From: Duane L. Burright, Jr.
To: againstslaughter@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2004 7:39 PM
Subject: [againstslaughter] Re: IMPORTANT! Next Steps on Illinois SB 1921 and Media Blitz

I've submitted the following as a letter to the editors of these publications.

Dear Editor:

Horses are known and respected throughout our country for many reasons.  We admire them, from the wild free nature of our remaining mustangs to the prowess of a Thoroughbred on the track.  These aspects are celebrated in movies such as "Spirit" and "Seabiscuit."

Last year an estimated 42,000 horses were slaughtered in this country for human consumption abroad.  Horsemeat fetches a high price in countries like France and Belgium, where it is served as a delicacy.  Currently two equine slaughterhouses operate in Texas, and one is
being rebuilt in DeKalb, Illinois.  All of these plants are owned by French and Belgian corporations.

Illinois state senators and representatives will be considering SB1921 with its 1st House Amendment during this session.  This legislation would outlaw horse slaughter for human consumption in Illinois.  It was scheduled to be heard during the short veto session in November but due to the passing of Representative Wirsing, who was opposed to this legislation, it was pulled from the calendar out of respect.

California outlawed the horse meat trade in 1998, horse theft dropped by 30% in that state as a result.

On the Federal level, the US House of Representatives is considering a bill (H.R. 857), which would end horse slaughter for food, including exporting both the flesh and live horses.  This bill is currently before the House Committee of Agriculture.

I urge people to write their elected officials at both the state and federal levels asking them to support this important legislation.

According to Illinois law, horses are considered to be companion animals alongside dogs and cats.  As such, horses should be protected from slaughter.

For more information, please visit
http://www.kaufmanzoning.net/horsemeat/index.htm or
http://www.justsaywhoa.org.

Duane L. Burright, Jr.
Malibu, CA


--- In againstslaughter@yahoogroups.com, "tassaddar1870"
<fletosojoi@h... wrote:
 We also must resume the media blitz and start hitting not only papers  but also campus papers, TV and radio stations. Details on the mailing  campaign to IL legislators will be posted later on an action alert in  another post that you must crosspost as widely as possible. As for  the media blitz, here it is the email addresses of the newspapers and  other media we must contact during the next 4 days. Submitt letters  to the editor to the newspapers and the story suggestions and/or the  following press release regarding SB 1921 and Cavel to TV and radio  stations. REMEMBER, YOU HAVE 4 DAYS TO SUBMITT YOUR LETTERS AND THE  PRESS RELEASE BEFORE I POST A NEW LIST, AND DONīT FORGET TO INCLUDE  YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND YOUR PHISICAL ADDRESS ON YOUR LETTERS TO THE  EDITOR, OTHERWISE THEY WILL NOT PUBLISH THEM!!! Thank you so much for  your help!!!

 Daniel

 1.LIST OF DAILY PAPERS TO CONTACT:
 - Rockford Register Star:
 Contact Webform:
 http://www.rrstar.com/ezaccess/contactus/lettertotheeditor.shtml
 - Chicago Daily Southtown:
 ekoziarski @ dailysouthtown.com (Remove spaces)
 - Arlington Heights Daily Herald:
 fencepost @ dailyherald.com   (Remove spaces)
 editorial @ dailyherald.com   (Remove spaces)
 - Alton Telegraph
 telegraph_pub @ hotmail.com   (Remove spaces)
 - Bloomington-Normal Pantagraph:
 bwills @ pantagraph.com
 You can use as well this contact webform:
 http://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/letters/submitletter.html
 - The Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale):
 Jeff.Smyth @ TheSouthern.com
 - Champaign-Urbana News Gazette:
 Webform: http://www.news-gazette.com/nnews/editorial/
 - Decartur Herald & Review Webform:
 http://www.herald-review.com/Editorials/lettertoeditor.php - Freeport Jornal Register:
 tim.crosby @ journalstandard.com
 You can also use the following webform:
 http://www.journalstandard.com/forms/letters/
 - Macomb Journal
 news @ macombjournal.com
 - Quincy Herald-Whig
 whig @ whig.com
 - Peoria Journal Star
 forum @ pjstar.com 
 2. LIST OF CAMPUS PAPERS TO CONTACT
 - The University of Chicago Maroon
 garthj @ uchicago.edu
 - Champaign-Urbana Daily Illini
 opinions @ dailyillini.com
 - NIU Northern Star
 editor @ northernstar.info
 - SIU Daily Egiptian (Carbondale)
 editor @ siu.edu