description methinks.

if i had to kill an animal in order to eat it, i would never eat meat, so i dont think its fair of me to eat an animal just because someone else killed it.

[Dalya]

also i sort of agree with you about how hypocritical it is to try and outlaw only horse slaughter. thats sort of like making it illegal to have white or chinese slaves but its still ok to have black slaves. its horrible no matter what kind of animal it is. but its probably good because its bringing attention to the terrible conditions of animal transportation and inhumane killing and such. i think at least some people will connect the dots that its not just horses.

[Rebecca]

Last year in the United States, 91,757 horses were slaughtered for overseas human consumption. Two of the three horse slaughtering facilities are located in Texas (in Fort Worth and Kaufman). These horses are not all old and lame, either. Many of them are captured from the wild, stolen, or purchased from a caring owner who has no idea the horse is going to be slaughtered. The laws that are in place right now have many loopholes, and the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is being held up in committees right now. The only way to get it passed is to let your representatives know how important it is. I have loved horses since I was a little girl, and this breaks my heart. Please read this letter and get involved if you can.



March 30, 2006

Dear Humanitarian:

With the help of constituents like you, we convinced Congress to pass an amendment to the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that prohibits your tax dollars from being used to fund the federally mandated inspection of horses slaughtered for human consumption—thereby protecting America's horses from slaughter. The measure was overwhelmingly approved in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and it was made official on Nov. 10, 2005 when the President signed the bill into law.

However, the horse slaughter industry refuses to give up. They have found an ally in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) who is willing to manipulate a very clear federal law to allow the foreign-owned slaughterhouses to continue operating.

The USDA issued regulations approving a petition submitted surreptitiously by the three foreign-owned horse slaughterhouses in the United States that enabled the horse slaughter industry to fund its own inspections. This crooked plot will allow the slaughter of tens of thousands of horses for human consumption in 2006—circumventing Congressional intent and flying in the face of the will of the American people.
Don't allow a few pro-horse slaughter individuals and organizations to undermine the American political system and allow horse slaughter to continue. Everyone must act now to end this tragic and cruel industry. The only way to stop this once and for all is through passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please write your Members of Congress (http://www.saplonline.org/congress.htm) to urge their support of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, H.R. 503 and S. 1915, if you have not already done so. A permanent ban on horse slaughter is the only way we can ensure that America's horses will truly be safe. To find out more about these bills and what you can do to help please click here: http://www.saplonline.org/horses.htm

Please share our "Dear Humanitarian" eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to submit comments and write their Members of Congress, too. As always, thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely,
Christopher J. Heyde
Deputy Legislative Director

[Sybil]

As of a month ago or so, the plant in Kaufman was ordered to close. That might have changed, but I remember hearing about it on the radio.

Sybil

[Rebecca]

The slaughterhouse in Kaufman has until September 30 to close. Apparently they have been shut down before, but found ways to remain open. They have appealed, and are exploring ways to avoid shutting down.

[ifihadahifi]

if i had to kill an animal in order to eat it, i would never eat meat, so i dont think its fair of me to eat an animal just because someone else killed it.

Our grandparents or our great-grandparents all had the knowledge of where and how their meat came to their tables. Many of them raised the very food they consumed. I think they may have had a deeper appreciation for the food on their table as a result.

It's easy to buy that sterilized, shrink-wrapped, bloodless meat from the store. But I think the other side of that coin is that we tend to humanize animals. I can't speak for them, but I wonder if our ancestors stared into the eyes of a cow and got that "Awww!" feeling.

[lennon]

I truly believe that if more people actually had to watch an animal being slaughtered for their consumption the world would be filled with vegetarians.

The practice is barbarian and unnecessary. I know the vast majority of people will always eat meat but it is heartening to see more and more becoming vegan and vegetarian.

[Dalya]

my mom's mom used to buy live fish at the market (in Finland) and rbing them home and keep them in the bathtub until she was ready to cook them and my mom told me she cried every time. i think its natural to feel sad when you see any living thing die. one common charachteristic in serial killers is that they didnt feel any remorse for animals as children, often tortured and/or killed them. i find it creepy tht people are butchers/slaughterers. it makes me think of gangs of new york and what kind of person would choose that as a profession. ugh. makes me so sad.

[ifihadahifi]

I truly believe that if more people actually had to watch an animal being slaughtered for their consumption the world would be filled with vegetarians.

The practice is barbarian and unnecessary. I know the vast majority of people will always eat meat but it is heartening to see more and more becoming vegan and vegetarian.

I dont' know about that. There are still alot of people in this world that slaughter their own meat. But those societies have almost a spiritual relationship with the food they consume - circle of life, from the Creator to the creation, prayers of thanksgiving and all that.

[lennon]

I truly believe that if more people actually had to watch an animal being slaughtered for their consumption the world would be filled with vegetarians.

The practice is barbarian and unnecessary. I know the vast majority of people will always eat meat but it is heartening to see more and more becoming vegan and vegetarian.

I dont' know about that. There are still alot of people in this world that slaughter their own meat. But those societies have almost a spiritual relationship with the food they consume - circle of life, from the Creator to the creation, prayers of thanksgiving and all that.

i will give you that and i have respect for anyone that actually hunts the animal and uses as much of the animal as possible. however, most meat eaters would never shoot an animal because its too hard. its so much easier when its packaged nicely at the supermarket and you never have to think about the animal that was brutally slaughtered so you could have your burger.

i also, do not agree with the heads of animals being mounted on a wall like they are some type of trophy. especially, the idiot asses that participate in canned hunts then act as though they did something. hell, they did nothing. you shot an animal that was trapped and couldnt escape. pussys if you ask me.

[Steveums]

- We, as humans, are designed to be omnivorous. We do not have a complex array of stomachs designed to get everything we can out of grass. We have teeth that bite and tear as well as grind and chew. We cannot support ourselves purely on Low Biological Value proteins (nuts, pulses, etc), we need more of a variety of amino acids, even in day to day life.

- Nature doesn't know the meaning of the word compassion. If you're at the bottom of the food chain you eat plant material and learn to run very, very quickly. If you're further up you kill to eat, simple as that. Polar bears do not spend the rest of the day trying to shake off the guilt after chomping on a cute baby seal; lions don't say grace before ripping open an antelope.

HOWEVER:
- animals don't wear clothes, go to the cinema and buy CDs off the internet. As human beings we have progressed far beyond the level to that which our bodies have evolved, and therefore we can make a concious decision not to eat meat. It is not very difficult to produce a sustaining and healthy vegetarian diet, especially with mineral supplements and products such as texturised vegetable proteins, etc.

- it is also worth remembering as a vegetarian that meat-eaters are not barbarians or sick fucks. Omnivorism is natural behaviour, and we must remember to respect those who choose not to be vegetarian.

- I work in a supermarket on weekends, where i mainly work on the meat and fish counters. I don't think this makes me any less of a vegetarian. We have the best animal husbandry standards in place for a UK supermarket. All of the animals that pass through the counter have been allowed to live free of hunger, thirst, fear, distress, pain, injury or disease.
In an ideal world the animals should be both reared and slaughtered by the same farmer, in a familiar place to minimise their trauma.


There is some of my meaty rationale.

EDIT: oh yeah, hunting is awful.

[kt]

You can "hunt" on the internet now, shooting live animals from your computer. talk about lowest lowlife. Schwarzenegger outlawed it in Cali, amazing that that's not illegal everywhere.

As much as i love the taste of bacon and pork chops, i wont eat a pig on the grounds that they are at least as intelligent as dogs. i would enjoy having one as a pet. havent consumed a pig or cow in 25 years. i hold no contempt for those that do though, because everyone's path is their own. plus i eat chickens and fish, and thats really no better.

[jbfromoc]

As much as i love the taste of bacon and pork chops, i wont eat a pig on the grounds that they are at least as intelligent as dogs.

Vincent: Want some bacon?
Jules: No man, I don't eat pork.
Vincent: Are you Jewish?
Jules: Nah, I ain't Jewish, I just don't dig on swine, that's all.
Vincent: Why not?
Jules: Pigs are filthy animals. I don't eat filthy animals.
Vincent: Bacon tastes gooood. Pork chops taste gooood.
Jules: Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'd never know 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy motherfucker. Pigs sleep and root in shit. That's a filthy animal. I ain't eat nothin' that ain't got enough sense enough to disregard its own faeces.
Vincent: How about a dog? Dogs eats its own feces.
Jules: I don't eat dog either.
Vincent: Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal?
Jules: I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.
Vincent: Ah, so by that rationale, if a pig had a better personality, he would cease to be a filthy animal. Is that true?
Jules: Well we'd have to be talkin' about one charmin' motherfuckin' pig. I mean he'd have to be ten times more charmin' than that Arnold on Green Acres, you know what I'm sayin'?