I want to mention a few points about the upcoming round-up of wild horses scheduled for Jan. 20.
1. Wild mustangs are peaceful, innocent, beautiful and free. They are our treasured heritage.
2. They have survived the ravages of nature and the harsh desert for hundreds of years.
3. It is we [mankind] that are in the act of killing them off when we should be protecting them.
4. Some 86 percent of Nevada territory is public land. Ranchers and cattle should not have a monopoly on its use.
5. Cattle overpopulate this land not horses.
6. Cattle overgraze and pollute streams not horses,
7. Cattle are protected. Horses are not.
8. Horses are hunted, trapped, herded by helicopter and abused by various means.
9. The B.L.M. says "We don't make the laws but it is our job to inforce them" That's as much as saying "We take no responsibility for our actions"
10. The "contractors" who do the round-ups will give you the same response. So will any executioner!
11. The B.L.M. does not just manage the herds. It is involved in systematic eradication.
12. This amounts to genocide of a rare and treasured species.
13. The B.L.M. does this using your tax dollars. Does it have your permission?
14. Wild horses have no voice to defend themselves, so it is up to us.
15. Public relations people know that for every person who speaks out about a thousand remain silent but have similar opinions. Your voice really counts.
16. If a government body decided to carry out the eradication of the zebra or giraffe in Africa there would be an immediate world-wide uproar.
17. What should we tell our great-grandkids when they ask us "What became of the wild horses?"
As can be seen, the majority of facts favor the wild mustangs. We should exercise reason and compassion by giving them the chance to survive.
I do not like describing a problem without suggesting a possible solution. I have one ... I propose that we designate the wild mustangs an endangered species and that we protect them as a national treasure like our bald eagle.
Dan O'Connor
Lovelock[[In-content Ad]]
