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A horse is a horse

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Illinois

* The Senate passed the horse slaughtering ban yesterday. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk. Gov. Blagojevich supports the ban…

The Illinois Senate approved a ban on slaughtering horses for human consumption Wednesday, sending the legislation to the governor.

The proposal, which won the Senate’s OK 39-16, would stop a DeKalb plant from continuing to ship horse meat overseas. Human consumption is banned in the U.S.

“Horses clearly are recreational, companion animals,” said Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, the bill’s sponsor. “They are not livestock, raised for food.” […]

But senators representing farmers — and the Cavel International plant in DeKalb — say slaughtering horses is humane and necessary and the legislation will eliminate jobs in Illinois.

I never quite understood this bill. I don’t eat veal by choice. If you saw what they did to veal calves, you probably wouldn’t eat it either. I wouldn’t seek to ban the meat, but I would like to see much more humane treatment of the animals. But the slaughtered horses weren’t treated worse than any other animal, as far as I could tell.

Eating horses is yucky to many Americans. That I understand. But banning their slaughter? C’mon.

Along the way the ban has received support from many who think of horses as companion animals, akin to dogs and cats, and not fit for human consumption.

Meanwhile opposition has come from pro-business lawmakers and from some unlikely sources including the American Veterinary Association and the Horseman’s Council of Illinois who worry about horse overpopulation.

And, yes, horses are “companion animals,” and I would probably be disgusted with the idea of a dog-processing plant down the road. Maybe it’s just because I was raised on a farm and lived in Europe where horsemeat is a part of the diet that I can’t quite grasp this concept…

The bill’s supporters maintained that horses, as “companion animals” with a unique place in America’s cowboy legacy, shouldn’t be treated like pigs, cows or other consumable livestock.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, summed up the argument that ban proponents have been making for years: “Horses are different.”

Cullerton made sure he extracted as much publicity as possible from the bill, apparently…

First, he called Sneed.

Then state Sen. John Cullerton called actress Bo “10″ Derek, who is fighting horse slaughter for human consumption. […]

Cullerton, who says Gov. Blagojevich is ready to sign the legislation into law, plans to speed the law’s certification process by requesting that Senate President Emil Jones and House Speaker Mike Madigan certify it immediately. “It is imperative to stop the Cavel slaughterhouse in DeKalb from killing one more horse for meat on someone’s table overseas.”

And, by the way, Bo Derek? Are we such hicks here that we have to bow down to every has-been, over the hill actress who comes prancing into town?

Whatever.

One last thought…

“You’re saying it’s OK to eat Elsie the Cow, Chicken Little and Bambi, you just don’t want us to eat Mr. Ed,” said Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 9:10 am

Comments

I agree. This is also about putting some people out of work.

Comment by Drew Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 9:17 am
This has always been a waste of time for state government. Hope everyone is happy. We may not have a new tax plan, energy relief, better educational funding, or anything else useful, but at least we got that all important horse slaughter ban passed!

Comment by Robbie Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 9:18 am
This seems like a huge waste of the state’s time and money. If it’s ok to slaughter cows, pigs, lambs, ect for food, why not horses?

Comment by RMW Stanford Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 9:34 am
The SJR reports the exports worth $30 million. Nice work shutting down a business that actually imports cash into the state. Farmers sell these old horses for revenue, but now they will probably be hit with a state mandated disposal fee.

Comment by Mr. Ethics Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 9:50 am
I agree, why on earth would we WANT to shut down a biz? This is the triumph of emotions over common sense.

It’s like a sappy movie.

Thannnnnkkkkksssss, Wilburrrrrrr.

Comment by Pat Collins Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 9:53 am
Jacobs should give credit for that quote to former Rep. Charlie Morrow who said it during debate the last time the bill came up.

Comment by Anon Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 9:53 am
If it’s ok to slaughter cows, pigs, lambs, ect for food, why not horses ? He’s right meat is meat. Humans are animals. When seniors are old and have no further use to society why not just slaughter them for dog food. Disgusting ? So is eating other animals.

Comment by Lula May Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 9:58 am
Blago is actually going to communicate with MMadigan over this issue. Wow! Now that’s what I call having your priorities straight. Blago will talk to Madigan about not taking horses to the slaughterhouse but he won’t talk to Madigan about not taking the taxpayers to the cleaners.

Comment by Little Egypt Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 10:04 am
LE, I think it’s the other way around.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 10:05 am
I’m down with Lula May’s idea, let’s slaughter old people. We’ll make Illinois kinda like Logan’s Run, lazer guns and trippy new-wave outfits included.

The bonus is this will get the old people to move out of Illinois, reducing our insurance costs substantially. We won’t need a GRT!

Comment by Gene Parmesan Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 10:09 am
very valid points- we may not like it but as Americans there are many things we don’t eat that are eaten in other countries - if we can provide that, it provides jobs and a way for old horses to be sold for farmers to have the income off an old horse then why not - i think it s disgusting and would not eat ostrich, aligator, or horse, but if it’s food for someone why not? Sound to me although I haven’t read everything that these are old horses and they are not being bred specificaly for consumption like chickens - oh well - stick it to the farmers again I guess

Comment by annoyed all the time Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 10:13 am
When Little Little E#1 was stationed in S. Korea, he learned that dogs were a common source of meat. Is there a loophole in this legislation that would allow DeKalb to continue slaughtering horses for, say, pet food and ship it overseas to a processor who would then turn it into food for human consuption and we will end up buying it back at a higher price? This world revolves around loopholes and surely there must be one or two in this legislation.

I’m also betting that if a hungry cowboy or indian in the old west had to put down a horse that was a “companion”, someone came along and put the old nag on the barby. In the movie the Searchers, Ethan Edwards (played by John Wayne), said a white man rides a horse until it drops. Then an Apache comes along, rides the horse until it dies, then eats it (John Wayne info provided by LE spouse).

Comment by Little Egypt Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 10:25 am
didn’t they just pass a fed bill that would supercede state law anyway?

Comment by anonymiss Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 10:35 am
Some Americans cherish their pet potbelly pigs, but that does not keep most Americans from indulging in ham and bacon on a regular basis.
This is yet another example where animal rights are given priority over human rights (i.e., the rights of employees at the DeKalb plant)
Remember. . . HUMANS > PETS.

Comment by Jake from Elwood Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 10:48 am
Whatever became of the “Glue Factory” ??

Comment by A Citizen Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 10:52 am
Stupid ban. We don’t want old horses turned out to starve and we do need all the businesses we can get.

Comment by i d Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 11:07 am
id, that’s the thing. these horses aren’t being raised for slaughter. they’re old horses that, if they aren’t turned into food for consumption, will be slaughtered anyway. why not make a buck?

watching horses starve to death bc of poor ownership (mostly from non-rural, non-farmers) is worth penning legislation, their slaughter is not. most of the time their slaughter is an “old yellar” situation.

Comment by Gene Parmesan Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 11:20 am
Hey Rich,
Why the slam on Bo? She is still hot!

Comment by Bill Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 11:47 am
I guess I was not clear. Okay to slaughter old horses and okay to do it at the the DeKalb slaughter house. I do not believe in letting old animals suffer uncared for and unmedicated until they die naturally.Once they are gone, what matters if they are used as a food product.

Comment by i d Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 12:08 pm
Looks like the Dean of Dopes was sipping the silly sauce a little earlier than usual.

Comment by GettingJonesed Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 12:10 pm
I’m glad that Rod is tackling the “meatier” issues affecting he state before something as trivial as BALANCED budget.

Comment by Papa Legba Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 4:52 pm
Should we allow our stray dogs and cats to be killed and sold to other countries as well?

Comment by ugh Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 8:45 pm