Well, Slaughterhouse Sue popped out from under her bridge today to lay down another link and take a pot-shot at the HSUS. Of course, she had NO comment on her recent set of lies. I’m not sure if that’s because she thinks nobody notices or is just trying to brazen out. I think somebody should tell all the journalists that have had to write that she was `unavailable for comment’ or not returning calls or emails to just slide on over to Facebook and ask their questions there. Suey still won’t answer them but it may be amusing to watch the other bumblers try to cover for her…
Today’s article is from The Tennessean and they are still pissing and moaning about the testing going on at The Celebration. (http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120831/OPINION03/308310037/Humane-Society-business-itself-not-help-horses?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s&nclick_check=1) As we are all aware, PSAs do not appreciate people making them treat their animals in humane fashion, so obviously this is one of the bigger frenzies they have whipped themselves into in weeks. Their bitch with the HSUS is that they conduct lengthy investigations and don’t do anything to stop the abuse immediately. Here’s a shocker…..I can almost see the point they are trying to make, but clearly they have no clue about what it takes to build a solid case. You can go for the immediate arrest or sanction against one small player, or you can build a case and clean house. They do it in undercover police work and`Kudo’ does it with ARM. It’s not pleasant and I can’t imagine what these people see, but I suppose it’s for the greater good. It’s an ethical grey area, but then again so is the filming of those National Geographic shows where you watch a pack of wolves take down their prey. The photographer never interferes there either. They need a lot of evidence to make a case and shut these types of activities down otherwise the associations will cry `isolated incident’ and continue on with their abusive ways. Lord knows we’ve seen that happen in slaughter houses enough times even with the extensive and meticulous footage and documentation that has been gathered.
Getting back to Slaughterhouse Sue….Naturally she couldn’t post up a link without commentary. I thought it would be fun to take a look at what she had to say about the article.
“The Humane Society of the United States is blowing into Tennessee to claim it is here to protect horses, but Tennesseans beware: This group is here to cause a ruckus and generate sensational headlines.
According to its website, the Humane Society exists to protect animals. But if that’s the case, then why is the organization’s favorite tactic to go undercover into establishments, watch the abuse of animals for months on end, and then release a fancy videotape and claim, “Look what we found? Abuse is really bad; please send money to the HSUS.”
– Apparently Suey thinks it would be better for them to burst into establishments with trumpets blaring to announce their arrival so that the abusers will have a chance to hide their activities. It’s called case building. It’s done all the time. I guess asking for money to support the humane treatment of animals is bad and wrong when you should be giving all your disposable income to The UH so that they can slaughter and EAT these same animals. So many choices to make these days….
“How can these people justify not stopping the abuse when they see it? For one reason: They don’t get any media attention or raise any money if they do. In other words, if the Humane Society doesn’t benefit from the abuse, it isn’t all that important…”
– Nice little spin she puts on things here. Let’s see if I can frame this in terms that may penetrate her egocentric view of things. If a USDA inspector walks onto a kill floor without warning and sees an employee abusing an animal, chances are that one employee will get fired even if it is the way the company handles all livestock. There will be a low-level fall guy, the inspector can puff his chest out and say he did his job and the company can carry on torturing and abusing animals as they always have. You can read this older entry on what actual slaughter workers had to say about this exact situation if you don’t believe me: (https://shedrowconfessions.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/death-dying-and-the-hand-that-delivers/) Now, if you are sincere about your mission to stop the abuse and want to really make a difference, you may conduct an undercover investigation. That will require you to establish a pattern of behavior. That is done over time. Remember that Suey promised that there would be intensive screening of all employees that were hired into her kill plants. She didn’t say this because she was concerned about criminals or illegal immigrants taking up the jobs and being a detriment to the community, she was concerned that there would be animal rights people trying to get a job undercover and raising hell. She KNOWS abuse goes on and she KNOWS it’s not acceptable to the general public.
In what alternate reality is this ever acceptable to do to a horse????
I realize the linked article is specifically about the HSUS involvement in this years Celebration, but I think that’s just a bunch of propaganda. The bottom line is these horses are being horribly abused and something had to be done. Clearly the TWHA was not effective in cleaning its own house, so other groups had to step up and make this public. What I don’t understand is why all these PSAs that label themselves as `Animal Welfare’ people and horse lovers, would defend this abuse at all. Notice I said I don’t understand, I am certainly not surprised. Here’s another comment from a PSA on a different article on the Celebration and the inspections:
“What I see is one segment of our industry being attacked and the rest is either uninformed or standing by and allowing it to happen. As an industry, horseman need to stand up to abuse in the barns first and then the show ring. It must be self regulated because if they can go after one breed, who is to say they wont slip a regulation under the radar and start inspections at every show from 4-H to world shows. I for one would NOT show up to a show where someone with a less than stellar knowledge of the animal they are suppose to be inspecting is choosing whether or not my money is wasted! I for one never knew that the walking horse industry was being regulated as heavily as it is, up until all of the discussions on these pages.”
– Clearly self-regulation has never worked for these Big Lick Tennessee Walkers or they wouldn’t be in the mess they are in. I’m glad this PSA feels she should run and hide from testing in other disciplines. As I’ve mentioned, my industry has the strictest testing on both the horses and the horsemen of any. If you have nothing to hide, it’s not really a big deal. When you sign for your racetrack license you are finger printed and you sign a release that allows the commission to search your vehicles, premises and whatever else they feel they need to if you’re under suspicion. I’ve seen it happen to other horsemen many times. We used to refer to them as `shake-downs’ . With no warning, they can come in and search your tackroom and every inch of your barn. If they really want to be jerks, they can technically take it further. The person that made this comment stated that she never really knew about the regulations prior to this uproar. This is why the HSUS taking this to the media is a good thing. The public needs to know and put pressure on these idiots so it will STOP.
Here’s another newsflash for the PSA crowd. Not every anti-slaughter advocate is a blind follower of the HSUS. Personally, I’m fairly neutral about them. They do a lot of good and they say and do some things I kinda scratch my head over. What they are good for is shining a spotlight on things and they have the money and power to fight big associations and companies that perpetuate the abuse on animals. I see their involvement at The Celebration as a good thing. The USDA does not have the money or mandate to do extensive undercover work for these types of things. They can’t even keep up on the bare minimum of all they should be doing and are operating under budget cuts. Shouldn’t we be in support of them doing whatever they have to in order to protect these animals? Who else is going to step up and do it?
Shedrow Confessions 
sometimes to understand an argument when it relates to a contentious topic, you have to take the argument out of context – no i am not saying you take pieces of info out of context and twist them around, what i mean is that take your stance on a topic, change the circumstances and see if your argument still holds.
ok so – the problem with the usus is that they go undercover, and do not immediately go in with proverbial guns blazing. they take months to gather evidence. my first thought is that if they actually did go in guns blazing, the ind of people who defend the cruelty the hsus uncovers would gripe about them not taking the time to build a proper case… secondly do these people have a problem when police go undercover? what about when journalists go undercover? does sue wallis and her followers have an issue with the undercover work that was done to out some of the recent craziness at planned parenthood? i am referring to the footage that seems to show that pp has no issue with gender based abortions.i do not reference that to bring up politics or the ethics of abortion it is simply to ask is it the use of undercover journalism, or is it who is using it, that the psas have an issue with?
i have repeatedly said that i am not a blind follower of the hsus. there are things i agree with and things they say, do and support that i do not. i will say that i have no problem with them using their investigations to fund raise. partly so that you know where your money goes should you donate but also because they took the risk – both physical and financial – to do the undercover research and they have every right to get credit for it.
Well, just what is it Suey? When undercover documentation shows up, you claim it is forged and not true; when regulators and law enforcement begin to investigate and punish violators with same documentation, the documentarians are not concerned about the welfare of the animals because they waited too long? When the documentation pops up (usually video) you gnash teeth about how the person is a criminal for trespassing or lying on a job application….NOT ABOUT WHAT WAS DOCUMENTED.
Pick a position Suey and fall on your sword and die with it.
Please note how little the PSAs actually comment on the animals or the crimes and cruelty being committed on the animals. It’s always about them, the humans…NOT the animals.
As anyone here ever heard or read a comment from a PSA asshat that the devices, tying, shocking, beating, etc is maybe, just maybe excessive? I haven’t.
I haven’t either, Denise. Funny how excessive force seems to be a lacking topic of discussion from what I, too, have witnessed.
Nope, I have just seen them whining about their rights and their property. Kinda sickening.
The picture of the horses hoof with all the..(what are those?)..nails in it makes me want to cry and throw up at the same time..how could anyone not see that as abusive?? And the picture of the horse above that..OMG..what is wrong with people?? Politics aside..the HSUS does good work and hopefully the “Big Lick” peeps are getting the message loud and clear!
I was watching video of how an “unadulterated” Tennessee walker naturally moves and it is quite beautiful and looks comfy..not that freaky thing the “champions” do! That is hard to watch..those poor horses unlucky enough to have found themselves in those trainers barns. I go out daily to tell my 2 boys how lucky they are to be turned out and barefoot and only have to endure a trail ride or occasional lesson..the joy of having a horse..and being a horse.. 🙂
Thanks again shedrow for shining the light “where the sun don’t shine”..in the PSA demented world..
The quote is not actually Sue’s, it is from the beginning of that article by someone else. In the article the person argues that the TWH industry can monitor itself successfully, says that this is a small problem with some bad players (while pointing out that they caught 150 violations in a year), and that the HSUS is just there to steal money. I would argue that 150 violations is sort of major, not a small problem at all, and that the issue would never have the attention and scrutiny without the HSUS. I guess I don’t feel sorry if it affects their economy a little while they make things right, considering they turned a blind eye for decades.
Please cite the “article by someone else” and which quote shedrowconfessions erroneously quoted. Seriously, I’d appreciate it.
It is the link Shedrow put up with Wallis–if you follow the link, the first couple paragraphs are what Wallis put up when she posted it–Sue just did not credit the actual author with the quote. It is the first link in Shedrow’s post for today (the one about the HSUS being in business for itself).
Sorry about the confusion….Suey did post it as her preamble uncited as well. I think the point is still pretty clear.
Exactly, even if she didn’t write it (it is not as bumbling as her usual style), it is clear she agrees with it. The lack of logic and paranoia over there makes me go insane.
Thank you Chance….why didn’t you just put up the link? Is this the link you are citing:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120831/OPINION03/308310037/Humane-Society-business-itself-not-help-horses?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s&nclick_check=1
and then from the Wallis blog poop she (Wallis) made comments, Wallis is quoted by src:
Getting back to Slaughterhouse Sue….Naturally she couldn’t post up a link without commentary. I thought it would be fun to take a look at what she had to say about the article.
“The Humane Society of the United States is blowing into Tennessee to claim it is here to protect horses, but Tennesseans beware: This group is here to cause a ruckus and generate sensational headlines.
According to its website, the Humane Society exists to protect animals. But if that’s the case, then why is the organization’s favorite tactic to go undercover into establishments, watch the abuse of animals for months on end, and then release a fancy videotape and claim, “Look what we found? Abuse is really bad; please send money to the HSUS.”
I didn’t see anything that was “blowing into TN…”, maybe I missed it. Doesn’t that make is Suey’s because it is a mix of the original editorial or guest featured LTE?
BTW…this is an O-P-I-N-I-O-N piece feature in the OpEd section of the Tennessean…..that ain’t fact and hardly news.
Looks like Suey took the antiHSUS hook via the Tennessean and “embellished” as she ALWAYS does.
I don’t see that src “misquoted”.
It’s not a huge deal. Suey took the opening of the editorial and used it as her own preamble without citation. Her uncited quote was her commentary. It doesn’t change my opinion or stance on the big stink the PSAs are making over the abuse of these horses.
Denise, Sue’s stuff is taken directly from that link–it’s not a paraphrase, it is word-for-word copy/paste. Shedrow even points that out in this little discussion we are all having. As for why I didn’t post the link, I was lazy and didn’t feel like scrolling up to copy it- instead I told you exactly where to find it in this post, which clearly worked since you found the article based on my description of where to find it.
If Shedrow was not insulted by my pointing out that Sue’s words were actually stolen from the author Frank Eichler, then you shouldn’t be either. Clearly, Wallis agrees with everything he said, otherwise she wouldn’t steal his words, and all of Shedrow’s points on the matter are correct, so other than me pointing out that Wallis is incapable of original thought, I don’t see a point in hashing this out more.
Also, of course this is a poorly researched opinion piece, not a factual article with research and citations behind it. I don’t know what point you think I’m trying to make, All I was saying is that Sue couldn’t even form an original thought about the article she posted, then I went on to post some of my own disagreements with the position held in the editorial.
I should edit that the crapp-i-ly researched article is the Tennessean article, not SC. I love this blog, and Heather’s too.
Facts are a big deal to me.
And frankly, I didn’t understand your point about who said what, Chance and why it was important to even mention it.
Our PSAs are very short on facts. Suey is notorious for cut n’ paste…except for her poetry, of course.
Facts are important to you, but you can’t see why I would point out that the words credited to Wallis were from another person? It was relevant in the short paragraph where I wrote that the words weren’t from Wallis, though she was obviously in agreement with the sentiment (thus all of Shedrow’s commentary is correct), then I moved on.
It never ceases to amaze me how so many PSAs attempt to defend indefensible cruelty. Suey even went so far as to say the KB’s are heroes. She and UH opposed legislation to ban horse tripping. They opposed legislation that would have prevented slaughter bound horses from being shipped in double decker trailers. They align themselves with pro-puppy millers. Seems like anything that would help improve conditions for animals, they are against it. And they take up for the animal abusers. Wonder why that is? It has never added up. Not so surprising that they champion another cause of abuse of horses – horse slaughter.
Let’s not forget their support of Nancy Skakel who was charge with cruelty and neglect. Instead of supporting the enforcement agency, they issue a call to arms and organize a work party so she can go right on neglecting and starving her horses. Yet, they’ll go after a legitimate rescue like Safe Haven for trying to save one under a vet’s care. Go figure….
Exactly! They would never dream of helping a regular rescue put up new fences, but they go help a woman with multiple strikes against her (I live in WA and remember the last time Skakel had to give away her horses to avoid jail time). Her trial isn’t til December now, right? Does anyone know any more info than that? I try to keep up to date, but these sorts of cases don’t have a ton of information.