Horse-drawn carriages have been a New York City icon for a
long time. But are they moral? Carriage drivers say their horses live good
lives, but the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and others disagree. Though this issue has been
raised before, it has gained a lot of attention recently due to Mayor Bill De
Blasio vowing to banish the horse-drawn carriages. I learned the details of the
debate in the article Who Speaks For Carriage Horses? By Liz Robbins in
the New York Times.
The article represents both sides, however the author
doesn't share her opinion. People opposed to horse-drawn carriages said that the horses live in "confinement" and “are surrounded by
buses, cabs and traffic.” These are dangerous working conditions for horses, animals that are easily spooked. People in favor of horse-drawn carriages argue that the horses are well cared for and cite an inspection as proof. They also bring up the
point that many people will lose their jobs if horse-drawn carriages are
banned.
The author includes a lot of quotes to equally represent
both sides of the debate. She shares others’ opinions, but never her own. By
doing this, she leaves room for the reader to choose a side without being pushed
in any direction. The author also uses many small paragraphs, switching back
and forth between sides. She does this to keep the reader interested and helps
the reader choose a side.
Before reading this article, I was positive I was against horse-drawn carriages. Though that is still my opinion, this article really made me think through my reasoning as I considered both sides of the argument. I had never really pondered the negative effects of banning the carriages, such as job loss, until I read this article. In my opinion, horse-drawn carriages should be
banned as horses are injured and
are not being treated fairly, which is their right. I hope that Mayor De Blasio, with the support of his constituents, will
be able to ban the horse-drawn carriages.
