METRO NY - July 23, 2007 (two letters)
Regarding ‘Peta Wants Horses Off City Streets’ - The move to ban horse drawn
carriages has been around for years, drawing fuel from yearly, horrifying
accidents that occur. As far back as the early 1980's it was announced by the
City Council that they received more correspondence in favor of a ban than
correspondence having to do with any other issue. Yet, year after year, accident
after accident the ban is dismissed, ignored and even mocked by the powers that
be in NYC. The justification of abuse because it’s a tourist attraction is
ignorance at it's best, Tourists have expressed shock and horror at what these
horses have to endure on our streets and in the stables. The justification of it
because it’s romantic?!? I don't know what kind of desperado finds romance in
hideous living conditions for horses.
- Susan Davis
Regarding ‘Peta Wants Horses Off City Streets’ -
The City Council clearly needs to think seriously about whether to ban the
carriage industry in New York. Many major cities in OECD have done so (Paris,
Toronto, London) While horses have historically been an important mode of
transportation, they do not belong in New York City in 2007, both for our health
and theirs.
For our health, their presence is traffic is dangerous: a number of accidents
have occurred over the past year in which people were injured. As for their
health, the average working life of a New York City carriage horse is only four
years. They lead very hard lives.
This is a classic case of an industry that needs government intervention,
because horses are unable to advocate for themselves (unlike pedicab drivers for
example.) For this and other reasons, the only realistic option is to ban the
industry.
-Rebecca Hellerstein
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