Attn BYC! Heard of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)?

[Reinbeau]

Bubba, I feel your frustration and agree with it, but I have to say one thing: Capitalism is what made America great. What's wrong today isn't capitalism, it's unbridled greed, it's the need to have all of the money, all of the time. It's making money any way you can, rules don't matter, nor do ethics. All that counts is who ends up with the most cash. That isn't capitalism. It's pure greed. Business has completely lost its ethics, to the point where now they're losing money, so they have to step on our necks to stay at the top. Is it hopeless? With the current crop of 'leaders' we have I believe it is. Unless someone comes along that we can all respect and who is truly willing to lead (and not turn a blind eye to the unethical practices rampant all around us) then I do believe it is hopeless. I wonder where we'll all be 20 years from now - I don't think it will be the America we all hoped it would be

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

Quote:
When Charlton Heston died the other day I thought that was the end of my hero's, thanks for stepping up to bat.

 

[speckledhen]

You give me way too much credit, Settin Pretty. There are many who feel the same way I do. It just happens to be something I do feel very strongly about and I wont back down on this issue. Reinbeau, I do hope we still have our country in 20 years, but I am afraid that unless we do have a revolution, it will not be recognizable.
One of my favorite quotes is from a very wise man, Benjamin Franklin. It has been quoted in slightly altered states, but here it is and it seems to apply here:

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety​

 

[Reinbeau]

Cynthia, you and I are on the same page, that is one of my favorite quotes, too.

I also feel passionately about this, because it affects the food we eat. All of us (even vegetarians are in danger here). It's all tied into the food we eat, the animals who become food, the plants, the bees, it's all tied together by an overwhelming factory food system that's designed to #1 make money by any means possible and #2 remove the ability of an individual to feed themselves and their family without going through the #1 system. It makes me crazy to see anyone defending that system, all their doing is protecting their own wallets at any cost.

So far Massachusetts hasn't done much with NAIS, probably because so much of our farmland has been lost to McMansions. The boutique farms that survive do so by the skin of their teeth with property taxes and the general cost of living being so high. That doesn't mean we can be complacent and ignore the situation. All of us need to fight this, educate those around you, get them onboard, and haunt our representatives and senators. The incremental removal of rights, one by one, is slowly robbing all Americans of their freedom. Unfortunately it looks as though the rights will all be gone before the masses wake up and actually see.

 

[ksacres]

The true purpose of NAIS is to open the foreign market for big producers *and* to run the small producers (read: mom & pop, backyard) out.

All this concealed behind a facade of American "security in foodsource." Our food source IS secure USDA already does a wonderful job of inspecting all food before it hits the shelves.

OF COURSE this is backed by large producers like Tyson! Hello MONOPOLY!

Wouldn't the estimated 2 BILLION dollars it will take to implement this outrageous system be better spent elsewhere? Mind you, that's just the starting cost, not the maintanence costs, AND it's only an estimate...

Who do you think will pay for it? The small homesteaders, one way or another. Either in higher prices at the market-funneled down from the producers that have to pay, or in fees for being involved in the program.

This will not be a "free" program, it will cost $$ for every tag, every form filed, every time an inspector comes out it will cost YOU money.

Yep, I pi**ed off one of my professors with my take on NAIS, because she was for it and I was against it. She had the AUDACITY to tell the other students that it wasn't something they needed to think about becuase it's still years away in terms of being mandatory. And they call this person ad educator???? There's a hurricane developing off the coast, but don't prepare because it won't be here for at least three hours...

Ok, off my NAIS soapbox now.

 

[Cassandra]

As promised, here are the news links reporting incidents of NAIS identification being required.

The following links refer to Colorado:

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20071202/NEWS/112020083

http://www.dailyyonder.com/speak-your-piece-government-requires-children-play-tag

This link refers to Illiniois:

http://www.agr.state.il.us/isf/press/p0710311.html

These are the results of this "harmless," "voluntary" program.

I would like to thank the lady on whose blog I originally read these reports. She was kind enough to dig up the links for me. I am posting a link to her blog here. I don't think she can remotely be considered a competitor to this site. She blogs about homestead farming.

http://a-homesteading-neophyte.blogspot.com/

Thanks,
Cassandra

 

[poltroon]

Quote:
I don't think anyone has said chickens have to be microchipped.

Chickens have to be banded.

Horses have to be microchipped.

I'm not registering. If it means that my daughter can't stay in 4-H, so be it.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

And if anyone is wondering "How in the world are they going to know that I have chicken if I don't tell them"? Well Google Earth. Or what ever sattelite source the Govt' uses.

If you don't think this is possible, think again. My brother call me from out of state, and was telling me what was in my yard. I bout freaked out. This is the beginning of the end. Get prepared and God bless.

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

Quote:
Sounds like another reason to cover your run with shade cloth

 

[Acre of Blessings]

I would do that but, on the hill we live on it would look like Mary Peepins flying through the air with some of the wind gust we get here.