Every now and then I'm going to subject you to a brief Public Service Announcement, or what I consider to be one. I'm fed up with politics, politicians and their dishonesty, excuses, and how adept they are at passing the buck. This may be the first presidential election I don't vote in. I just can't bring myself to help any of them get into office. I've always said that if you don't vote, you have no right to bitch. I may be keeping my mouth shut for the next four years.
Anyway, just because politicians are idiots doesn't mean they have to inflict harm on animals. That's the sign of truly sick people. In 1971, Congress unanimously passed a bill to protect America's wild horses and burros on public lands. UNANIMOUSLY! When does that ever happen?! It was meant to honor the animals without which America could not have grown (no matter how you feel about whether we should have or not, or whether we should even be here at all, but we won't get into that).
Apparently, politicians are an ungrateful lot or are uneducated when it comes to history. The Bureau of Land Management has been quietly rounding up horses and burros and stockpiling them, at tax payer expense, to reduce the herds to an ungenetically safe small numbers. They say the horses overgraze the range. Meanwhile, they've been increasing the essentially free grazing for privately owned cattle and sheep on public lands.
Now they want to start experimentally surgically sterilizing mares and stallions, a traumatic and dangerous operation for the animals. Some more humane organizations have been keeping herd sizes small through chemical contraception. It's cheaper and effective and more humane.
I believe we made a promise to these wild horses and burros and we should keep it. It's unacceptable to renege on a promise. It's unacceptable to inflict harm on animals we've promised to care for. The BLM is hoping to overturn the law and give the care of the horses to states. Because most of the states that have protected wild horses also have cattle, they'll do their best to get rid of the horses for their rancher friends. The horses will go to slaughter in Mexico or Canada, to horrible deaths. (And if you're saying, why are horses better than cattle or chickens or pigs, who go to slaughter every day? Well, I think that's wrong, too.)
Below is a link to the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign. Mostly I ask people to sign their petitions, but if you can spare a bit of money, it all adds up. The money is used to fight for the horses, to pay lawyers and lobbyists, the only things our 'representatives' seem to respond to. There surely can't be as many ranchers signing petitions to get rid of our horses as there are horse and animal lovers signing petitions to protect the horses and burros and treat them humanely.
On behalf of AWHPC, if you can help a little, thank you very much.
https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6931/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=13830
I've seen a number of people express sentiments akin to what you've written: "This may be the first presidential election I don't vote in. I just can't bring myself to help any of them get into office."
ReplyDeleteI'm thoroughly convinced that there needs to be a dramatic shift in the philosophy and goals of our political parties and a major improvement in the types of folks that achieve candidate status...but...I'm also pretty sure that silence invariably favors the status quo.
I'm disgusted with both candidates...but...I'm much more fearful of Trump than I am Hillary. I've actually come to the conclusion that he is perhaps the worst individual ever to be a candidate for president (by a major party) that I've seen in my lifetime. And I can assure you that Reagan and Bush scared the poo out of me. If I thought opting out would help...I'd do it...but I'm pretty sure opting out will simply help him and I don't think I could deal with myself if I had any hand in that. I just couldn't. My thought is to keep him out and use the upcoming years to reform the parties and endeavor to move them less harmful ideas and practices...which would mean having a national come to our senses movement. I'm not sure such a thing would be possible with Mr. Trump as president. Choosing between bad and awful is a crappy choice...but...remediation of awful stuff versus remediation of bad stuff likely is easier in the second instance than the first.
I shared the plea for the horses on facebook.
Thanks for sharing my post about the horses. So many people are just aware of how the government wastes our money on such cruelties.
DeleteI probably will vote in the election, but I'm frustrated that we such a paltry and unimpressive list of candidates to choose from.
It seems crazy not to use chemical contraception when it's so much easier and cheaper.
ReplyDeleteIf I were you I'd hold my nose and vote for Hillary, the thought of Trump as president is terrifying.
You know government, they never do the practical, most cost efficient thing. After all, it's not THEIR money they're spending!
DeleteI probably will vote in the election, but I haven't decided who's the least offensive / destructive of them all.