Congress spends time"wisely" bans horses

[SpencerH]

Well actually the House on Thursday approved a bill to ban the slaughter of horses in the U.S. for human consumption.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0609080098sep08,1,7356097.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

I'm stunned (yet again) by the pathetic nature of those few who've been elected to lead this country. Congress has nothing else to do? Well lets ban eating horses! Whats next, we wont be allowed to eat dogs and cats?

Hopefully, it'll get held up in the senate.

[SlowwHand]

There's more to it.

[Sava]

A smoked horse-meat sausage called gustavskorv is popular in Sweden

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
There's more to it.

Slow is correct. Horse meat is eaten in large quantities outside the US. Horses are slaughtered for consumption in those countries. It's not as trivial a matter as you seem to think. It isn't like banning the slaughtering of cats or dogs for human consumption.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Why should this be banned? If people like to eat horse meat that means more beef for me. This is idiocy.

It also means we don't get to export horse sausages. Yey congress finds another means to drive out opportunities for US industry.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Because the way horse slaughter is done is very inhumane. I guess they could mandate humane slaughter (and set rules on what that would be)... but this was easier.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Morons. Humane baaah they're being slaughtered. As long as the kill is quick and andrenaline doesn't taint the meat who give a flying fig.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Animals should be treated humanely, even as they go to the slaughter. A 2 horse carriage shouldn't be jammed with 10 horses. There is no reason to shove them in pens that make them unable to move.

Even if they are being slaughtered, there is no reason treat them in such fashion before the cut.


As for adrenaline tainting the meat, the wormer used for horses raised for riding (ie, all of them that go to slaughter) is fairly toxic and would never pass USDA inspection. That's why they are shipped to Japan and France where they don't give a crap about that.

[Sava]

Humans have domesticated animals for their own purposes. Big deal. This is just a fact of life.

As far as I'm concerned, the only issue should be whether or not there are abuses taking place in the industry. Any concerns about "ewwww horse meat" or "zomfg that animal is so cute and cuddly" should be ignored.

So it's okay to use a pig or a cow for food just because they are ugly?

Granted, animal domestication has "evolved" over the course of thousands of years so that the animals we do use are ones that have taken to domestication and provide us with the things we need.

But as far as using an animal for whatever purpose we deem necessary, the only concern should be humane treatment and/or health concerns. I don't see why a particular form of slaughtering should be banned just because tastes are different in America than in other parts of the world.

[Imran Siddiqui]

the only concern should be humane treatment and/or health concerns. I don't see why a particular form of slaughtering should be banned just because tastes are different in America than in other parts of the world.

It's because of humane treatment. Read the article.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Read the article.

And instead of banning the slaughtering practice (which is likely motivated more by personal tastes and the notion that horses are valued more than other animals), they should raise the standards and/or increase oversight to prevent the inhumane practices.

I guess that was sort of implied in my post, but I forgot that my audience is not always as intelligent as I think they are.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Because the way horse slaughter is done is very inhumane. I guess they could mandate humane slaughter (and set rules on what that would be)... but this was easier.

A total red herring. The slaughter of horses is regulated by the USDA, just as it is for every other livestock in America.

This is an effort by various tree-hugger types to prevent us from eating animals (at all).

Some comments by supporters of the bill:

Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y argued that the slaughter of horses is different from the slaughter of cattle and chickens because horses are American icons.

"They're as close to human as any animal you can get," said Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C.

Yeah right

I love this "Proponents include the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the biggest horse doctors' group."

Gee, I wonder why?

Cost for euthanizing horse (which would then have to be discarded) $300 X 90000 horses.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


Animals should be treated humanely, even as they go to the slaughter. A 2 horse carriage shouldn't be jammed with 10 horses. There is no reason to shove them in pens that make them unable to move.

Even if they are being slaughtered, there is no reason treat them in such fashion before the cut.

Why the only reason to be humane is in order to maximize yield of the meat. They are sentenced to death already the only reason to be humane is in order to achieve highest quality meats that are safe for consumption.

At the point they enter the state of being food stuffs they are merely a commodity.

[Sava]

Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y argued that the slaughter of horses is different from the slaughter of cattle and chickens because horses are American icons.

"They're as close to human as any animal you can get," said Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C.

Yup. I was right on.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe Why the only reason to be humane is in order to maximize yield of the meat. They are sentenced to death already the only reason to be humane is in order to achieve highest quality meats that are safe for consumption.

At the point they enter the state of being food stuffs they are merely a commodity.

No, the reason to be humane is so the animal doesn't suffer, not to "maximize yield of the meat". So it'd be ok to torture the horse since they are merely a commodity at that point?