THOUGHTS - Rise Above the Hate

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO CONTACT YOUR CONGRESS PERSONS!

And please do it more than once to emphasize the importance of this to be passed!

Go to www.senate.gov and www.house.gov and go to the upper right corner to find your Congress person.

Dear sound horse warriors and friends,

This is something that I posted on our Facebook group tonight, but I wanted to post it here to reach a wider audience.  I hope it helps put things in perspective for everyone and helps set the standard for saving the horse.

I just dealt with something this evening that is akin to Internet bullying because, as usual, I don't like the BL and am against soring.  As many of you already know, I get LOTS of Internet attacks because I'm trying hard to help end soring.  But tonight it got to me.  People found it necessary to attack me on a FB group that the moderator, who I know, created so people could bitch and complain all they want.  It's not TWH related--it's just a place for horse people to vent.  Various people were posting pictures and videos of people with horses and pointing out how bad they were treating their horses or what morons they were making themselves look like.  No one was attacking anyone else.  However, I post a picture and talk about it, and two of the people on the group attack me directly, and the moderator did nothing about it.  Fine.  If that person wants to run that page that way then whatever.  I left the group so I won't be tempted to post on there again.  (I had already left once for the same reason before but came back to try again...fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me! :) )

But you know what? I just ran across this video.

In this video, Jennifer said: "The internet has become a weapon...and this behavior is learned." We just witnessed this on FB, where the moderator of another FB group that supports the HPA violators continues to copy and repost posts we make on our FB group and invites folks to call us terrorists, fruitcakes, and all kinds of nasty names.  It seems the Internet has become a shield--people feel they can hide behind their monitor and spew hate all they want.  And yes, I've used that shield myself.  But you know what inspired me just now was that Jennifer showed us that we can rise above the hate.  She showed us that TOGETHER, we can stop this.

For every one person who loves the look of the sored horse, who cheers on HPA violators such as Jimmy McConnell, Chad Way, and Gary Edwards, there are 10 more who are disgusted by it and want to see it end.  WE MUST USE OUR VOICES TO STOP THIS. T he response to Jennifer's video has been overwhelming, and we need to see the same response to HR 6388 and to the sound horse community.  If you are sound: stop going to sore horse shows.  If you are REALLY For the sound horse and are in the BL community, DEMAND to SHOW, TWHBEA, PRIDE, whomever that they TRULY stop soring.  Don't let them just pussyfoot around and continue to make all of you look like helpless fools.  Don't let their lies be yours.  Storm their offices, bombard them with letters, MAKE THEM STOP IT BEFORE THE USDA DOES IT FOR YOU.  Tell them you want to see rules that will actually eliminate the sorers, such as lifetime bans after three strikes, things like that.  You WILL lose your precious BL if you don't make the trainers accountable for their actions.  And for all of us who want to see the FS and BF horse succeed and be the true strong side of the TWH, MAKE IT HAPPEN.  Put your money where your mouth is--join NWHA, FOSH, send in class sponsorships, host a garage sale to raise money for them, host a clinic in your area to raise money.

I challenge each and every one of you to do one thing this week: to make an effort that is more than just sitting behind a computer screen.  Pick up the phone and make a call to your Reps and Senators to ask for support for HR 6388. P ick up your checkbook and send in a $10 donation to FOSH or NWHA.  Heck, even a $5 donation is something.  Find a local SOUND gaited horse show--one that is not affiliated with anyone but FOSH or NWHA and that does not have heavy shod or BL horses in it--and volunteer to work the gate, pass out ribbons, or work the office.  We cannot allow these monsters to continue to win the battles with their money and lies.  Horse slaughter was made illegal in the US, which means we can see a REAL end to soring if we work hard at it.  I hope each of you will consider this challenge.  Feel free to comment on what you do, and let's take Jennifer's positive attitude and carry it with us!