And another..
Jun. 5th, 2005 03:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sitaangelHere is a sample letter you can send to your Congressman in support
of the Sweeney-Spratt Amendment. A copy of this letter in Word format
is available for download on the files section of the board
(Filename "Sweeny-Spratt Amendment sample letter.doc").
June 5, 2005
The Honorable ______________
United States House of Representatives
______________ House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Subject: Support the Sweeney-Spratt Agriculture Appropriations
Amendment
Dear Representative _______________:
I am writing to urge you to support the Sweeny-Spratt Agriculture
Appropriations Amendment that would prohibit federal tax dollars from
being spent on horse slaughter, thus stopping the slaughter of
American horses for human consumption overseas.
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 horsemeat 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 77%-94% 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.
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 Bruselles and Paris.
I simply do not want that my tax dollars are spent to support an
industry Americans find totally abhorrent.
Again, I urge you to support the Sweeney-Spratt Agriculture
Appropriations Amendment to prevent tax funds from being spent on the
slaughter of America's horses. 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
of the Sweeney-Spratt Amendment. A copy of this letter in Word format
is available for download on the files section of the board
(Filename "Sweeny-Spratt Amendment sample letter.doc").
June 5, 2005
The Honorable ______________
United States House of Representatives
______________ House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Subject: Support the Sweeney-Spratt Agriculture Appropriations
Amendment
Dear Representative _______________:
I am writing to urge you to support the Sweeny-Spratt Agriculture
Appropriations Amendment that would prohibit federal tax dollars from
being spent on horse slaughter, thus stopping the slaughter of
American horses for human consumption overseas.
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 horsemeat 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 77%-94% 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.
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 Bruselles and Paris.
I simply do not want that my tax dollars are spent to support an
industry Americans find totally abhorrent.
Again, I urge you to support the Sweeney-Spratt Agriculture
Appropriations Amendment to prevent tax funds from being spent on the
slaughter of America's horses. 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
