Congress has now approved a measure that would close the only three horse slaughterhouses in the U.S., which last year killed 65,000 horses and sold the meat overseas. It looks like President Bush will sign the ban.
Lawmakers in Illinois, where one of the three slaughterhouses is located (the other two facilities are in Texas), tried to enact a state ban last year. The measure failed, though, because some legislators said the ban infringed on property owners' rights.
For me, this all begs the question: What makes a horse different from a cow? Congress didn't seem to mind that 35 million or so cows got butchered in the U.S. last year. I love a hamburger. Why should I care if somebody else wants a horse sandwich?
Anyway, the next time you're in a Parisian bistro, chowing down on Monsieur Ed, rest assured: He's not one of ours.
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