During World War II, as
rationing made it more difficult for families to find beef, American butchers
across the country sold horse meat, and consumers literally ate it up. At
roughly half the cost of beef, horse was served as a protein supplement until
well after the war in some places, though (MORAFF).
Today, horsemeat will be sold
legally in America. According to Foxnews, the slaughter of horses
for human consumption could legally resume in the United States as early as
this week following a decision by a New Mexico judge who dismissed a push by
animal rights groups to stop the practice. This is a mistake of law
makers. The slaughter of horses for meat is not only inhumane, but it is also
harmful in many ways.
Horsmeat is not safe for human.
Originally, horse are not raised for food. They are raised and treated as
companion animals. Now, the government has no system to track medical histories
for horses. Testing random sample of horsemeat does not seem to be a solution,
because each horse is unique. Overall, horsemeat is not safe.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture has documented that 92.3 percent of horses sent to slaughter are in
good condition and are able to live out productive lives. Kill buyers go to
auctions to find the fat, healthy animals that will bring the most money for
their meat, and aren’t interested in old or sick horses. Why would we kill a
healthy horse? Horses are like cats, or dogs; somehow, they are our
friends. Killing them for food is so inhumane. Some people will question "Why
would we kill a health pig for food?" It is because of
the historical. At the very begging of human history, we raised pig for
food, cause they grow fast. An we raise horse as companion animals because they are strong, and loyal.
Horse Slaughter is the opposite
of "mercy killing". There is no way a horse can be humanely
slaughtered in an industrialized setting. We should have learned that lesson by
now.
Works Cited
MORAFF, CHRISTOPHER. Philadelphia . 21 February
2013.
1 comment:
Wow! Horse meat? Can't say I'm that tempted to try it either, Minh. I honestly don't see much of a purpose in the production of horse meat. Don't we Americans already eat enough cows for our own good? I did a little searching on the internet and found an article on the topic. The USDA has only recently approved the production of horse meat after after a previous ban expired in 2011. While Obama has stated he does not approve the production of horse meat, not much has been done to reinstate the ban since its expiration. Slaughter houses are extending an interest in horses because they can be obtained relatively cheaply and do not usually have to be maintained or raised before slaughter, the highest cost is simply the transportation of the animals.
Want to know the saddest part of the whole ordeal? Unlike cows, who are generally raised strictly for meat production, a large number of these slaughtered horses come from various horse owners who have, for whatever reason, decided to have their horses killed (illness, injury, or economics). So not only are you partaking in an animal that could have been put to much better use, you are more than likely also partaking in what used to be someones beloved pet. I may be a meat eater, but it'll be a long while before I feel tempted to try any horse burgers.
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