Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Oklahoma legislators vote to abuse and kill horses

In a move that can only be described as a giant step backwards, Oklahoma legislators have fast tracked two horse slaughter bills, HB1999 and SB375 through the house and senate. HB1999 author Skye McNiel, {Tulsa} has been criticized for ethics and conflict of interest, and outright lying, due to the fact that her family owns and runs one of the largest horse auction houses in the sooner state. One resident of Oklahoma who spoke to legislators about the bills, stated that Glen Mulready, {Tulsa} communicated to her that she should find someone in her district to talk to, so she would be talking to someone who cares what she thinks. She did remind him that his vote on the bills affect the whole state, not just his voters. While it is clear that the politicians favor money over the safety of the food supply and any compassion towards an American icon that is a companion animal, they also want to stick taxpayers with a hefty 5 million dollar a year payment for USDA inspectors. Horsemeat is toxic not only because of the carcinogenic drugs given to horses, but because of the high cortisol { steroid hormone} levels they produce when they are killed. Horses are adrenalin producing machines and the cortisol levels are very elevated in the meat. The horses are only slightly stunned with the "captive bolt" method, most require several shots because it is ineffective on horses, and many horses regain their senses on the line after they are hanging. Pro-slaughter not only says it is humane, they are deceptively using the word "euthanasia" to convince people it is okay. Horses that are truly euthanized {injected with drugs to put them to sleep } cannot be used for food. Pro-slaughter also sells their bill of goods stating this will help starved and neglected horses. That's interesting since it is a " by the pound" business and thin horses are often even turned away. The USDA's own reports state that 92 % of the horses slaughtered are in good condition. How about strengthening animal abuse laws then ? The truth is, that it is all about money. We can handle abuse cases in a truly humane way. We don't have to open a never ending slaughter line. The cattlemen and farm bureaus are pushing this, and all the big horse registries like the American Quarter Horse Association. The cattlemen are after a payoff, the horse breeders want an easy pipeline to dispose of unwanted horses, since they are the prime offenders of over breeding. Some babies come out the wrong color you know, can't have that. Oklahoma is a Big Ag state and the legislators are known to pander to the strong Farm Bureau lobby there, who is pushing the bills. I'm sure the fact that most cattle ranchers have a longstanding hate for wild horses, {google Welfare Ranchers} and that Oklahoma houses quite a few close to where they want the slaughter house, has nothing to do with anything. Horse slaughter plants are well known to be rampant with abuse to the horses, violent workers, devastate property values, and contaminate ground water among a host of other evils, including increases in horse theft. So the politicians are willing to poison people with toxic meat, perpetuate a violent and cruel death on a companion animal that has only served and trusted us, lie about it being humane, open up good horse owners to theft of their animals, stick the taxpayers with a hefty bill, and let the horse breeders continue their irresponsible greedy practices, all for the almighty dollar. " Greed, it's what's for dinner." Please contact, call and write your representatives{ google find my representative} in Washington TODAY to SUPPORT the Safeguard American Food Exports Act, HR 1904 / S. 541 to stop the export of horse meat and the export of horses to be slaughtered. It is time for this atrocity to stop. Join - Oklahoman's Against Horse Slaughter 2012 and Beyond on Facebook to learn what you can do to stop this holocaust on horses.