Dear State Representative
and Honorable Staff,
Thank you for taking a
moment to read this letter. I will attempt to be brief, as I can only
imagine the volume of email received, and know how valuable your time is.
Please consider this email a
most adamant vote FOR IL bill 3845. I am proud to be an Illinois resident.
At this time, Texas is the only state in th Union bearing the horrible
image as killers of America's horses. PLEASE stand behind our horses, and
your constituents, who feel strongly AGAINST horse slaughter in this
state, and this country, and vote for 3845.
I am certain you have
already become well informed as to the issues surrounding this question,
so please allow me just a moment to be brief and hit a few highlights:
1) Ending horse slaughter in
the US -- when horsemeat is already illegal in the US -- has NOTHING To do
with the slaughter of cattle or other agricultural products. Ending horse
slaughter is the equivalent of making it illegal to have cock fights, or
dog fights, or cats or dogs for chinese restaurants....killing animals
never intended for food.
2) America is already
suffering under a ban on American beef in Europe due to illegal substances
in our beef that is born and raised for food. Americans treat their horses
with carcinogens every single day, with no intention of ever having their
horse be intended for food.
3) America receives NO
TARIFF from the export of horsemeat! There is no income to the US for this
removal of a fine American resource, turned foreign profit and "fine
cuisine".
4) Currently, Cavel is
closed. There are no jobs about to be lost if this bill passes.
5) By their own statement,
less than 10% of the horses slaughtered by the Texas plants are
old/infirm/thin/useless horses. In fact, those who bring such horses to
those plants will find they must PAY to have the animal disposed of, and
the animal is shipped to a rendering plant to be used for zoo food, as it
is of no value to the meat plants as human food. I have personally
witnessed slaughter buyers, on contract with those slaughter houses,
purchasing bright eyed, healthy, beautiful riding horses away from
families and children who wanted them to live their lives as they were
bred and trained, and intended, as riding horses and family friends. There
is no "providing a service" here. These buyers are working
solely for profit, and purchasing the largest, meatiest, healthiest, and
often youngest (like veal) of horses for sale, with the seller having no
idea they have just signed their horse's death warrant.
6) When California passed
its anti-slaughter law, horse theft decreased nearly 40% and has remained
at all time lows.
Lastly, if you have not
already stumbled upon these 2 incredible resources, I hope you will take
the time to read the detailed information provided here:
1)
2) Input from an American citizen living just a few miles
from one of the Texas slaughter plants. Including photographs of the
condition of the horses set to slaughter at these facilities:
PLEASE, I urge you, do the
right thing, vote with your constituents and not a foreign company making
money off America's blindness. Vote FOR 3845 and bring Cavel to a close
before they even have a chance to open.
Sincerely,