Yesterday, the Paulick Report ran a story on Senator Feinstein calling (for the second time this spring) “for an immediate moratorium on racing at Santa Anita.” Clearly, the pressure is ratcheting up. The really good stuff, however, came in the comments section. I highlight three from three different pro-racing readers:
“[Feinstein] asks the ‘poison pill’ question which should rightfully make all horse racing advocates shake in their boots: ‘How many more horses must die……..?’ Racing is on the clock. Coming up with any kind of acceptable answer to a question which includes ‘How many more horse must die….’ will be near impossible. And, as almost all of us here on the Paulick Report know all too well, no matter what steps are taken, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE some level of fatalities at any and every racetrack in this country. Good luck attempting to justify how many fatalities are acceptable. The public simply isn’t going to buy it.”
“Good points. When I see a long tenured Senator weighing in publicly on subjects they probably don’t know much about I assume that they have done heavy polling to understand the political winds behind the opinion. In CA it only takes ~630K signatures to get something on the ballot. If she puts her support behind a ballot initiative, it will undoubtably [sic] be on a ballot and I’d give it 50-50 of passing.”
“This isn’t some politician pontificating, this is coming from her constituency. This is why rapid and radical change must be undertaken in the sport or it is finished in North America. If you don’t understand that what is happening is an EXISTENTIAL threat to the sport, try looking for Ringling Bros Circus Tickets or try planning your next trip to the Greyhound park and see what you find. VERY SIMILAR scenarios. Wake up TB industry!”
In the spring of 1865, with Lee’s army and the Confederacy hanging by a thread, President Lincoln was not content to just wait it out. In a famous telegram to General Grant, he wrote: “Gen. Sheridan says ‘If the thing is pressed I think that Lee will surrender.’ Let the thing be pressed.”
Let the thing be pressed:
Change petition to Ziggy Marley
California’s state legislators
Change petition to “Outlaw Horseracing in California”
Change petition to “End Horseracing in NYS”
I’ve been stalking the PR and its comments for the past couple months, as well. Hate to give anyone in the racing industry my interest, but find it’s helpful to know our enemy. What I’ve seen is a FEW sensible, compassionate racing followers who accept that major change is now an absolute necessity if they wish somehow to maintain any semblance of their “sport.” Then there’s the other side of the coin: Rabid racing apologists who rant angrily about “liberals,” and “animal rights nuts/freaks/crazies/fanatics” (choose your insult). They’re absolutely sure that their very livelihood is under attack — which it is, in fact;) — and that it’s OUR FAULT that the public will no longer accept breakdowns and slaughter as “part of the game” that they’ve previously been pretty successful at hiding. This second and larger group, of course, simply can’t understand why we won’t just LEAVE THEM ALONE to continue their equine carnage in relative privacy and prosperity. It’s almost kind of amusing. Almost.
Except that Ray has been known to simply censor any comment he thinks goes ” too far”, AKA – truth the industry doesn’t want to hear
I believe that is his right. It’s his site, and frankly, he can delete any opinion with which he disagrees. My point is that many of the comments that I’ve seen on PR stories of late seem downright hostile toward anyone who dares to question the carnage. They know they’re in a world of hurt right now, but all many can do is lash out defensively with petty insults to those who even attempt to seek accountability for all these dead horses.
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.