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sitaangelHi all,
Here is a sample letter you can use to contact Representatives asking
them to cosponsor HR 503 now that it has been reintroduced.
A Word format version of the same letter can be dowloaded from the
files section of the board:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/againstslaughter/files
(File name: "H.R. 503 Sample Letter.doc")
You can use it as it is right now but we strongly recommend you to
either draft your own letter or at least edit the sample one with
your own words, since personal letters have greater impact than form
ones.
Daniel
------------ --------- --
Date
The Honorable ____________ ____
United States Representative
____________ House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Subject: Cosponsor H.R. 503
Dear Representative ____________ ____:
I am writing to urge you to cosponsor H.R. 503, the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act. This bill, introduced by Representatives
Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Ed Whitfield (R-KY), John Spratt (D-SC) and
Nick Rahall (D-WV), would prohibit permanently the slaughter of
horses for human consumption overseas, as well as the exportation of
live horses intended for slaughter, making sure that no American
horse is slaughtered abroad.
Over the past 20 years, due to ever increasing public awareness of
the trade of horses for human consumption, the vast majority of
plants that slaughter horses are no longer in operation. However, 3
foreign owned and operated horse slaughter plants still operate in
our country today despite overwhelming objection by the majority of
Americans. The meat produced in these plants is sent to certain
European and Asian countries where it is considered a delicacy.
Horses are an integral part of the American culture and I am
extremely distressed over the fact that our horses, icons of our
culture, are being slaughtered in foreign-owned slaughterhouses to
please the palates of wealthy gourmets in Belgium and France.
Horse slaughter and human consumption of horse meat is not, and never
will be, acceptable in American culture. Americans overwhelmingly
agree that horse slaughter should be banned. Several national voter
surveys reveal that 69%-82% of Americans feel that horses in the
United States are not bred, raised or produced as food-stock, and as
such should be afforded the same protection from commercial slaughter
as are all other non-food producing animals.
The slaughter process is inhumane: Horses endure repeated blows to
the head with stunning equipment that does not render the animals
unconscious and many horses are still conscious during the remaining
stages of the process. The transportation of these horses to the
slaughter plants is also cruel and inhumane since they are hauled
several thousand miles without water, food or rest in double-deck
trailers, forcing them to travel in a bent position which can result
in prolonged suffering and death.
Arguments from the AVMA and AAEP defending the "humanity" of horse
slaughter are simply ludicrous. To suggest that a process in which
horses endure repeated blows and are often slaughtered while
conscious is somehow humane is not only absurd but also shows a total
disregard towards the welfare of the animals these two organizations
claim to protect.
I strongly disagree with the claims of the horse slaughter industry
that it provides a way to dispose of old and ailing horses. This is
simply not true: According to official data from the Department of
Agriculture, 92.3% of the horses slaughtered are in good or excellent
condition. Pictures of the slaughterhouses' pens showing healthy,
young horses further corroborate this data.
It is also false that the horse slaughter industry is rooted on a
presumed "unwanted horse" problem as the horse slaughter industry
maintains, simply because these plants are importing thousands of
Canadian horses each year in order to cover the increasing foreign
demand of horse meat. If there are so many unwanted horses in the US
as they claim why they have to import them from Canada? The truth is
that the "unwanted horse" theory is a bald-faced lie.
Horse slaughter promotes theft and abuse. After California banned it
in 1998 horse theft dropped by 34% while there were no reported
increase on abuse as the foreign-owned industry maintains. In
addition, there was no documented rise in Illinois following closure
of the state's only horse slaughter plant in 2002.
Horses are our companions and partners, they carry our children in
competition at the county 4-H fair, make our country proud in the
Olympic games, win Kentucky Derbies and Triple Crowns, carried our
soldiers into battle and helped our forefathers to settle this
country. They deserve better than ending up served on the plates of
fancy restaurants from Brussels and Paris.
Again, I urge you to cosponsor H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter
Prevention Act. I also respectfully request a response from you
stating your position on this issue. Thank you for your time and
consideration of this letter.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Phone number
Here is a sample letter you can use to contact Representatives asking
them to cosponsor HR 503 now that it has been reintroduced.
A Word format version of the same letter can be dowloaded from the
files section of the board:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/againstslaughter/files
(File name: "H.R. 503 Sample Letter.doc")
You can use it as it is right now but we strongly recommend you to
either draft your own letter or at least edit the sample one with
your own words, since personal letters have greater impact than form
ones.
Daniel
------------ --------- --
Date
The Honorable ____________ ____
United States Representative
____________ House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Subject: Cosponsor H.R. 503
Dear Representative ____________ ____:
I am writing to urge you to cosponsor H.R. 503, the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act. This bill, introduced by Representatives
Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Ed Whitfield (R-KY), John Spratt (D-SC) and
Nick Rahall (D-WV), would prohibit permanently the slaughter of
horses for human consumption overseas, as well as the exportation of
live horses intended for slaughter, making sure that no American
horse is slaughtered abroad.
Over the past 20 years, due to ever increasing public awareness of
the trade of horses for human consumption, the vast majority of
plants that slaughter horses are no longer in operation. However, 3
foreign owned and operated horse slaughter plants still operate in
our country today despite overwhelming objection by the majority of
Americans. The meat produced in these plants is sent to certain
European and Asian countries where it is considered a delicacy.
Horses are an integral part of the American culture and I am
extremely distressed over the fact that our horses, icons of our
culture, are being slaughtered in foreign-owned slaughterhouses to
please the palates of wealthy gourmets in Belgium and France.
Horse slaughter and human consumption of horse meat is not, and never
will be, acceptable in American culture. Americans overwhelmingly
agree that horse slaughter should be banned. Several national voter
surveys reveal that 69%-82% of Americans feel that horses in the
United States are not bred, raised or produced as food-stock, and as
such should be afforded the same protection from commercial slaughter
as are all other non-food producing animals.
The slaughter process is inhumane: Horses endure repeated blows to
the head with stunning equipment that does not render the animals
unconscious and many horses are still conscious during the remaining
stages of the process. The transportation of these horses to the
slaughter plants is also cruel and inhumane since they are hauled
several thousand miles without water, food or rest in double-deck
trailers, forcing them to travel in a bent position which can result
in prolonged suffering and death.
Arguments from the AVMA and AAEP defending the "humanity" of horse
slaughter are simply ludicrous. To suggest that a process in which
horses endure repeated blows and are often slaughtered while
conscious is somehow humane is not only absurd but also shows a total
disregard towards the welfare of the animals these two organizations
claim to protect.
I strongly disagree with the claims of the horse slaughter industry
that it provides a way to dispose of old and ailing horses. This is
simply not true: According to official data from the Department of
Agriculture, 92.3% of the horses slaughtered are in good or excellent
condition. Pictures of the slaughterhouses' pens showing healthy,
young horses further corroborate this data.
It is also false that the horse slaughter industry is rooted on a
presumed "unwanted horse" problem as the horse slaughter industry
maintains, simply because these plants are importing thousands of
Canadian horses each year in order to cover the increasing foreign
demand of horse meat. If there are so many unwanted horses in the US
as they claim why they have to import them from Canada? The truth is
that the "unwanted horse" theory is a bald-faced lie.
Horse slaughter promotes theft and abuse. After California banned it
in 1998 horse theft dropped by 34% while there were no reported
increase on abuse as the foreign-owned industry maintains. In
addition, there was no documented rise in Illinois following closure
of the state's only horse slaughter plant in 2002.
Horses are our companions and partners, they carry our children in
competition at the county 4-H fair, make our country proud in the
Olympic games, win Kentucky Derbies and Triple Crowns, carried our
soldiers into battle and helped our forefathers to settle this
country. They deserve better than ending up served on the plates of
fancy restaurants from Brussels and Paris.
Again, I urge you to cosponsor H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter
Prevention Act. I also respectfully request a response from you
stating your position on this issue. Thank you for your time and
consideration of this letter.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Phone number
