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Federal programs like NAIS restricts American freedoms
Dear Editor:
What is it? The National Animal Identification Sys-tem is another attempt by our government, agribusiness and tech companies to take more power away from the American family and ranchers.
This organization in connection with the USDA is planning to tag or register the livestock in this country in hopes of protecting us from terrorists intentionally infecting our food supply and from things like avian flu, mad cow disease and whatever else they can think up.
What does this mean for us as individuals? You will have to register your name, address, telephone numbers and GPS (Global Positioning Satellite coordinates) with the government. All your livestock, fish, fowl, cow, hog, sheep, pigeon, buffalo, who knows maybe even eggs will have to be registered with the government so they can be tracked by satellite. This includes the rancher, the 4-H'er, the FFA'er and even grandma that has even one hen in the back yard for eggs.
Who pays for this, you do! Whether it's registering your livestock, raising a calf for 4-H or buying your meat at the local market, you will pay for this one way or another. Grocery stores and local meat markets will see an increase in cost and pass it on to you. Can you imagine having to remove a microchip from your hamburger before you eat it or peeling a security sticker off of your egg before you cook it? Big brother is watching! And if you don't comply you better be good at being a veterinarian because your local vet will be required to report you to the government for non-compliance! Makes you want to become a vegetarian if this were to come to pass but then again I'm sure they will find a way to govern that too.
I am a red-blooded, meat eating American and I don't want everyone to know I ate a hamburger that came from John Doe's ranch up in Iowa or that I slaughtered my own bull for meat. It's none of their business! Don't get me wrong, I'm all for protecting our country, but not at the expense of our freedom. I have bitten the bullet on several invasions of privacy in order to protect the whole but allowing the government to come on my land and tell me I have to put a microchip in one of my hens that I get eggs from because they have to track it, I've had enough.
The target date for this is January 2009 or sooner if they can continue to push this through but there is still time to stop this. Call, e-mail, or write your congressman and governor to protest it. You can usually find their addresses and phone numbers in your local newspaper or on the web at www.house.gov or www.senate.gov or www. lib.umich.edu/govdocs/govemail.html.
Don't let our government cancel your freedoms with programs like NAIS.
Sincerely,
Susan Mead
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