I grow a few beef on my 80 acres. I feed them no supplements, no grain, steroids, or anything but the thigh-high subirrigated pasture they are raised on, they come out fat and healthy and sell pretty well to folks who don't want feedlot pot-luck. Over the years I have had a few get sick and croak for one reason or another. I let the coyotes eat them and have never even contemplated a hurry up butcher job - I mean, just the thought of it is pretty disgusting to me. I would have absolutely no problem with legislation prohibiting the slaughter for human consumption of "downer" cows.

By the way, that Mabton mad cow came from Alberta, Canada - yep, the place where the Canadian mad cow was identified that caused the import restriction on Canadian beef. Guess nobody bothered to stop importing Canadian beef on the hoof, eh? Government=Stupid once again