Do we pet horses or eat them?
Dear Editor:
Recently, food safety officials in United Kingdom, France, and Sweden found traces of horse meat in ground beef sold across Europe. Massive recalls and lawsuits are ensuing.
Can it happen here? Horse slaughter for human consumption was banned in the U.S. between 2007 and 2011.
But now, a New Mexico slaughterhouse is getting approved by U.S. authorities to slaughter horses for human consumption, and a Philadelphia restaurant has already announced plans to serve horse meat.
I marvel at our hypocrisy of rejecting the notion of horse or dog meat on our dinner plates, while condemning cows, pigs, and chickens to the same fate.
Obviously, we have established special relationships with horses and dogs as our companions, protectors, and sports protagonists, rather than as food.
But where is the ethical and logical distinction, given that all these animals are endowed by individuality, sentience, and an ability to experience the same feelings of joy, affection, sadness, and fear that we do?
Fortunately, our health food industry has spared us from having to choose which animals to pet and which ones to eat.
Their delicious soy and grain-based meat alternatives are available in every supermarket.
Gary Tipton
Georgetown
A plea for a puppy
For weeks, our team has been practicing ever day and almost every day we have been met with a puppy that would roll over wanting to be petted and loved. Several of us would take time to spend with it and show it affection. Some of us went so far as to go home and tell our parents about this precious puppy that had no collar and obviously no one to truly love it and take care of it, although we were told it had a name and an owner.
This past Saturday, the JV Invitational Tournament was held at Mike Johnson Stadium and much activity was going on.
Some of us wondered why we had not seen the puppy that visited us every day, but finally, late in the day, she came. She was hurt by what looked like an intentional deep cut on her back.
Several of us solicited the help of our parents who immediately assured us all they would find care for the puppy. They contacted the Georgetown City Police Department who quickly arrived and assessed the situation.
The officer who first arrived called for another officer with a truck to come and get the puppy to take it to the Humane Society for medical care and shelter.
We are so thankful for the city police and their caring for this puppy and the Humane Society for treating it and taking care of it. The officer who first arrived was kind enough to take the time and come back to let a parent know that the puppy had been taken to the Humane Society and was being cared for.
We as young people are glad to know what a great community we live in. Several of us would love to have that puppy, but many of our parents have said that our full schedule of school and being in the beginning of baseball season we do not have the time to give it.
If anyone who does have love and time for this sweet puppy we have all grown to love, please go to the Humane Society and get her and bring her to visit us at Mike Johnson Stadium. Tell them it was the puppy brought in on March 2nd.
Again thank you to the Georgetown City Police, many of our parents and the Humane Society.
Carter Thompson
James Carr
Garrett Ballard
Members of the Georgetown
High School JV Baseball Team
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