Teamster horse-carriage drivers are getting a reprieve from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who says he won't destroy their jobs (by banning horse carriages) until year end. Let's hope the mayor is adopting the tried-and-true political tactic of hoping something goes away -- that is, pressure from animal rights people.
The animal rights activists don't seem to notice the carriage horses are well cared for and -- according to horse lover Liam Neeson -- happy.
And as Guardian columnist Sadhbh Walshe puts it, the bigger picture is disturbing:
...there seems to be more concern for the rights of working horses than there is for the everyday exploitation and abuse endured by working people.She interviewed a young man holding a cumbersome advertising sign on the same New York streets deemed so dangerous for horses. He's paid less than minimum wage with no benefits or sick days. Walshe notes that he'd have his own protest movement if he were a horse.
Meanwhile, the New York Daily News is continuing to support our brothers and sisters with sympathetic news coverage and a petition drive. If you haven't yet, you can sign the petition here.
