Missouri Legislature Attacks Horse Activist

Now this is just juvenile. Missouri is going to vote on allowing horse slaughterhouses back into the State. An activist organized an appeal in which people from around the country and the world could contact the legislators in opposition to the bill. This is very common and occurs to local, state and federal representatives. People will often send communications to representatives for areas in which they don't live. The representative can choose or not choose to heed these communications (my husband used to work for the US Congress so I know.)

Well, apparently Missouri is better than everyone else. Some of the legislators started harassing the horse activist. Really mean tactics.

Shoss received calls at her home from offices in the Capitol, taunting her and making "neighing" voices into the phone. One caller sang a version of the theme song from "Mr. Ed." A number of the calls came late at night.

Some legislators programmed their e-mail systems to forward any message containing the word "horse" to Shoss. And some told the activist that they would consider passing the bill out of spite.

"I would think that some people who voted against it previously might change their vote," said Rep. Michael Frame, D-Eureka.

The response of elected officials has left the experienced activist dumbfounded. Even when her organization got involved in the high-profile animal abuse case of NFL quarterback Michael Vick, she had never seen such a vitriolic reaction.

The late-night, anonymous phone calls led Shoss to file a harassment complaint last week with the University City Police Department.

The calls stopped, she said, after the Post-Dispatch started asking lawmakers about them.