Editorial / Opinions

We are going back to slaughtering horses. Even the PETA people have agreed, the prohibition of horse slaughter has not worked as planned. The prohibition led to horse owners releasing unwanted horses, which led to starvation and more problems. Cruel hauling to get these horses to the U.S. borders has ended in more severe conditions for unwanted horses. The whole business has made even good horses worth less. The cost to ethically destroy a horse has reached $600, a ridiculous sum. People, who did not even own horses, rushed this law through congress.

I had the occasion to drive by the farm of an old friend last week. Since I very seldom drive that road, I was surprised to see a field full of round bales that were terribly misshapen. A little farther up the road, on the same farm, I was even more shocked to see his pasture grown up with musk thistles. While most people would probably not have given those two facts a second thought, I became worried about my friend’s health.

A few weeks back I was asked to help judge the District FFA Speaking Contest. I was honored that the Darr School of Agriculture, in Springfield, Mo., asked me to help and I appreciate the opportunity to help out my alma mater whenever possible.

I read a news article last week reporting that a group representing People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is petitioning the Illinois Department of Transportation to be able to erect a roadside memorial. This memorial would be built at the site of a traffic accident where several head of livestock died when the truck that was hauling them, overturned. PETA, in their words, wants to honor the dead animals and bring attention to the dangers that exist to farm animals in the United States.

It’s official – I have retired.