Talk about disappointments – Liam Neeson, who has been a supporter of a great many humane efforts throughout the world, released a statement this week through the Irish Echo supporting the carriage horse industry. Referring to it as “iconic” and a “grand tradition” he also claimed he was another horse lover. Right. Well Mr. Neeson, as much as my respect for you as an actor remains unchanged, I do have to question whether you actually took the time to find out the facts before you made this statement, appealing to misguided sentiments; trying to pretend it’s 1889 instead of 2009. I believe that all of those people should have jobs as well, and since my grandmother and grandfather regaled me with tales of growing up in Kerry I would like to think I am sensitive to the fact that many of the drivers are Irish-American.
But, I wonder Mr. Neeson – is this the picture you were thinking of that is so iconic? Or do you imagine the horses trudging back to their tenements in Hell’s Kitchen as being part of the grand tradition? Have you taken the time to visit their stables? Or would availing yourself of the uncomfortable facts make you an “extrmemist”? How about a short quiz? How many horses have perished in traffic accidents in the last 20 years? How many is too many? How much shorter is a carriage horse’s life than a police mount?
How many hours a week do they work? Or – maybe you saw them out working the past few weeks in snow storms and sub-zero wind chills – does the sight of a horse trudging behind a bus, inhaling the exhaust make you wax poetic? Did you know that New York has the highest carriage-horse accident rate in the country, a fact that came to light after the death of Smoothie on Sept. 14, 2007?
I did not grow up with horses, I grew in the suburbs, so it was my grandmother’s stories of growing up on a farm in Ireland that informed my conscience towards animals. There is nothing about the existence of these animals that is, in fact, picturesque or traditional. They have no pastures to walk in, no life besides the joyless sounds of traffic, the blare of horns, the constant cacophony of New York streets. Lawn jockeys were once iconic, slavery once considered a vital component of the country’s economy. In fact, according to my grandmother, Irish immigrants were once treated with a little bit less than respect in this city. But I guess, at that time, it was just considered another grand tradition, eh Mr. Neeson?
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“They have no pastures to walk in”
Actually EVERY carriage horse gets vacations on farms
But, I thought they were so happy clomping around in traffic, why would they need a vacation?
They end up in the ultimate vacation spot when their nightmarish life on NYC streets is over: the slaughterhouse.
The slaughterhouse lies never cease to amaze me. Give me proof that one horse has EVER gone to slaughter. You cant. Your lies will catch up with you at the city council meeting. That will be fun! Hey, Mike, do you like vacations? DUH.
http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2008/03/the-plight-of-new-york-city-carriage-horses/
Well, Lilly O’Reilly and others were rescued from certain slaughter. The poor thing was in very bad shape when she was bought for next to nothing in New Holland, Pa. Her hoof number was 2711, and she had been registered to Clemente Cretella of the dreaded West Side Livery.
A horse sold at auction is NOT a slaughtered horse. Get it straight. Do you even know about auctions and how they work, that you can put stops on slaughter buyers? Ignorance is bliss for the sickos who thrive on misinformation, I guess.
You should get it straight, Susan. For shame.
Concerning Liam Neeson’s comments;
I have been an animal activist and vegetarian for twenty six years and I can tell you Mr. Neeson’s opinions are incidental and will not rule over the out come of the carriage horses dilemma so let’s not waste our time casting stones. What we must do is write letters in support of cruelty free living conditions for New York’s Carriage horses. These horses are doing human beings a service and there for they must be respected and protected. Trained animals like to be useful and serve a purpose. To take that purpose away could depress the animal and destroy its health and well being. Also, If these horses loose their livelihood, chances are they will be euthanized the same as race horses considering it might be very difficult to place 200 work horses on retirement farms. Let’s clean up any mistreatment of these beautiful animals, fine the responsible parties for their cruelty and neglect, then make new laws like banning traffic and bicycles from horse restricted areas and cleaning up the stables as well as moving the horses to greener pastures when they are not doing the work they were trained to do. These animals need to be given a chance at life. This is an issue of common sense, humanity AND commerce. The horses benefit the cities economic status so there for they should be treated as any other working citizen. The issue here is not about good guys and bad guys. Actor Liam Neeson never stated his opinion on animal cruelty so arguing with him is futile.
Mr. Neeson does not have the deciding vote on this issue. The issue here is horse cruelty. Something that has been alleged in the New York carriage industry for many years. The problem here is not with actor Liam Neeson, it is with the human beings who are responsible for the care and treatment of these animals. Not all of these care takers are abusing their horses. Some of them love their horses and are just doing their jobs. No human being has the right to make ANY animal serve them. Animals were not put here on this Earth for human pleasure and consumption, on the contrary, because human beings are supposed to have the higher intellect that means that they were put on the Earth to defend serve, and protect animals and all life forms that can not defend, protect and think for themselves. ALL Animal cruelty is inhumane. These horses only know the life that human beings gave to them, therefore to take that away from them could be detrimental to there well being. Once again, what needs to be done to rectify this issue is simple,
Laws must be passed to insure the health and safety of these hard working animals, while the horses themselves are moved to a cleaner environment. One that is more fit and suitable for horses. As far as the exhaust fumes go, Human beings created them and we are all breathing them, so at least we are all being asphyxiated together. Horse and man alike. Even actor Liam Neeson stated on comedy central that giving these animals a pasture was a good point. Instead of condemning Mr. Neeson, let’s work together and use our intelligence and energy to work towards stopping the real culprits from continuing this very negative atrocity.
It is a shame but human beings do not come with instruction books on how to be humane, therefore, they must be gently educated in the fine art of humanity. Keeping an open mind on all issues makes us see things more clearly. Mr. Neeson has been a humanitarian and vegetarian for many years. He was being playfully wise when he made the comment about living in the stable. Mr. Neeson is a doer. This is why he physically went down to the stables to see what is going on. He wanted to know first hand; where as most of us must rely on the interpretations of others to make our decisions. His comment on “cows” is true.
He knows this because he grew up in Ireland were farm lands are predominate.
Animals live by their instincts. I have worked beside a farm for twenty years and every time the humans leave the pasture gate open, (Which unfortunately is often) the cows in herds lumber out down the road but always on there own return to what they instinctively know. Their own environment. The environment HUMAN beings gave them. This is true with all animals. That is why it is so important for all of us to see all sides to this issue.
Mr. Neeson is coming at this issue through his own humanitarian point of view.
He is simply sharing his opinion with the world and we must do the same. With the world in economic crisis, Mr. Neeson I concerned that the workers and horses will loose their livelihood should the Horse and Carriage industry be banned.
What Is An Opinion? Always remember, opinions are neither right nor wrong. All opinions are individual and no ones opinions, the rich, the poor, even the scholars, have more value on this Earth then another.
Opinions are only “right” to the individuals who are expressing them
as well as to the individuals who happen to share them and believe them as truth. It is time we all expressed our own truth. Never let anyone usurp your opinion unless you truly believe in the opinion they have expressed.
“It is more intellectually challenging to act humanely, then to act upon
your natural, carnal, negative thoughts. One act of humanity is bliss. One act of ignorance is devastating.”
When you disagree with someone intellectually, all you can do is try
to educate them to seeing a different point of view. If they are beyond
reasoning, then it is a waste of your time to pursue them. A healthy
debate is one were both parties go away challenged and fulfilled. Not
angry and intolerant. Through using our own psychic awareness we
can create balance in our feelings and learn to use self control to alter
our negative thoughts. All Negative emotions are caused from human error. Before we can make a new start, we must get rid of all the negativity inside of us,
since we cannot eliminate the negativity that surrounds us. The development of the human mind is the reason why we believe what we believe and why we act the way we act. Unfortunately when we were born, we did not get a user guide or instruction booklet with our brains. The human brain is nothing more then a computer fueled by the energy surges inside our bodies. The energy inside our bodies is our human spirit. It is what gives us our psychic awareness. The
proper way to use your mind is to keep it open to all things. If our minds are clouded by the opinions of others, we cannot fully develop.
Without a doubt, the human mind is the most dangerous living
organism on the planet Earth, for it can think up the vilest, depraved and monstrous cruelties known to man. It is our duty and responsibility to care for our minds and see to it that they are not allowed to stray into those dark areas that cause us to act on our negative emotions.
We are all made up of positive and negative energy, (the yin and the
yang.) One cannot exist without the other.
Negativity is the number one reason for keeping a closed mind and harboring feelings of hatred, anger, intolerance cruelty and violence.
The key to a positive attitude is the ability to Control your thoughts.
You can achieve this by becoming more psychically aware.
Do not let others opinions and your own life’s circumstances, rule your emotions and behavior.
Take control of your feelings in the here and now, before you say or do something that you will later regret.
By using your own free will, you can turn your negative emotions into positive reactions by choosing to over ride all negativity.
ALTER YOUR ATTITUDE and you can alter your life.
Through the convictions of your own mind, you can choose to react positive to a negative situation. Don’t react negatively to Mr. Neeson’s opinions.
It’s up to you to choose your emotions wisely and make certain before you speak and act that you are speaking and acting out of the emotions you CHOOSE rather then the emotions you immediately feel. Always choose emotions that will not be detrimental or bring harm to yourself and those around you. Once you convince your mind to be positive, you will start acting in positive ways.
Always over ride Anger, Hatred, Negativity, Cruelty and Violence with Consideration, Kindness, Compassion and Helpfulness. When you can not change your life’s circumstances, remember, you CAN always change how you react to them. The only way we can stop this cruelty is by acting intelligently and writing non argumentive letters to the people in authority without casting stones and name calling. This is the message we need to send people. It dose not matter whose opinion is in the right and whose opinion is in the wrong. What matters is rectifying the cruelty with acts of humanity.
Thanks for sharing, say, do you have a twitter to follow?
Been looking for this type of information. Everything I’ve read anywhere else hasn’t covered it very well, but your post did. Thanks…
Darn it
I just spent ages typing a long comment, but when I tried to submit it my browser hung.
Was it somehow saved or do I need to retype the whole thing?
Susan, does your family own stock in the carriage horse industry? Did you even look at the picture? What, was it doctored? Do you think it’s the only picture of its kind or are all the others doctored? I’m glad they’re not dependent on you for their happiness and safety.