In the past week I've been asked
several times for my opinion of the Scott Blasi video that was
secretly shot by a member of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals, in case you're not hep). As I grow older and hopefully
gain some wisdom with the years, I've made it my philosophy to
thoughtfully respond rather that react with a knee-jerk emotion, even
though initially, I did. I admit it. Here's a link to the video...I
warn you, it's not easy to watch. Forget about Blasi's
profanity...like it or not people, it's a lot of the culture. And
forget about the young woman who shot the video, she's a minor player.
I perused PETA's website. I wanted to
inform myself what they are all about, something they don't always
reciprocate toward their targets. Their mission is to bring attention to and end the perceived cruelty of factory farms, the clothing
industry, laboratory testing and the entertainment industry involving
the use of animals. There's also an extensive Wikipedia article which
appears non-biased. PETA freely admits to using guerrilla tactics
which they say is necessary to gain attention to animal abuses and
exploitation. Some of these tactics are extreme, even getting
themselves labeled as a terrorist threat by certain organizations.
The video is alarming, to put it
mildly. As a former race tracker of twenty-five plus years, I
recognize many of the practices and procedures illustrated. Most are
legal and therapeutic. However, it doesn't make a case for ethics or
what is humane. I was extremely upset and disturbed. I know what I
know. However, here's were I take issue as do most of my peers: the
supposedly seven hours of recording were sliced and cut down to nine
and a half minutes of what I can only deduce to be the worst and the most
damning in order to further PETA's overwrought campaign against horse
racing. This is where PETA fails.
The horse racing industry is made up of
some the hardest working people on the planet. The vast majority love
their horses, take exemplary care of them, and always put their
horse's needs first long before their own. Why else would someone
work seven days a week all day long for months on end at something
they didn't have an insane passion for? Of course there will always
be the abusers everywhere. Heck, there are many, many who shouldn't
have dogs and cats.
I'm not making excuses. I had to ask
myself: can PETA, who spends so much time, money and effort, often
putting themselves in harm's way in order to champion the cause of
animals be all that bad?
The talking heads of all the major
racing organizations are “gravely concerned” and “launching
investigations” into the matter portrayed in the video. Why does it
take something like this to institute badly needed change? I'm not an
executive, nor do I possess the business acumen but hello, the need
for nationwide, consistent rules and regulations and the consistent
enforcement of said rules has been requested by the horse
people themselves for a long, long time. Not only do
unscrupulous trainers exist, but also unscrupulous owners who in my
opinion should also bear responsibility and be called to task in
these situations.You know them, the ones who instruct their trainers to "win at all costs."
It's a great game when it's played
fairly,
Sharon
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