Two fully-expected confirmations came in today:
Ministers of Money, a “went wrong, vanned off” after “winning” the 4th at Golden Gate Friday, is indeed dead. He was two; this was his very first race.
Niente is dead after breaking down in the stretch of the 9th at Belmont yesterday. (The Equibase note said, obscenely, that she was “expertly eased and pulled up” after suffering the injury.) She, too, was two years old; ’twas only her second race.
California and New York have combined to kill at least 160 racehorses this year…
Governor Newsom
Senator Feinstein
Senator Harris
Assembly Speaker Rendon
Majority Leader Hertzberg
California State Senators
Governor Cuomo
Senator Schumer
Senator Gillibrand
Assembly Speaker Heastie
Majority Leader Cousins
“Domestic Animal Welfare” Committee
NYS State Senators
Patrick, thank you for your diligence in reporting and sharing the links.
Welcome to the wonderful world of horse racing, youngsters!
Now, Rest in Peace, youngsters! Because heartless, animal-abusing, conscience-deficient, equine-life-wasting, narcissistic, gambling addicts chewed you up, spit you out, and never looked back.
Niente, Ministers of Money, and the countless thousands of other, isolated, whipped, drugged, broken, and cast-aside animals that came before you (and will doubtless follow in your hoofprints if these monsters are allowed to keep their sick game going): I’d like to believe your deaths will serve to further the cause of sparing all racehorses such a unanimously miserable existence. But until we, the people, stand up to them by abolishing the whole, horrific, bloody atrocity, the Sport of Killings will continue in both its arrogant cruelty and rightful, precipitous decline.
Caustic cannot even describe the name given to Niente (Nothing in Italian). Indeed he meant absolutely nothing to his abusive, life-sucking, bloodshed loving connections. You, Ministers of money and the many thousands who have perished in the name of sick “entertainment” will not be forgotten. Our fight shall continue until this repulsive industry is nothing more than a distant, ugly, never to be thought of again memory.
Tonight, after seeing the names of lawmakers from California and New York (above), I opted to digress from the usual comments concerning the crippling, maiming, and killing of our beloved racehorses on tracks around the country. Most of those that read, follow and post on this blog care deeply, not just about horses, but all animals, so I hope to illuminate the seriousness of the upcoming presidential election in regards to both animal welfare and the environment with this post. I was a registered Republican for 40+ years but recently switched parties because I can’t support anyone who is morally, and ethically, bankrupt and who has assaulted our wildlife and environment. For the first time in my life, I am truly scared for our country and I do believe our very democracy is at stake. Therefore, this post is geared toward those who have an open mind and an open heart.
This is just a start of a list of the damage inflicted on animals and the environment by Donald Trump and his administration in 3 1/2 years.
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1. Ended a 100 year old wild bird protection law
2. Expanded hunting on more land previously deemed for wildlife protection
3. Took away protections for coastal marine animals
4. Signed resolution to allow the dumping of coal and mining waste into waterways
5. Awarded dozens of lion trophy hunting permits to GOP donors
6. Rolled back protections for the Endangered Species List (economic factors can “trump” putting a species on the list for one example)
7. Reversed law so hunters can kill bears and their cubs in dens
8. Reversed law so hunters can kill wolves and their pups
9. Reversed law so hunters can chase animals down with helicopters
10. Reversed the Obama ban on hunters bringing elephant “trophy” parts into the U.S.
11. Put bee killing pesticide sulfoxaflor back on the market
12. Trump chose Brian Klippenstein as senior advisor to the USDA. This man was in charge of the anti-animal lobbying group called Protect the Harvest. This group advocates for horse slaughter, puppy mills, factory farming, and ag-gag bills
13. Trump chose Terry Branstad to be ambassador to China. Branstad is a cheerleader for factory farmed pigs and is working to assure more pigs for the Chinese market
14. In 2018, Trump’s USDA rolled back regulations for an Obama-era animal welfare rule, which provided for better treatment of farmed animals whose products are labeled “organic.” The rule allowed birds to move freely, stretch their wings, stand normally, and engage in natural behaviors
15. Denies climate change and pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Accords. Climate change threatens to kill off whole species of plants and animals (and has already killed off many animals)
16. Reversed the ban on lead bullets which kill not just the hunted animals but also kills animals who eat the remains
17. Reversed the ban on using bait (and dogs) to hunt bears
18. Two weeks into the Trump Administration, thousands of documents detailing animal welfare violations (mistreatment, neglect, etc) were removed from the website of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which had been posting them publicly for decades. These are inspection records and annual reports for every commercial animal facility in the U.S.—including zoos, breeders, factory farms, and laboratories. (they were eventually restored after strong condemnation)
19. Safari Club International (big game hunting) is a Trump donor
20. “Ringling Brothers is phasing out their elephants. I, for one, will never go again.” – Trump
21. Increased line speed in chicken slaughter
22. Increased line speed in pig slaughter
23. Slaughterhouse workers have been given inspection duties previously undertaken by professional inspectors
24. Has blocked proposed new regulations for factory farms
25. $16 billion of the Stimulus money (from coronavirus) was made available to big beef
“producers” (Cargill, Tyson, JBS, and National Beef which control 80% of cows slaughtered for beef).
“In August, 2019, the Trump administration took its final step to weaken the Endangered Species Act, a law that brought the bald eagle, the American alligator, the California condor, the humpback whale and the grizzly bear back from the brink of extinction. In May, 2019, a U.N. Report on world biodiversity found that one million plant and animal species are on the verge of extinction with alarming implications for human survival (Darryl Fears, Washington Post, 8/12/19). According to the Center for Biological Diversity, here are a few of the endangered species that Trump is most likely to drive extinct.
– African Elephant
– Whooping Crane
– Puerto Rican Parrot
– Red Wolf…and the list goes on
Joe Biden is an advocate against animal injustices and horse slaughter. I truly believe he cares. Of course, horse slaughter is a topic regularly discussed on this blog and it is one of the most egregious injustices inflicted on our horses. In regards to horse slaughter…
“In the 109th Congress, Biden voted for an amendment to the Farm Bill (H.R. 2744) to stop horse slaughter by prohibiting the use of tax dollars to fund USDA inspection and approval of meat at horse slaughterhouses and approval of horses to be exported for slaughter. But the USDA then undermined this enacted amendment by allowing the industry to privately fund inspections of horsemeat in 2006. In the same session, Biden cosponsored for the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 1915) to bar transport, possession, purchase, or sale of horses to be slaughtered for human consumption.
In the 110th Congress, Biden again cosponsored the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 311) to bar transport (including export), possession, purchase, or sale of horses to be slaughtered for human consumption.
Finally, as Vice President, Biden worked to include language in the federal budget to prohibit the USDA from inspecting horse slaughterhouses, effectively ending the practice of horse slaughter for human consumption in the United States.”
Please vote wisely in this election. Our democracy and a return to civility depend on it. In fact, our lives, and the lives of many animals as well as the welfare of our environment, depend on it. Thank you!
Thank you for elaborating on the facts, Mary Johnson. In case anyone missed it, the honey bee is on the list of living things becoming extinct. Many plants depend on the honeybee as part of the cycle of life. Without honeybees, there are many flowers and flowering food crops that will not produce a crop of fruit or vegetables or flowers. It is depressing to see dead honeybees on my door step and I live in a residential area, not on a farm and not in a rural area. It is also very disconcerting to see who is in power and his narcissistic obsession with himself and money.
Thank you for sharing this, Mary.
I find it shocking that the President of the United States of America has such callous heartless disregard for innocent animals. The list from 1 to 25 evidences that he doesn’t give a damn about animal cruelty. I read that he is the first President of the USA not to have a dog in the White House. I feel so sad for America whose people are also suffering from his irresponsible and reckless leadership. Morally and ethically bankrupt indeed. Praying for a new leader at this election for America.
Our democracy is at stake now and has been at stake since 2016. It has been scary. A vote for our current POTUS is in effect a vote against democracy and for fascism. A vote for Biden is a vote against fascism and a vote for democracy. We need leadership that will recognize human rights as well as animal rights. We need legislation that will penalize the criminally insane behavior against horses that causes so much pain and suffering to horses, which is the epitome of the horse racing industry.
I am not here to defend the Trump’s administration on anything, just to point out that horse racing is a state issue and the States of California and New York have been and continue to be longstanding Democratic bastions of greed and corruption. Trump cannot and should not (as leader of the federal government) dictate what a given state allows as to business within its borders. So blame those democratic leaders and go after them for change.
Deborah, I believe horse racing is both a State AND Federal issue. The Federal Bureau of Investigation indicted several people including Jorge Navarro for illegal doping of racehorses to manipulate and cheat and defraud the betting public. Of course, horses need to be protected but the FBI cannot do it all. They did a lot though to gather the facts and the evidence to bring some justice to the criminal acts of illegal doping and consequently killing some horses, XY JET for one. Of course, the horses are still not safe but it remains an issue on all levels.
Horse racing’s main source of Income is the Interstate Horse Wagering Act, which falls under the jurisdiction of Federal Business Commerce.
In addition, horse racing is the only gambling business that is given this extraordinary broad range of unaccounted for commerce being transferred across state lines.
Indeed horse racing, and this aspect of it is Federal although doping is state-controlled.
Horses aren’t political and neither is the Covid-19 virus, but when it comes to animals it’s clear that the Trump administration has deliberately and systematically implemented and eliminated laws to protect them.
Thank-you Mary for your viewpoint and details.
I agree with everything you state in your comment.
One of the first thing Trump and his administation did when they took office was to purge/scrub and eliminate all records of animal cruelty abusers that were readily available on public sites.
He had a bill on the table to BAN horse soring and he scrapped it on advice from Mitch McConnell who received $600,000 over the years to protect this horrific abuse and suffering.
In addition to what you stated, they’ve recently appointed a trophy hunter and animal killer to the head of the Fish and Wildlife Service, which is supposed to protect them.
Anna Seidman, the former legal advocacy director at Safari Club International, a nonprofit that advocates for trophy hunting, as assistant director of its International Affairs Program demanded expansion of hunting on taxpayers land that were classified as sanctuaries.
She has begun to systematically permit the killing of baby bear cubs and wolves in Alaska just for starters and she’s got plenty more on her agenda all at the detriment of American wildlife so that a hunter can hang their head on the wall.
Her policy has led to over 5000 wolves being killed in Michigan and Iowa state – vile.
Trump has openly admitted that he hates animals because it makes people “weak” by being emotional about an animal.
He’s one of the few Presidents to not have a dog in the Whitehouse.
Of course his sons are both heavy hunters that have killed exotic and endangered wildlife all over the world.
Recently, Don Jr. flew to Mongolia, got special treatment to kill endangered peaceful sheep called the Argali and he rode a horse into the mountains that was obviously too small for him, was too much weight, and was suffering.
This was all done at the expense of the American taxpayer apparently costing $50,000 while Americans are going to food banks by the droves.
I want to be clear that I’ve voted for both Republican and Democrats in the past depending on the leader and their policies, but if I have to crawl to the voting booth on 3 legs to vote this animal hater out of office that’s what I will do.
His wife and people around him all wear fur coats and we know the cruelty and suffering behind that.
People who don’t have compassion for animals are the same with people, no empathy for either and that’s what we’ve clearly seen in the past 4 years with this President.
Horses can live into their 30’s!!! Cause of horse racing they die as babies. THINK about THAT. #PureEvil
Bonnie, I think about that a lot and it makes me feel sick in a way I find difficult to describe. It is so WRONG to force yearlings to carry weight and run under the weight of a saddle and rider and be whipped and eventually shocked with electricity. It should be against the law! There should be a Federal law against forcing yearlings and any horse under the age of 24 months to carry weight, run and/or race or be whipped and shocked!