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I read somewhere earlier this year that BLM Director Abbey made a promise to a mustang rescue group that the Mustangs of the West would be protected by the Bureau of Land Management. Sadly, it is a hollow promise. Today I got this post from All-creatures.org which shows how badly the U.S.Government is treating these rounded up wild horses in the BLM Butterfield Facility in Utah. All these poor horses ever wanted is to
be left alone and live freely as they have done since the Wild Horse and Burro Act was passed by Congress in 1971. We are a fickle people. We will keep this Act as long as the mustangs don't interfere with the cattle, oil and mining industries and that appears to be ALWAYS.
Picture if you will horses that are unable to move from a knee-deep mixture of mud, manure, and urine. Lisa Friday who did the videotaping of this horribly depressing sight said "I saw more than 10 horses in one pen trying to escape the quagmire but their legs were suctioned deep into the mud. She also reported seeing "30 HORSES LAYING DOWN IN THE MUD THE ENTIRE THREE HOURS SHE WAS AT THE FACILITY." My God - how can BLM workers stomach such atrocity? Are these people religious at all? Is their God not a God of compassion as mine?
Peta recently wrote on Oped a post containing some remarks from the Holy Father regarding cruelty to animals which probably seemed to them a wonderful breakthrough since he is the head of the church. In my comment at their post- which I'm not sure was sent because of computer difficulty, I wrote that I'm glad that they could quote the Holy Father in this regard, BUT until he writes an ENCYCLICAL (official church teaching) on the need for compassionate treatment of animals, his words basically reach a precious few and will probably not change the
terrible incidences of animal cruelty that yes, many Catholics too commit I'm sure. I do believe that he could make a big difference in the way we treat animals because there are a billion Catholics or more, but neither he or his predecessor has gone that far. Compassionate statements here and there sadly just doesn't cut it.
Why are these poor horses being rounded up? It's always about economics isn't it? Yet somehow our leaders will say that this is necessary to make progress and provide jobs. The only problem is that we are still in an economic crisis and will always will be where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
This morning On CBS Sunday Morning a segment dealt with economics and the supposed benefits of a "trickle-down" policy - except THERE IS NO TRICKLE DOWN POLICY. I believe the speaker called it "Niagra" going up. The Middle class since WWII has been caring the brunt of paying taxes to support the government while the rich evade them, and it seems we are letting them destroy our mustang population of the West as well.
Lisa Friday who videotaped the horrible conditions of these poor captured mustangs wrote that this spectacle of cruelty underscores the need for halting further roundups from the range. I'm always amazed that people who probably consider themselves religious can not see anything cruel in seeing these poor horses knee-deep in a mixture of mud, manure, and urine. I'm also amazed that I cannot generate sympathy from my church as a whole or the people who are in attendence with me at liturgy almost every day. I don't even try anymore.
What can we do? How about writing the President? or Director Abbey of the BLM? or your Bishop? or the Holy Father? or your congressional representative and senators? I hope to do write some of them
if not all this week. We have to get the word out if we care because things will never change if we don't.
