…comes, appropriately, from Jeff Jordan of the Kaufman Herald (where the dreadful deed is done):
Now that horse slaughtering has garnered national attention for
Kaufman, and the likes of Kinky Friedman has chimed in, can I add my two-cents worth?
Two major groups head up this saga: Group A, fighting to ban horse slaughter and Group B fighting to continue slaughtering horses. Then, at the local level, there is Group C who may or may not give a hoot about slaughtering a horse, but view Dallas Crown [the slaughterer]as a nuisance and want it shut down. I can sympathize with each group to some extent, but I¹m not not ready
to join any of their campaigns. Here is my take on all the players:
Group A
The Opposers
War Cry: ³We¹ll stand our ground and we¹re not horsing around.² There are a couple of subgroups within this faction. There are those who oppose horse slaughtering on a moral basis. They oppose killing any animal: cows, pigs, chickens or sheep. I know I said I could sympathize with each argument to some degree. This is the exception. I can¹t join this clan because, personally, I¹m not sure you can trust anyone who won¹t eat beef. The other characters in Group A are individuals who have no qualm at all about eating a big, juicy steak, munching on ribs, or gnawing on a chicken leg. However, they view the act of butchering a horse for human consumption as downright un-American. It is a cultural difference. Hindus won¹t eat beef, Muslims won¹t eat pork, President Bush (the elder) won¹t eat broccoli, my black lab won¹t eat his dog food unless you crack a raw egg over it. And Americans won¹t eat horse meat.
I can also lean toward this argument since I have had a few horses. They were pets rather than livestock. I would hate to think Betsey, Ugly (yes, we had a horse named Ugly) or Dynamite ended up on some French guy¹s dinner plate. The problem with this stance is it reeks of hypocrisy. I couldn¹t look someone in the face and say it¹s wrong to slaughter a horse while I lick the barbecue sauce from my fingers.
Group B
The Butchers
War Cry: ³Horse, it¹s what¹s for dinner.² There are really only two subgroups in this party. There are a handful of individuals who realize the need for facilities such as Dallas Crown. Veterinarians, ranchers, and equine enthusiasts all cite the thousands of horses that would die from neglect each year if there is a ban on slaughtering horses. It isn¹t that they ³want² to kill horses, but they understand it is necessary. Remember Dynamite? Frenchy never had the chance to ingest him because he keeled over one day in the back pasture. He was about 97 years old. I suppose it would have been more humane to haul him up to Dallas Crown. What else do you do with a horse past his prime? The problem with this argument is too many horses slaughtered eachyear are healthy and far from the end of their days. There are so called ³killer buyers² who purchase horses on a regular basis for the sole purpose of selling them to a slaughtering facility. The other subgroup consists of owners of these businesses and other individuals with a financial interest in the industry. For them, it is simple – they are making money and they would like to keep it that way.
Group C
The Locals
War Cry: ³Your business stinks.²
A much smaller group in numbers, but very vocal. This is where the majority of Kaufman residents join the mix. These folks will tell you how their quality of life is substandard due in large part to the Dallas Crown facility. Neighbors of the plant speak of a foul odor emitted from the property as well as spillage issues and problems with the sewer system. Of those in the fight, these folks may have the best argument, but I¹m not completely convinced the facility is a nuisance for the whole town. I live just a few blocks down the street from Dallas Crown and the odor never reaches my door. I have noticed the smell when I am jogging. But then, I can count on one hand the number of times I have jogged in the past year. But wait. There is one more group in this fight that has received little respect.
Group Me.
War Cry: ³I gotta bone to pick with you.² Group Me has a problem that¹s never been discussed. It seems my neighbor¹s dogs are in the habit of dragging near complete, equestrian skeletal systems into my front yard. They never drag them into their own yard – just mine. Of course, these bones aren¹t the only thing they leave in my yard, so maybe the lack of enforcement of a leash law is a bigger nuisance. However this matter is resolved, whether it be in the Congress, in court, or at City Hall, I just hope those dogs soon have fewer bones to drag into my yard and leave their ³fertilizer² somewhere else.
