Making People out of Animals

I have never ever understood the need some people have to rescue and care for animals like they were people. Some psychologists have said that it is rooted in a sense of mastery. Some people, particularly women, who have little influence or control over their lives or the lives of others pour themselves into animals, particularly large animals like horses in an anthropomorphic way. It says to them, "at least I am master of these simple animals, and they really NEED ME". It's not a healthy way to look at things.

Dogs and cats suffer from the same malady. Anthropomorphism. Folks, I don't know how to break it to you. They're animals. Not people. People are people.

This last winter a young man in our area lost his life trying to rescue his dog that fell thru the ice on the Fox river. The accolades he received was like he had rescued a 2 year old child. I think he would have received less praise if it had been a 2 year old child. I thought it was out of whack. I didn't say anything at that time because he was the friend of a friend.

The latest insanity in animal rescue comes from Bo Derek, liberal (Democrat) politicians and the Governor of the state of IL. By the signing of a bill a meat packing plant for horses that shipped it's product to France and a plant that hired half a hundred was shuttered because people didn't want to see "These Magnificent Animals Slaughtered".

This also happened in Texas. What are these politicians and simple minded celebrities thinking? Every year we overproduce an estimated 120,000 horses. Much of this comes from discards of the racing industry.

Up till now 100,000 of those were butchered here in the USA for meat and shipped mostly to Europe, The balance went to Mexico for slaughter or died and were rendered. Read this AP dispatch from Forbes.com.

REALITY CHECK:

There are only 3 options for all these excess horses per year. Remember, that's every single year. In 3 years you will have 360,000 horses. 3 years from retirement is about how many years a horse will live.

1. Butcher and sell the horses for meat, now illegal.
2. Shelter them in caring peoples back yards
3. Turn them loose in the wild for the coyotes to eat

Now number one is out. Illegal.

Number two? According to this article in today's Chicago Tribune there is space for about 6000 horses in "rescue facilities". That if my calculations is correct leaves a deficit of about 95,000 horses per year. What did these dummies think was going to happen with all these horses. This is going to be interesting.

Number Three Will happen more than it should:
What happens more often than not is the horse is "Put Down", read that SHOT and buried (which in certain areas may actually be illegal to bury a full horse on your property, this is where anthrax comes from) or the carcass turned over to the animal renderers who then convert the dead carcass to either fertilizer or dog food. Not much value added there.

In many cases the horse is turned out to poor pasture and intentionally ignored by the responsible party so that it founders, gets a disease and dies. Then the renderer comes. In the west the horse is often hauled out to the open and turned loose. This is a tame animal. What happens next is not pretty. It wanders about, gets hungry, weak, sick and is then attacked killed and eaten by a predator. Not all that humane.

My question to the animal loving nutcases "is this better than humanely killing them for meat". Just like we do beef cattle, lambs, pigs, chickens and turkeys. Horses are different? HOW? If I had my way we'd eat them all. I'm up for some horse on the grill.

This malady is driven by people who have no concept of agriculture or nature. They don't understand Man's place in the universe. They don't extrapolate the consequence of their actions. In other words they are city boy politicians who couldn't take care of a horse if it bit them on the leg. They just want to do what makes them feel good. This won't. I have raised killed and eaten my share of hoof meat. I enjoyed them all. What in the world are these people thinking? They better ALL BE VEGETARIANS STARTING TODAY. No more going to Ruth Chris' Steak House Mr. Cullerton.

With gasoline being near 4 bucks a gallon I have the ultimate solution. Let's force all those politicians who supported, voted for and signed the bill to ride these old nags as their primary transportation from here on in, pay for the upkeep on them and not use any gasoline. If we have to keep them alive lets get some use out of them. Besides I need the Gasoline that action would save for my SUV.

I only have ONE MORE QUESTION. How many of these activists and politicians who are sooooo concerned about the horse wellbeingness are pro abortion rights. I don't have to guess. Most I'll bet. Somehow saving the whales and horses and killing babies is a major disconnect for me.

I wish my old HOME STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA would get on the bandwagon and open a major horse slaughter plant in Dakota TODAY. Otherwise all those horses will now go to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. They get the export balance of trade dollars and the jobs and we stand hostage to a community of nuttiness and politicians that bend to their will in America.

One other thing, once that old gray mare is used up in riding back and forth to work by the politicians and activists we can take the leather off the carcass when horsey croaks and use it for shoe leather.

They can WALK.