Here is a letter im working on to send to my reps. Please feel free to copy it if you want. For those of you who dont know what it is...please take a min. and read my letter.
I am writing in my strong opposition the the U.S.D.A.'s proposed N.A.I.S. (national animal identification system). The program is the brainchild of the usda and large agribuisness. Language quoted from the Draft Strategic Plan proves this, “APHIS then established the National Identification Development Team (NIDT), a joint, State, Federal, and industry group to further advance this effort. Throughout 2003, the NIDT, consisting of approximately 100 animal and livestock industry professionals representing more than 70 associations, organizations, and government agencies, expanded upon the work plan to produce the initial draft of the U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP).” (Plan, p. 4) This group of 100 is made up of only large agribuisness and universities. The disturbing fact that average citizens, small scale producers and pet owners or parties representing them were not included in the priocess is quite troubling. The USDA accepted the recomendations of the agribuisness and came up with the proposed N.A.I.S. The NAIS will force all animal owners (with the exception of dogs, cats, and perhaps goldfish) to register their location with the government. They will have to keep records of every birth, death, and movement of the animal outside the registered location. In plain english this means that if a horse owner wants to go on a trail ride. he has to let the government know. If a pet pot bellied pig goes to the vet, the government will have to be told. I think you get the idea. Not only is this an invasion of privacy, but will destroy small scale animal farming and push already struggeling producers out of buisness.
This tracking system is designed to trace the movements of livestock in case of disease. The end goal is to make the food chain safer. The very nature of large agribuisness practices such as feedlots and huge poultry houses create some concern for spread of disease. It very well may be that most of these proposed measures are a good thing for the corporations that designed them, but they willl be caststrophic for indipendednt animal owners and small farms.
Listed below are an outline of my concerns as a concerned citizen. 1) Small farms will have an additional expense of "tagging" their animals combursome paperwork. This will lead to the loss of more family farms. 2) may animal owners will opt to not owwn animals to prevent this intrsion. Not only would small farm operators be negatively affected by the NAIS, but this legislation will do serious damage to feed store owners, farm supply houses, hatcheries that sell and ship day-old poultry, and other businesses frequented by farmers and pet owners. 3) NAIS represents a serious right to privacy and righst. Individuals needing government permission to own livestock is un-constutional. Also no gurantee to privacy is alloted. 4) Our livestock would become part of the “national herd.” (Plan, p. 8) 5) We will be required to report to the national animal records repository when an animal we own attends a livestock show, participates in a trail ride, is transported to another farm or vet, or takes part in a community parade, 4-H etc. 6) This plan will create a veritable monopoly by corporate agriculture and thereby seriously endanger our national economy and our food supply. It’s difficult enough to try to make a living wage in agriculture now, this plan will make that nearly impossible. 7) Many endangered breeds of livestock will become extinct. Most keepers of these animals are hobbyests, many will give up this hobby faced with these unreasonable policies. 8) The projected estimate for implementation of this plan is 33 billion dollars. That doesn’t include the costs to maintain it once it’s begun. That is $115.78 for every single man, woman and child in the US. These costs will be passed on to the consumer. 9)NAIS is a violation of the religious freedoms of Americans whose beliefs make it impossible for them to comply. For example, the Amish choose to farm and live without technology according to their beliefs and this system is a threat to their way of life. 3) NAIS should not be at all involved with people who are raising livestock for their own family consumption. There is no need to have any government involved in our own kitchens and food that we raise in our own backyards. I see raising food for our families as a basic human right that should not be interfered with by government. I am concerned that the national animal ID system is too invasive into the lives of ordinary citizens who are not large-scale producers of animals for food, but who farm on a small scale or have one or two animals as pets. Please help save mine and your rights to keep the food chain safe, diversified, and free. This policy was clearly written with only the large producer in mind and a five minuite reading of the proposal that is slated to become LAW will reveil a disgusting disregard for millions of americans who own pets or small farms. Can you imaging the uproar if all dog owners had to get permission from the federal government. I request that you reply to me with your stand on this issue and that you remember your oath to protect and defend the Constitution of these united States of America against enemies foreign or domestic. In my humble opinion this is the most destructive proposal against personal liberty that I have yet to encounter
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