Here it is the action alert about SB 1921 and the upcoming Regular
Session which starts on Jan 14th. PLEASE, CROSSPOST THIS MESSAGE AS
WIDELY AS POSSIBLE TO FAMILY, FRIENDS, WORK AND CLASS PARTNERS,
ETC... Also, print it out and post it on tack shops and feed stores,
vet clinics, etc... Thank you so much for your help and
collaboration!!!
Daniel
-----------------ACTION ALERT TO CROSSPOST--------------------------
URGENT UPDATE ON HORSE SLAUGHTER!!! VOTE ON SB 1921, ILLINOIS BILL TO
BAN HORSE SLAUGHTER, POSTPONED UNTIL JANUARY
The vote on Illinois Senate Bill 1921 and its First House Amendment,
which would ban the slaughter of horses in Illinois has been
postponed until January due to the death of State Representative
David A. Wirsing (R-Sycamore). The vote on SB 1921 in the Illinois
House of Representatives will take place in the next Regular Session
in January.
SUPPORT IS URGENTLY NEEDED FOR THIS BILL. PLEASE, FAX, MAIL, CALL AND
EMAIL AS MANY ILLINOIS REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS YOU CAN DURING
THE NEXT WEEKS UNTIL JANUARY ASKING THEM TO SUPPORT AND VOTE FOR SB
1921 AND ITS FIRST HOUSE AMENDMENT!!!! ASK FAMILY, FRIENDS,
NEIGHBORS AND WORK/CLASS PARTNERS TO DO THE SAME!!!
Special pressure must be put on the Senators and the members of the
Republican Party. Do not forget to mention in your letters that
horses in the US are not food animals nor are they bred for slaughter;
that horses are part of the American Heritage and that eating them is
culturally and ethically unacceptable.
The best way to contact Illinois Legislators is by FAXING, SNAIL
MAILING AND CALLING TO BOTH THEIR DISTRICT AND SPRINGFIELD OFFICES.
Most legislators will be in their district offices until next
January. We need to keep a constant flow of correspondence and phone
calls to the Illinois Legislators in order to prevent Cavel´s
lobbyists from stopping the bill. So correspondence should be directed
to the District Offices from today through January, when all the
correspondence must be directed to the Springfield Offices. Please,
do not waste time; start faxing, mailing and calling today!!! We
need your help to stop horse slaughter and to prevent the Cavel horse
slaughterhouse from operating.
Illinois residents urgently need to contact their local and
district Farm Bureau offices as well. Tell them you would like them
to support SB 1921 or at the very least be "neutral" about its
position.
The names, addresses, and phone/fax numbers of members of the
Illinois House of Representatives and Senators can been found on:
Do not forget also to write your Congressmen and the members of the
US House Agriculture Committee asking them to SUPPORT AND COSPONSOR
BILL HR 857, "The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act", a Federal
Bill to ban horse slaughter and the exportation of horses for
slaughter in the whole country. If you need more information about
bill HR 857 log on to http://www.saplonline.org/Legislation/ahpa.htm
PLEASE CROSSPOST THIS MESSAGE EVERYWHERE!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR COLLABORATION!!!
Daniel Cordero Fernández.
-----------SAMPLE LETTER TO THE IL REPS & SENATORS------------
(Cut and paste it on a text file, fill in the gaps, change the address
and the salutation for "Senator" if it is necessary and then print it
and send it. I encourage you to "customize" it with your own words so
the letters do not look like "form letters"; thanks)
The Honorable ________________
<Fill in with the address>
Dear Representative _______________:
I urge you to support S.B. 1921 and its 1st House Amendment, an
amendment introduced by Representative Robert S. Molaro that would
prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption in Illinois
and the trade and transport of horseflesh and live horses intended
for human consumption.
The foreign-owned horse slaughter industry has slaughtered and
exported for human consumption over 3 million American horses in the
last 2 decades. One of these slaughter plants, the Belgian owned
Cavel International, Inc., is trying to rebuild its facilities in
DeKalb, Illinois. Please, do not let this happen!
Horses slaughtered in these foreign-owned plants in the United States
have often been hauled several thousand miles over several days,
contrary to acceptable non-slaughter standards for water, food, and
rest. Horses sent to be slaughtered are often shipped on crowded
double deck trucks designed for shorter necked species such as pigs,
cattle and sheep, and are forced to travel in a bent position which
can result in suffering, injury and death.
Callous and extremely inhumane treatment at the slaughterhouse
results in prolonged suffering. Horses endure repeated blows to the
head with stunning equipment that often does not render the animals
unconscious and often horses remain conscious during their own
slaughter, including throat slitting.
Horse slaughter is a barbaric, despicable business, and a vast
majority of Americans are opposed to it, and they, together with
numerous equine and other organizations, are currently working to get
the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (which has 11 Cosponsors
from Illinois) enacted in order to ban it entirely from this country
altogether.
Americans do not eat horses; we do not raise our horses for food.
The only reason horse slaughter exists is to satisfy the palates of
foreigners who consider horseflesh a delicacy. "Killer buyers"
who
travel from one auction to the next filling up their trucks provide
the horses for this industry. Others
are stolen; even our federally protected wild horse population can
end up there. In addition, horse slaughter promotes horse theft:
Since California banned the slaughter of horses in 1998, horse theft
has decreased over 30%. Furthermore, since there is no export tariff
on horse meat, America is obtaining nothing from horse slaughter. All
the economic profit from it goes to Belgium and France.
Also, in spite of contrary claims, the great majority of the horses
slaughtered are not old, sick, crippled or unwanted, but instead, are
young, healthy American horses, including federally protected wild
horses, pregnant mares and mares with very young foals at their side.
Because horses in America are not food animals, veterinarians
commonly prescribe and treat horses with potent drugs that may reside
in the horseflesh and be dangerous when consumed by humans.
Horses have played a significant role in the history and culture of
the United States. As a non-food and recreational animal, horses
should be protected from slaughter. Again, I urge you to support and
cosponsor S.B. 1921 and the "Save the Horses from Slaughter
Amendment".
I look forward to receiving a response from you regarding your
position on this issue, which is of importance to me. Thank you for
your time and consideration of my letter.