Vick Case: Legal vs Illegal Animal Abuse

[Guest guest]

Academic scholars (some from Cal. State and Syracuse University

social responsibility program) are increasingly looking at how

alternative food movements or animal rights movements can have

philosophies dominated racially from a " white " perspective and by

class status. They have found that together there is a tendency to

see these ethical viewpoints as colorblind and thereby discourage

thinking about white and class privilege within these and other

similar eco-movement. This can lead people of color to see elitism

and racism. This insensitivity can affect goals of social

responsibility movements of various kinds, which has implications for

global/local change and impact of the larger populations of the

working class and people of color.

 

The ongoing emphasis on Michael Vick and deemphasis of other animal

welfare/rights issue is an example of this. While there seems to be

a lot of joy in the conviction and sentencing results of Michael Vick

today, as seen by the immediate posting of news developments on this,

I tend to see a distorted and biased emphasis on this. I wonder why

we accept the oversight of similar but greater/worse issues just

because we whitewash them as " legal " for a privileged few.

 

For example, today, on the same day of Michael Vick's sentencing

there was oddly enough this article:

" New thoroughbred track expected to bring racing in July " 12/9/2007,

The Associated Press.

 

There are implications to the fact that we intentionally overlook

this small piece of news. This sanctioned multi-billion dollar horse

racing industry involves about 1 million horses in the U.S. And

besides abuses these animals endure in the process of exploiting them

for profit, it is estimated that about 10% of these thoroughbreds end

up being sent to slaughter, either because of injuries or simply

because they are " losers " .

 

How about that for complicity? Horse racing and dog fighting are

similar in being organized animal abuse/torture/slaughter/profit-

making industries. Besides the obviouse difference, the biggest

difference is that one is legal and one is not, and the legal one is

much bigger dollar-wise and likely in the number of animals used and

killed. Related " race " and class differences within might be obvious.

 

It doesn't make sense to judge cases like Michael Vick as if we have

a moral superiority when there is clear contradiction and hypocrisy

in our assumptions and conclusions.

 

http://www.rense.com/general53/unspeakable.htm

'Washed Up' Thoroughbreds Often Land At Slaughterhouse

Horse Racing's Dirty Little Secret

 

" It generally is accepted in the horse industry that about 10 percent

of the slaughtered horses are thoroughbreds, the sleek and powerful

breed usually foaled specifically to race. For comparison, the Jockey

Club, the breed registry for thoroughbreds in North America, annually

registers about 33,000 new foals. "

 

The Horseracing Industry: Drugs, Deception and Death

http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=65

 

Number of Horses & Participants by Activity

Activity - No. of Horses - No. of Participants

Racing -725,000 - 941,400

Showing - 1,974,000 - 3,607,900

Recreation - 2,970,000 - 4,346,100

Other* - 1,262,000 - 1,607,900

Total -6,931,000 - 7,062,500 **

*Includes farm and ranch work, police work, rodeo and polo.

**The sum of participants by activity does not equal the total number

of participants because individuals could be counted in more than one

activity.

http://www.horsecouncil.org/ahcstats.html

 

http://www.horseracingkills.org/1.htm