It may be the cattleman in me, or some would say the devil, but I would take great delight in this day: that when the turkey is presented to the president for a pre-Thanksgiving presidential pardon, he looks into the eye of the TV cameras and at the assembled press corps and says "This is a fine example of U.S. turkeydom, and we're looking forward to serving this bird on the White House table on Thanksgiving Day, and I want to thank this producer for this generous gift."
Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska came close this year, when they slaughtered a turkey behind her, as she pardoned the ceremonial bird. Allegedly, she did not know what was going on around her, but I think she'd have been doing a real public service by pointing out that turkeys are grown to provide meat, and that the Alaskan industry humanely processes them for our enjoyment.
This same delusion, that somehow the president and governor are doing a great public deed by pardoning a single turkey, to return to live to a ripe old age on a farm somewhere. This is dishonest, and leads to many other fictions and allusions that continue to plague the meat animal industry to this day.
It is this same delusional thinking that has ended horse slaughter in the U.S. Horses are seen as pets, and the public is allowed to think that somehow horses live forever and certainly are never eaten. Try to make that go down in France and other countries, where horse meat is considered a delicacy and dietary necessity.
How much more healthy and real would it be, to openly admit that livestock are raised to provide protein and other essential life-giving nutrients to man--and to point out how humanely, sanitarily and wholesomely they are raised and processed into meat.
I'm not holding my breath, because I don't like to turn blue, for the day that a president or governor declines to pardon a turkey, and instead tells the truth. But what a great day that would be.
In case you are not aware, horses are not bred or raised for food in this country. If France wants to eat horses, they can eat their own. In our country, horses are work, service, sport and companion animals, not livestock.
ReplyDeletewww.vickitobin.com
I'd like to add that there are many vegetarians that are perfectly healthy and don't eat meat of any kind. It is not necessary or essential to have meat included in ones diet!! Don't you read much?
ReplyDeleteThe Truth is the Southwestern Texas Cattle Raisers were getting $3.00 per horse slaughtered at Texas plants the truth is these plants promoted illegal aliens and operated illegal ignoring Texas Laws on slaughtering horses. They only increase the slaughter to pay for there lobbyist and lawyers To date there close Kudos to the people who realize we dont need this kind of evilness nor do we support the profits of foreigners that pay no gross income taxes or export taxes. The increase exports to mexican slaughter houses has allows been open for business and did owned beltex in Fort Worth. It was all done secretly. Pro slaughter people like the auctioneers and killer buyers are losing money so they make up lies these are unwanted horses or the horse market has drop. Back then it was old and sick horses Why dont you wake up and educate yourself before you post the old farmer crap.. for more info visit http://SaveDaHorses.org and see inside of beltex and the butal horses bleeding before being unloaded from double deckers and the fines Mr. Baker of sugar creek auctions accumalates and ignores because USDA does nothing to enforce humane treatment just as the beef industry does. Its all lies and inhumane treatment.
ReplyDeleteActually, I was so glad that Governor Palin showed the American people what really goes on. Thanks to her, I did not eat turkey this year and won't ever again.
ReplyDeleteI've also been working to end horse slaughter for over 3 years and after viewing the first picture of horse meat I had ever seen, I stopped eating beef! I can't even look at beef now.
Perhaps if more people learn of all the cruelty that surrounds our "food", more vegetarians and pescatarians will emerge.
You really should educate yourself a bit better, before you start spewing nonsense. Horses are not food in the United States, and we will stop others from eating American horses.
As others have stated, horses aren't raised for food in this country. Perhaps if you would stop stuffing your face with cancer causing beef long enough to get your foot out of your mouth, you'd realize that horses have had a quite different history and use in this country, much of that helping man accomplish different goals such as varied as settling this country and taking the kids to see grandma for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteAs a cattleman, you tend to see everything not human as food. That is a bias that makes you unable to see any difference between a horse and a sheep and honestly, it makes your life the poorer for not being able to recognize the sentience of all animals in order to justify your greed.
Did you ever consider you may be the deluded one?
ReplyDeleteIf horses are livestock, why do I pay taxes on my horse feed?
Want some cancer with your horse meat?
ReplyDeleteWouldn’t you think that if the US was slaughtering horse meat for human consumption that they’d have some sort of regulations about the medications that they receive so that the meat isn’t carcinogenic to the consumer? I thought they would – and should – too, but they don’t. While the US was slaughtering horses within our borders and now with US horses being slaughtered in Canada and Mexico for those same destinations, there was and are no regulations to ensure a safe product. Do the consumers know this? I highly doubt it.
In the US, the USDA gave their stamp of approval to thousands of horses destined for the EU, knowing full well the regulations that Europe has for its food products, and totally ignoring own food laws (illegal to have known carcinogens in food animals). Why do they not care? Is it because horse meat is not being eaten by US citizens? No wonder why we also have such a lack of trust and rejection of our US beef in the world market. Mr. Cattleman, why are you not absolutely furious over this?!?
On top of it all, American horse meat is often marketed in foreign countries as if it were organic – free-range and grass-fed. In reality, the customers are getting quite the opposite – meat from horses that are traumatized, often inhumanely killed, ex-pets, ex-work horses, ex-race horses, all states of pregnancy, regardless of care, regardless of feeding practices (or lack thereof), regardless of health, regardless of transport practices, regardless of medications …
Why is American horse meat unsafe for human consumption?
* Horses are not raised nor regulated as food animals in the US. They routinely receive medications that are banned from food animals such as Phenybutazone or "bute", the aspirin of the horse world. In fact, over 70% of legal horse medications are either illegal in food animals or have never been tested for human consumption and are simply labeled, “Not intended for use in horses intended for food.” If you’ve read any of the articles about US horse racing lately, you know how many drugs are in their systems. Steroids, lasix, etc. … With the slaughter houses own slogan, “Seven days from stable to table” you can see that no withdrawal times are being observed (note: there is no acceptable withdrawal time for bute).
What are the side-effects of bute?
* Phenylbutazone has been determined to be a carcinogen to humans by the National Toxicology Program (NTP).
* Phenylbutazone is also known for its ulcerogenic, nephrotoxic, and hemotoxic effects in humans. It is known to induce blood dyscrasias, including aplastic anemia, leukopenia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and deaths.
Are the illegal substances found in US slaughter horses?
* Absolutely. According to the USDA’s Red Book, of the 66,183 horses slaughtered in 2004, 6.6% (4,268.08) horses were in violation for “bute” and 13.3% (8,802.34) were in violation of Penicillin. Of the 94,037 horses slaughtered in 2005, 11.1% (10,344.07) horses were in violation for “bute” and 25% (23,509.25) were in violation of Penicillin. Only small samples of 15 horses and 8 horses, respectively, were even tested. You can bet the other horses that were not tested got the USDA stamp of approval and were sent overseas, even though it is clearly illegal according to our own food laws and the laws of the European Union. This does not account for the vast majority of drugs that horses receive, as they are not required to test for those medications. The Red Book does not reflect any residue data for slaughter horses in 2006, which is the year that the horse slaughter industry paid the USDA inspectors themselves …
Note: The Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of phenylbutazone in food-producing animals; therefore, there are no established withdrawal times on product labeling for food-producing species. Phenylbutazone is not permitted at any concentration (zero tolerance) in meat, milk, or eggs intended for human consumption.
http://www.usp.org/pdf/EN/veterinary/phenylbutazone.pdf