A horse is a horse is a horse of course
I'm cranky and heartless. I didn't care about Barbaro before or after he broke his leg. I certainly don't wish an animal to suffer so I would have rather seen Barbaro recover from his injury than be put down but let's get real - it's just a horse. The public sympathy and attention to this story is really mindblowing. Today's New York Times has a long article about Barbaro's brother (to be named later) who may race in the future. Great. Maybe after all the training he'll be able to run at 30 miles per hour around an oval track and if he takes one wrong step they'll blow his brains out too.
On the op-ed page, "Why We Mourn Barbaro" took up space that could have been used to inform people about things they need informing about. Pardon me that I'm not mourning Barbaro. I'm not happy he got injured or happy he was put to sleep but I'm not sad about it either. Sorry, but I'm not mourning Barbaro. He got better medical care than 90% of the people in this nation. Maybe we should be talking about that. Millionaires breeding animals to end up with pencil-thin legs and racecar bodies and then running them at full speed in circles, risking theirs lives to do so, isn't something I'm going to invest my time, money or emotions. Maybe Barbaro should have been giving horsey rides to the kids then we wouldn't have to "mourn" him. At least there haven't been teddy bears and flowers left for him in some makeshift memorial.
So let's review. I'm not happy or sad Barbaro died. I just don't care. He was the toy of bored millionaires who knew the risks to the horse that Barbaro didn't - that one twisted ankle at top speed means you're dead. And now we're already scoping out his brother and soon to be arriving second brother. Maybe they can entertain the horse owners and gamblers and if they're lucky they might not get injured and die. Sounds like something that deserves this outporing of grief and plantiff wails of "Why Barbaro? Why?"
So go ahead mourn for Barbaro. We care so much about celebrity people I guess celebrity horses isn't so much of a stretch. If only Robert Kennedy were around today to give the eulogy for Barbaro. It might have sounded something like this, "Some men see things as they are and ask why? I dream thing that never were and ask why not? Why didn't Barbaro live so that he could have had his own reality show. Think of all the endorsements he could have had. And a Barbaro-Jennifer Aniston match-up? Barn-ifer would have given people hope that dreams really can come true for people and equines alike. Alas. It was not to be. Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-brow'd night, Give me my Barbaro; and, when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun. Sleep well Barbaro."
On the op-ed page, "Why We Mourn Barbaro" took up space that could have been used to inform people about things they need informing about. Pardon me that I'm not mourning Barbaro. I'm not happy he got injured or happy he was put to sleep but I'm not sad about it either. Sorry, but I'm not mourning Barbaro. He got better medical care than 90% of the people in this nation. Maybe we should be talking about that. Millionaires breeding animals to end up with pencil-thin legs and racecar bodies and then running them at full speed in circles, risking theirs lives to do so, isn't something I'm going to invest my time, money or emotions. Maybe Barbaro should have been giving horsey rides to the kids then we wouldn't have to "mourn" him. At least there haven't been teddy bears and flowers left for him in some makeshift memorial.
So let's review. I'm not happy or sad Barbaro died. I just don't care. He was the toy of bored millionaires who knew the risks to the horse that Barbaro didn't - that one twisted ankle at top speed means you're dead. And now we're already scoping out his brother and soon to be arriving second brother. Maybe they can entertain the horse owners and gamblers and if they're lucky they might not get injured and die. Sounds like something that deserves this outporing of grief and plantiff wails of "Why Barbaro? Why?"
So go ahead mourn for Barbaro. We care so much about celebrity people I guess celebrity horses isn't so much of a stretch. If only Robert Kennedy were around today to give the eulogy for Barbaro. It might have sounded something like this, "Some men see things as they are and ask why? I dream thing that never were and ask why not? Why didn't Barbaro live so that he could have had his own reality show. Think of all the endorsements he could have had. And a Barbaro-Jennifer Aniston match-up? Barn-ifer would have given people hope that dreams really can come true for people and equines alike. Alas. It was not to be. Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-brow'd night, Give me my Barbaro; and, when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun. Sleep well Barbaro."
posted by Crankyboy at 1:17 PM
11 Comments:
Actually I liked Mr. Ed a lot better.
bravo
The dem's take over congress and you lose all of your fight? Come on - get back on your saddle and off the frigging horse stories.
test
I'm indifferent to your indifference.
You ARE cranky today! Surely you can understand the mourning of Barbaro if you really think about it. The throngs of people who are prepared to be devasted if the Chicago Bears lose on Sunday (or elated if they win), are reacting to the result of a game played by millionares who are owned and managed by companies that make millions more thanks to shameless promotion of logos and such. Deploring the demise of a beautiful animal and discussing it as a cultural phenomenon is neither surprising nor strange. In fact, the next time you regret the loss of the Cubs or whoever, remember your own words. (by the way, one article in the NY Times, compared to a very thick section in every paper on every day devoted to the vicissitudes of professional athletics is far more irrational and irrelevant in the larger scheme of things). You need a stiff drink, my friend. You devoted your space, which a lot of us visit regularly to read your wit and insight on pertinent issues like healthcare and political crime, spent today's few minutes time, reading about an issue you think shouldn't be dwelt upon at all. Does that make sense? This might have been something you could have legitimately ignored, instead of piling on to the pile you complain shouldn't exist. Seems unlike you in terms of consistency. :)-
I treid to ignore it but the coverage is everywhere. It's like Gandi died or something. Now they're touting his horse brother and brother in utero. I was going to avoid it because I dodn't want to animal lovers with tears in their eyes flaming my blog but a story in the Times and on MSNBC as well as a "Why we Mourn Barbaro" opinion piece set me off. I'm going to ignore it now.
Cranky,
I hope you didn't perceive my comment as a "flame." I just happened to disagree with you on this, which, by the way, is very unusual. We're normally on a suprisingly consistent wave-length, so I spouted. But it's a disagreement of opinions, not a flame, or intent to disparage you at all, my friend. ;-)
d.k. you're a beacon of light not a flame.
never, ever trust someone who hates animals...
...especially someone who is cranky.
Post a Comment
<< Home