Scratching My Head

I'm going to do my best to refrain from discussing politics on this blog as Lord knows we get enough of that on CNN, Fox News, etc. right now. Since the following bill really upsets me and the realization of the hypocrisy involved in Congress, I couldn't resist. Hopefully this post will stay as politically neutral as possible.

I doubt many of you know that currently in the U.S. House Judiciary Committee is H.R. 6598. Subtlety entitled "Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008," it's one of those feel good, PETA and U.S. Humane Society approved pieces of legislation. What's not mentioned is that it will make it a crime to sell horses to slaughter in Canada and Mexico due to the groups succeeding a few years ago in making it illegal to slaughter horses in this country. Or that it will really increase cruelty (as happened with the slaughter ban) because of owners not being able to provide for their horses (through costly euthanasia or costly feed). As an aside, a good number of horse shelters are filled to the gills due to persons not being able to care for their horses.

I decided I would do my civic duty and email all the representatives on the House Judiciary Committee asking them to shoot down this farcical piece of non-sense. I immediately started emailing those representatives whose email were hyperlinked at the website below. Then I started looking at the individual pages to contact all the other representatives. However, most representatives would not allow you to contact them by email if you were not from their district. Now, I could have called, but emailing is much easier and convenient for me.

What left me scratching my head was the realization that while I am barred from contacting representatives outside of my district, groups like PETA, the Humane Society, and the American Farm Bureau to name a few do not face this same problem. These groups are allowed personal meetings with elected officials to curry favor and press their agendas despite the fact that Pamela Anderson likely doesn't reside in Speaker Pelosi's district for example. Now, how exactly is that what the founding fathers intended?

I want to believe some of these groups do respect the intent and send persons from a representative's district. But in age when we have Jack Abramoff and other persons of his ilk, I feel fairly certain the groups who send a professional lobbyist are far in the majority. I know that at least two of the four universities I have been associated with over the years have hired lobbyists in D.C. trying to increase the money for that institution. And the only connection that lobbyist likely has with the school is the money (likely a 1/3 came from the taxpayer) being paid to him/her.

The names of all the reps may be found by clicking here, if you are so inclined to tell Congress to show some restraint and common sense.