Jay Cronley: All opposed to horse slaughtering in state say 'neigh'
BY JAY CRONLEY World Staff Columnist
Friday, February 22, 2013
2/22/13 at 3:26 AM
In a more logical place, those elected to represent the people would come closer to representing the people.
About all a person is apt to see between elections is a questionnaire that on the national level contains material like the following:
Do you support spending trillions of dollars on government waste?
Should we start a small war just to keep the military sharp?
How would you like to pay for my health insurance?
People's choice: When something of importance comes up, like this state's slaughterhouse idea for horses, it might be a pleasant experience if those elected to represent the people called a lot of their constituents to see what they thought, even if it's only having an intern get on the horn and ring up a few bars.
The premise of slaughtering horses as a more humane answer to mistreatment than, say, a gelding program, or a rescue farm like some old racehorses have so they won't be dumped after they've earned all they can, or an educational plan that teaches prospective breeders how much a bale of hay costs, is an emotional issue.
People love their animals.
Horses aren't like dogs.
They seldom run loose and unattended. If it happens, call the cops.
Horses don't have litters of eight and nine.
It takes a mare 11 months to have a single offspring.
Had the prospect of a slaughterhouse for horses, and the sale of meat to other countries, been a campaign issue, some of those who just got through voting a rousing "Youbetcha" and moving along the bill in the House and Senate might have been down at the coffeehouse looking for a job waiting tables.
Afterthoughts: Proposing a slaughterhouse for horses, and the sale of meat to other countries, would have been a heartfelt and vigorously contested campaign issue.
As a bill, it turns out to be something of a rush job with the uppity city slickers wondering almost too late stuff such as who gets to say which horses would be slaughtered, anyhow?
Would some horses and mules simply be bred for slaughter money?
Lots of what happens in the halls of the Legislature in Oklahoma City seems to match city and rural interests against one another.
The no text messages while driving bill seems to have universal support. But then, who could support dangerous driving? Only the politicians not planning to run again.
Animal nuts, which is to say people who want to give mistreated animals every chance to live, are apt to make this slaughterhouse and horse meat sale business a political issue after all.
Original Print Headline: All against state horse slaughter say 'neigh'
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