From Care2 this morning- another sad incidence of animal cruelty- HORSE TRIPPING in Oregon. I am surprised that Oregon legislators have not outlawed such a cruel, barbaric bit of "Americana." Yes, my alluding to this act as a bit of Americana is pure sarcasm. How can anything so cruel be accepted as something to be proud of and being truly representative of America?
I have to look up Oregon re their status rating on animal welfare put out by the Animal Legal Defense. I had previously thought that Oregon fared well in this regard. Maybe I am wrong, and certainly this new information does not bode well for their lack of compassion in allowing such cruelty.
I am so glad that I have not grown up in a state which
glorifies using animals in rodeos, though I doubt that any state is perfect in this regard. Sadly, there are people who participate in rodeos, and there are those who pay to watch calves and horses often terribly hurt in them and think this is entertainment. I guess these people are not much different from the early Romans who watched gladiators fight to the death or those who witnessed the early Christians being mauled to death by hungry lions.
I am always saddened when rodeos come to Cleveland. So, we are much like Oregon spectators - finding pleasure in seeing animals suffer -as they inevitably will.
One year I wrote Cavs owner Gilbert who rents out his arena for the rodeo to please stop. I mentioned the inherent cruelties associated with it. The only kind thing from him was a response, but of course, it was not one that I had hoped for. I don't remember it exactly, but it was a justification for bringing t he rodeo to Cleveland.
So obviously, some Ohioans aren't fazed or disturbed either by the inevitable cruelty they will see at a rodeo. For one- watching calves running for their lives from the men on swift horses who would catch them and lasso their legs - bringing their small bodies crashing down - often causing serious injury to them and ALWAYS PAIN.
So when I read about HORSE TRIPPING in Oregon, I was horrified.
And then even disgusted to read that the compassionate videotaper from SHARK (Showing Animals Repect and Kindness) was arrested at the Jordan Valley Big Loop Rodeo in Oregon for videotaping
the horse tripping event.
You have to wonder about what freedoms are left in America, when we can't even videotape events. Of course, this was not a benevolent scene from our prospective, but if the promoters saw nothing wrong
with horse tripping, then why did they have him arrested?
There are two versions of the arrest - one in which Shark volunteer Adam Fahnestock was told to stop videotaping, and when refusing to do so -the deputy took the camera and proceeded to try and handcuff him. Fahnestock supposedly then pulled away and tried
to grab his camera.
Not surprisingly, there is SHARK's version which, of course, I accepted in a heart beat. It is- "that after a brief conversation, the deputy suddenly grabbed Fahnestock and threw him violently to the ground where rodeo personnel then also set upon him."
Ironically, this version of what happened to Fahnestock was a small likeness to w hat happened to the horses he came to videotape where they are roped by the neck and legs while running and which forces them to violently fall face-first to the ground. Another example which proves that people who are cruel to animals are
also often cruel to people. I believe that Fahnestock was badly treated- as of course, were the poor horses he came to videotape.
Re the cruelty of horse tripping, the pictures showed at Alicia Graef's Care2 post showed some of their cruel suffering. There is also a videotape there as well for those who want to view it. On the internet clic k "Man Arrested for Videotaping Rodeo Cruelty in Oregon."
I wondered where this videotape came from. Was it returned to Fahnestock at some point or was there another videotaper at the event as well?
Even though my childhood memory of falling while roller skating is trite in comparison, it's too bad the callous viewers could not at least conjure up remembrances such as mine and feel compassion and disgust at viewing such cruelty.
Besides being shaken by the fall, I skinned my knee, and it hurt enough to bring tears to my eyes. How much more hurtful would it have been if both my legs had been tripped and I fell face down on the hard cement.
Also another memory of a fall -this time as an adult came to me when my rambunctious dog Pattie undercut me as I was heading toward my garage. This precipated another crashing fall, and this
time my knees were spared but not the side of my head. It hurt enough to also bring tears to my eyes. So, it is not too hard for me to "feel" just a tiny bit the pain these poor horses suffered at this cruel Oregon event at the hands of man.
How sad it seems to me that these people never give even the slightest thought to the pain and suffering they are causing these often gentle, trusting horses. And how sad that people pay money to come and see these horses being roped by the neck and legs while they're running - forcing them to violently fall face-first to the ground. Many of us can "feel" their suffering.
Why can't they?
There is also a petition at the Care2 site asking Oregon's lawmakers to ban this barbaric event. Thanx, Alicia Graef, for bringing this horror to our attention.
And finally, an excellent comment from the Care2 site written by Alexander K.:
"This incident is a demonstration of the depravity of our "enlightened" society where those entrusted with protecting society from wrong doers actually side with them and punish those who want to expose these acts.
It is no wonder that the fabric of society is disintegrating at an alarming rate. We need to tell legislators to do the job we elected them for and ban barbaric practices, be they against defenseless animals or humans."
Thank you Alexander - your thoughts are insightful and true. I gave you a green star, and I imagine you received many more. (Green stars are given to comments we like on Care2 posts.)
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