House votes to outlaw slaughter of horses for human consumption
Despite the lopsided vote in favor of the measure, some lawmakers mocked GOP leaders for using one of the few days left on Congress' short fall calendar to address horse slaughter.This is ridiculous.
'With all the pressing political issues that confront our nation ... I do not think this is the issue the American people expect their elected representatives to be considering,' said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the House Democratic whip.
Backers of the bill showed photos of stallions that were bloodied when crammed into trailers during transport to the plants. During slaughter, a bolt gun drives a metal rod into the horse's brain to stun it before the animal is hoisted by a leg to have its throat severed.Why is it so brutal that it needs the attention of the federal government in the case of horses but not cattle?
"It's brutal," said Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., a chief sponsor of the bill. "We need to bring an end to this practice."
I'm in favor of standards of treatment to avoid unneccesary suffering prior to or during slaughter, but there are already animal cruelty laws that could be enforced.
That's not what it's really all about, though, is it?
1 comment:
I agree whole-heartedly. I don't think Americans should be eating dogs, cats or horses. I also think that slaughterhouse cruelty should be avoided, for animals as well as people. Isn't Rep. Sweeney a nice man for getting this law passed, even though he's a Republican. Poor soul.
But wait ... you weren't being serious were you. You think that they may have been working this for a little publicity? Campaigning when they should be bringing up serious issues? Is that what you're saying? Well, I don't know ... I'll have to think about that.
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