Overreaction 101: PETA

Look, I like horses. You like horses too, somewhere down deep in the depths of your soul. They're beautiful animals, full of strength, and yet graceful and sleek. They're also pretty fast, and for that reason, and because too many people in this country are compulsive gamblers, horse racing is a pretty big deal. That brings us to what happened this past weekend at the Kentucky Derby. If you've been hiding under a rock, and don't know I'm talking about, read this.

Now, that's tragic stuff... but not as tragic as PETA's response, which you can find here.

For fun, let's break this down, shall we?

"Just after crossing the finish line in the Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2008, a young filly named Eight Belles collapsed when both of her front ankles snapped. She was euthanized in the dirt where she lay, the latest victim of the dirty business of thoroughbred racing."

Good Lord. You know what I like about PETA? They're never overdramatic.

But for the sake of argument, let's take this logic at face value and try to ignore the sentimentality. According to PETA, Eight Belles is a victim, not of bad luck, but of the 'dirty business of thoroughbred racing.' I can't wait for them to explain...

"Eight Belles' death is yet another reminder that these horses are raced when they are so young that their bones have not properly formed, and they are often raced on surfaces that are too hard for their bones—like the hard track at Churchill Downs. Eight Belles' jockey whipped her mercilessly as she came down the final stretch. This is no great surprise, since trainers, owners, and jockeys are all driven by the desire to make money, leaving the horses to suffer terribly."

Blech. Seriously, what kind of schlock is this? Where is the evidence that these horses' bones aren't properly formed? What about evidence that the tracks are too hard? Any evidence? No? Nothing? What do we have then?

Oh yeah, I forgot... more overdramatic word choice intended to stir up people's emotions. Take 'mercilessly,' for instance... really, PETA? Eight Belles' jockey is about 3'7'' and weighs about 42 pounds, and he is causing this giant animal enormous amounts of suffering?

And by the way, these horses 'suffer' so 'terribly' that they receive better medical care than at least half the children on this planet, and they never go hungry, and they never sleep out in the cold, or suffer from terrible heat. I'd say getting whipped for a minute or two once a week is an ok price to pay for that treatment. But back to PETA...

"PETA is calling on the racing industry to suspend the jockey and trainer, to bar the owner from racing at the track, and, at the very least, to stop using young horses who are so susceptible to these types of horrific injuries. We're also demanding that the industry stop racing horses on hard tracks and switch to softer, synthetic surfaces, which would spare horses' bones and joints, in addition to calling for a permanent ban on the use of whips. Help PETA call for an end to cruelty masquerading as sport by using the form below to take action today."

Where to begin?? First of all, PETA's call to suspend the jockey, trainer, and owner are ludicrous. They made the decision to euthanize the horse because it couldn't walk, and would never walk again. How is that a bad decision?? Isn't it better to end the horse's suffering quickly? Isn't PETA lamenting the 'suffering' that Eight Belles went through while being whipped 'mercilessly?' Isn't having both legs broken going to cause more suffering than being momentarily whipped?

Now, in case you missed it, PETA does make a good suggestion in the middle of this inane blather. The switch to softer surfaces would be a good idea... I really see no downside to that. But banning the use of whips?? I'm sorry, but that screams overreaction... but hey, that's PETA's specialty!

And now, they end with a bang:

"Although Eight Belles' death, like Barbaro's before hers, made headlines, countless lesser-known horses suffer similar fates—their broken legs and battered bodies are simply hidden from public view. Most racehorses end up broken down or cast off or are sent to Europe for slaughter."

Whoa... proof?  Anything?  No?  Good job PETA, you've managed to inflame, encite, and annoy all at the same time, and you did it without a shred of logic or evidence. Give yourselves a pat on the back... just make sure you don't kill a fly while doing it.