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"Bo knows best"I believe it would be hard to find many people that would argue against the notion that the purpose of any government is to protect its citizens. In fact, a little research indicates that the founding fathers of our great nation weren't much different from the Greek government who openly stated that their only purpose was to improve the lives of their citizens. With that in mind, let's look back at the sentiments of one of our country's earliest and most revered leaders: "On every question of construction (of the Constitution), let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying to find what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."--Thomas Jefferson With that in mind, do you believe any of the founding fathers ever dreamed that our government would have evolved into a body that enacts laws on behalf of horses? Since when have horses, dogs, cats, cattle, pigs or chickens become a part of our society? I believe we have diverted from the spirit in which the foundation for our nation's rule was created. As of this very minute, the Illinois House of Representatives has passed a state bill that would eliminate horse harvesting for human consumption if passed by the Senate. The United States Senate is also currently discussing the merits of banning the transportation, sale and donation of horses to harvest for human consumption. For years now educated individuals from organizations such as the American Quarter Horse Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners have used science, logic and common sense to explain why 100,000 unwanted horses should continue to be harvested for a consuming public that chooses to buy them. But the battle wages on because sex trumps sound science. Yes, I am suggesting that one wet T-shirt photo (that is still for sale on the Internet) of Bo Derek somehow gives her more credibility in the eyes of a bunch of star-struck legislators than a licensed veterinary professional on the subject of horses. I have and could once again walk you through a long list of reasons why the government has no reason to even address the issue of horse harvesting, but let's cut to the finish line. No one has addressed the issue of what would we do with about 100,000 unwanted horses every year. There are already verified reports of unwanted horses being dumped out in state parks around the nation. Uncle Sam already has more horses in inventory on Federal Lands than he can afford. What happens when the government's herd of 70,000 doubles each year? The majority of today's budget for the horse herd is spent on fruitless attempts to get people to adopt these animals. Frequently, these horses are sent to warehouses (at the taxpayer's expense) where they live twice as long as they would have if they had been left in the desert to be hunted down by a lion. Does the federal government have a right to subject all taxpayers to share the burden for horses that only the vocal majority seems to want to protect? The solution for unwanted horses continues to be the overlooked aspect of this issue. Bo Derek floats into the state of Illinois and lobbies lawmakers to ban horse harvesting, yet she has not generated a solution either. I have the solution: Bo Derek owns a ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif. I have secured a willing truck driver and we have a plan. We will start in Dekalb, Ill., on the morning of May 7 and stop in Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California to load unwanted horses. We will arrive at Bo Derek's Ranch on May 10 or 11 to unload the horses at their new home. We need a solution to deal with unwanted horses, not just laws that create more problems. I figure by the mere fact that Bo Derek is lobbying to stop horse harvesting, she must know what is best. That is why I am organizing the "Bo Knows Best" Journey. More information can be found at www.FacesOfAg.com. Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com. B 5 4/30/07 1 Star WK Date: 4/26/07
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