The Halls of Congress Are Long and Winding

Another day, another opportunity to convince the lawmakers of this country that slaughtering horses is just plain wrong. That is the mindset of the 100 plus members of Americans Against Horse Slaughter that have descended on Washington DC these past two days to make their points in one on one meetings with those in positions to make a difference.

Last night at a reception hosted by Alex Brown, I heard remarks from some of the leaders of this organization and what a remarkable, inspirational group they are. Paula Bacon spoke of the last slaughter plant in America in Kauffman Texas now "flapping in the wind." Nancy Perry the lobbyist for the Humane Society of the United States told stories of the "Miracle Horses," those horses who were inside that plant when it actually closed and whom the Humane Society rescued. John Hollander, journalist who wrote a book about horse slaughter, is adopting one of those horses, named Sweet Pea.

And so went the connections among this group of dedicated warriors who draw strength from each other. They are tired, they are all here on their own dimes and as Liz Ross from the Animal Welfare Institute said, they yearn for the day when they all go out of business. But until then, rest assured they are not going away.

Here's another tip I learned yesterday. If you are ever wandering the halls of Congress and suddenly find yourself in dire need of a Diet Coke, head straight for the offices of Georgia's representatives. As I found out yesterday when I saw cases of Coke an Diet coke go wheeling by, Georgia's reps have an endless supply of each and yes, they share, if you ask nicely.

I also paid a visit to the offices of the AVMA yesterday for the other side of the story but more about that tomorrow. Now, I am heading to meeting with Ed Whitfield, Representative from Kentucky who is a champion of the anti-slaughter legislation.