Legal Defense Fund---for farmers

A while back---at least a year ago but I think longer---I spoke with a lady that was part of a group trying to start a legal defense fund for farmers. The premise is similar to the home school defense fund in that money is pooled by yearly or monthly dues to help each member in case of need. Need being defined by harassment or actually suing by local, state or federal governments.
In both homeschooling and farming---"needs" seem to arise frequently. Going against the grain in society seems to create a certain amount of unease in those that are not---and they feel the need to punish people for being different.
Or if you just want to go completely conspiracy theory---then big business tries to monopolize us and force us into going out of business so we won't get a portion of or cut into their profits.
Anyway....we were interested and told them to contact us when they got their group up and running. And at one point we did get an email or something from them but at the time I must have had other things happening and it disappeared (probably into the trash bin of my email).
Today though as I strolled over to read Phelan's most recent post she pointed out something Caroline had told her about this group now suing the state of Michigan and the US government over National Animal Identification System.
Well lo and behold if it isn't the same group---now up and running and doing good deeds.
The group is called the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund. They have both farmers and consumers as members and also take donations. The monthly/quarterly dues are not terribly high considering what good they may be able to do with them.
Wondering why a consumer might need to join?
Well if you just start with NAIS and then the stories of people losing their cow shares when the governments "attack" dairy farmers well...you have two good examples right there and unfortunately I am sure there are more.
So...even if you don't join or donate keep up with their site with their action alerts and maybe pass it along to a local farmer or another consumer if you can.

A comment that I must discuss

This comment was left for me in regards to yesterday's post on the DNA law and I just had to share it with all of you. Normally I don't do this but.....How could I resist this one :-D


This is voluntary. There's been discussion about this on other bb's and it's voluntary
to have these tests run.

Check out marchofdimes.com They are overjoyed this passed. The article posted is an alarmist/extremist article so don't panic - yet. :)

Actually Anonymous:

I looked on the government site and had a bit of trouble finding that particular statement for it being voluntary. But we'll leave that up in the air ---even though a number of people that are fighting it are saying there is not a voluntary statement attached to it. I agree---we should only believe what we read with our own eyes.
Also, I think voluntary is open to interpretation---it was suppose to be voluntary in Minnesota. Being in NAIS is suppose to be voluntary ----but how come so many of us are in there without are express approval?? I have thrown away my Nais form 3 times---never sent it in. Yet at one time my farm WAS registered.
Here is a fine link to what a Dr. and Congressman Ron Paul had to say---it hits on Constitutional reasons which is one of the best reasons to be against this bill after all.

Also consider Minnesota's state program which tested over 42,000 children WITHOUT parental permission by THEIR admission--and they are working on changing the law so they will have mandatory permission and no one will get in trouble for previously testing outside the "law". It has already passed in the state house and senate and is awaiting the Governor's signature. He has already said he is for this law. You can see who voted for and against the Minnesota state program here. They have some PDF files and links with video for who voted how and their reasons why. Previously the Minnesota law required written informed consent (which our government law does not state) prior to the collection, storage, use, or dissemination of private genetic information by government and others. Specifically, the law stated that genetic information could only be collected and used with written informed consent; it may be stored only for as long as the person consents; and it may only be shared with others, including researchers and pharmaceutical companies, with written consent. The consent to allow sharing for specific purposes expires in a year and must be signed and dated. However---it was not followed and was abused. And to this day NO ONE has been punished for it.
This new legislation would allow the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to exempt the collection, storage, use and sharing of newborn DNA from the informed consent requirements of the genetic privacy law. Without informed consent, MDH would be allowed to contract with hospitals statewide to prick the heel of newborns, use and analyze the baby's DNA into adulthood, and give the DNA-filled blood spots to researchers and others.

Do you absolutely believe that never ever will their be a person in the government that through political threat of job loss (just one way it could happen) might not do this very same thing?? Hahahaha ----you lie to yourself about human nature. Not that I feel every one is waiting to be bad but "absolute power corrupts absolutely" I know that even about myself. Which is why I don't trust "vagueness" in laws. Being "vague" leaves everything open to some one else's interpretation. If there is nothing else I have learned by living in different places in the southern bible belt is that interruption can take many many forms. Many of them are whack and way out there---and all this from "normal" people that vote.

If this legislation passes, the informed consent protections of today's genetic privacy law will not protect any baby born after July 1, 1997 -- the day health officials began building a government "DNA warehouse" for the purpose of genetic research. On that day, without legal authority or parental consent, MDH began keeping baby blood and storing it indefinitely.


Furthermore, few citizens are aware of the 1980 decision of the Supreme Court making it legal to essentially patent "life" in the form of genetic codes, bacteria and genetically modified animals.
In June of 1980, the Supreme Court held, by a 5 to 4 majority, that living organisms could be patented.
As another example, in 1976 a leukemia patient named John Moore had surgery at the University of California to remove his cancerous spleen. The University was later granted a patent for a cell line called “Mo,” removed from the spleen, which could be used for producing valuable proteins. The long term commercial value of the cell line was estimated at over one billion dollars. Mr. Moore demanded the return of the cells and control over his body parts, but the California Supreme Court decided that he was not entitled to any rights to his own cells after they had been removed from his body.


Don't fool yourself----things like this can be abused and it's funny how people who don't want these types of laws are always told to "calm down" it's nothing to worry about. While everyone else sits on the sidelines and says "it's for a good cause NO ONE would EVER abuse it". Or they say "well, I could see how it MIGHT be abused but it's for such a good cause!"
hahahaha---that's what always gets me---people always think politicians are the best when their trying to "save" or help us---but we gripe about them being corrupt the rest of the time.
All it takes is one Karl Rove type character in the right place and WOW-- you got what you didn't ask for. Not to bash Karl Rove---but he manipulated a lot of things (all not completely proven but the evidence is overwhelming that he had a hand in many things) and yet to this day.....No punishments. He wasn't even the President.

Lastly to comment on the thoughts of others that we, as a democracy, should just blow this law out of the water.
Well I have some problems with that:
1) I watch main stream media, listen to NPR and "surf the web" every day for news and I NEVER heard of it until now. Why is that?????? Doesn't seem like our news outlets are being very helpful.
How can I vote for or against something if I have no clue it was up for grabs??

2)Sometimes I am a minority anyways (yes, I know---a problem but then I would still rather have a democracy). My problem with the minority factor though is this: A family member very close to me once said these words to me "Yes, I would give up some of my freedom and allow the government to track me if it would insure the safety of my grandchildren from danger from terrorists and other people wanting to do harm" What the F$%@ !!! I absolutely DON"T believe in that-----but many many people do. Now just interject "give up my freedom so that they can study diseases no matter how they may use the information later----I want my grandchildren to live".
When do you draw the line between safety/security and freedom??

On another blog about environmental issues they asked the question that fits here somewhat: What are you able to give up and what are you WILLING to give up? How about you?

Fear mongering?----and your saying I am buying it the other way. Hahahaha.
All I see is that you bought the opposite side of the "fear spectrum" from me. At least I want you to have your freedom and my fear imposes NOTHING on you-----you don't care if some government official eventually uses my DNA or my kids or grandkids for something maybe good but maybe bad. You can still have the testing---I can't choose not to.
Won't matter----because people are giving away my choice for the short term solution. Without me being able to say no or even yeah---I didn't get to vote on it.
At least my choice creates absolutely no problem for anyone else---we all still have freedom. The other choice---is no choice. Someone else gets to make it for me. Essentially.....My grandchildren will eventually be much less free than our founding Father's hoped for. Total Bummer.

Good Luck with that anonymous---hope you are as free as you ever hoped to be.

P.S---added later after more thought.

Historically people bring up the Nazis when talking about topics like this, however I say why go back so darn far? Let's look at some other places more recently where just the color of your skin or your religious orientations created issues for you to be exterminated: Cambodia in the 70's with Pol Pot. Rwanda in the 90's, Bosnia in the 90's, Darfur---currently occurring. (or as one commenter reminded me---The black sharecroppers of Tuskegee and our governments 40 year experiment on them and syphilis. Now THAT actually fits with this issue) All this without even using DNA. Yes, those countries where supposedly not as Democratic as ours---but what about the thought that this type of law just allows us to go with LESS kicking and screaming. Why chase the sheep when you can trick them into the barn with some grain?

Also the question of does this law violate the Nuremberg Code comes up. Depending on how it is eventually used---it could.
Here is the starting part of the code:
The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. This means that the person involved should have legal capacity to give consent; should be so situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, overreaching, or other ulterior form of constraint or coercion; and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision.
Does signing a card while your being wheeled into labor while having strong contractions mean you are giving consent without being incorrectly "situated" as the code states? Or maybe while Dad is trying to hurry and fill out paper work and sign things to get back in the room as fast as he can---does that count? All things to consider. (Wondering about the code---see it here)

These are all things to consider. Laws like this are never "cut and dried". They have far reaching consequences and MUST have protections written into them. Is it a bad idea---no. Not on the surface anyway. However it's not the top of the pond that worries me---it's how deep it is when I jump in and how far I have to swim to get back to safety.

Foot and mouth disease

Again I have to ask the question: What the heck is the government thinking??
I suggest, even if you don't raise animals, that you read these two articles about the governments proposal for a new lab to research (among other things) Foot and Mouth disease. The difference here is the the "old" lab is located in a non (or at least reduced) livestock area. The new areas for consideration are located right in the heart of commercial livestock areas. Hence---if an accidental escape of the disease occurred as it did in England a few years back---we could see a mass depopulation of livestock. Both commercially and privately owned. The article mentions scenarios played out by officials to see how bad it would be if this occurred. What happened in their scenario? Why food shortages and large riots.
How about them apples?

Dangerous animal virus on U.S mainland?

and

Texas may be home to new foot and mouth lab

Public Comment needed----especially in Tennessee

Today I noticed as the "ticker" thing scrolled at the bottom of CNN that there is a company that plans to bring nuclear waste from ITALY and then process it not far from my family in Tennessee before shipping it to Utah to be buried.

Now I say---What the Hell?!?!
I personally am against building more nuclear power plants and I am absolutely against bringing in nuclear waste from OTHER COUNTRIES (for heaven's sake!)

So I did a bit of research and sure enough---they've known since last year. Of course they aren't making it widely available as only some smaller newspapers have picked it up previous to CNN it looks like. Here is one out of Tennessee:
Herald Citizen Online
And here is a small piece of article from the Jackson Hole newspaper:

The company would bring waste through the ports of Charleston, S.C., or New Orleans. It would be 1 million cubic feet, mostly paper, plastic, wood, metal and ion-exchange resins from nuclear plants.

The waste would be processed, burned and recycled at an EnergySolutions plant in Oak Ridge, formerly owned by Durateck, about 25 miles west of Knoxville.

It's estimated about 8 percent, or less than 1,600 tons, would be sent to the EnergySolutions landfill in Clive, Utah.

Anyway it looks as if the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is taking public comment until March 12th (The agency published a notice in the Federal Register on Monday. It is allowing 30 days for people to seek a hearing or request to become an intervener on the plan from Utah-based EnergySolutions Inc. ) which is NOT long from now. Please help people like me who will live close and also those directly affected living in TN and Utah and contact the NRC to tell them that you disagree with this!
Here's a link to the NRC and I will tell you right off it is not easy to find your way around. I couldn't find anything directly with this petition. However I did find their "rule" page for public comment here. I know it's not easy---but please ....