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‘The Wild Horse Is Us’

 

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What explains America's strange relationship with the horse?
I think it's something very deep and primal. We love the wild but want to tame it. The lone survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn—that's how he was billed at the time, in 1876, on the country's bicentennial—was a horse named Comanche, described by the army as "our great silent witness" in his retirement citation. He had seen many terrible things and continued to do so, including the massacre at Wounded Knee, watching it from the pack train, even though he was no longer on active duty. And that's what these horses are. They are our witnesses. They've been on the front lines with us since day one; they know our deepest darkest secrets, and there's a part of us that can't take it.

What needs to be done?
I have a solution: The BLM keeps complaining about the "expense" of managing wild horses. Its annual budget of $39 million dollars is not much these days, but if money is really an issue for the agency, then the government should ask Americans to donate to the cause of preservation, and put a box at the end of IRS forms, just like they do with various other funds and even the presidential election, asking taxpayers to check off a box and the amount of the donation. It would raise hundreds of millions of dollars. After all, the wild horse is us.

Editor's Note: To read a response to this story from Wyoming Gov. David Freudenthal, click here.

© 2008

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Member Comments

  • Posted By: Baraka555 @ 07/18/2009 9:00:38 PM

    Why don't we move them to someplace where they can be used ? Seems a real waste that they just sit there.

  • Posted By: Life'- passion @ 05/03/2009 10:07:30 PM

    The wild horse is the one picture of freedom that we have left. The way the wild horse roams without a care in the world and runs forever showing whar real freedom is. America can not kill the one picture of freedom that we have. Killing the wild horse would kill so many hearts. I can not imagine an America without the wild horse. The way they helped America get to where we are today, there is no way killing them off is the answer to the problem. Horses are meant to be free and running wild not in some holding place where they will die anyway. Even the Indians knew the power of the wild horse and how the spirit of the horse was as powerful as any spirit. The wild horse reflects what so many hearts and spiriits hold inside and to kill that would be to take away a part of the spirit of the people. We need to stand together as Americans and say No to killing these animals. Their spirit and freedom will live in forever inside of us all as they remain free and running wild!! Wake up America!! Thier is more than just jobs to worry about; how about putting some passion back into what we really feel and the wild horse is a symbol to be highly reveared!! We must save them before it is too late!!!

  • Posted By: runningfree4ever @ 12/09/2008 9:50:22 AM

    killing these animals would be wrong beyond all reasion. these horses have been here longer than any humans and we were imposing onto their land! Taking away their homes for our "needs." Not seeing wild mustangs running free across the barren plains of the west is as un-American as not playing base ball or not saying the Pledeg of Alegiance. As Americans say, "No" to the slaughtering of these amazing and beautiful wild horses.

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