Shocking: Reporting Factory Farm Abuses to be Considered "Act of Terrorism" If New Laws Pass

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/environment/shocking-reporting-factory-farm-abuses-be-considered-act-terrorism-if-new-laws-pass



How do you keep consumers in the dark about the horrors of factory farms? By making it an “act of terrorism” for anyone to investigate animal cruelty, food safety or environmental violations on the corporate-controlled farms that produce the bulk of our meat, eggs and dairy products.

And who better to write the Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act, designed to protect Big Ag and Big Energy, than the lawyers on the Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force at the corporate-funded and infamous American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

New Hampshire, Wyoming and Nebraska are the latest states to introduce Ag-Gag laws aimed at preventing employees, journalists or activists from exposing illegal or unethical practices on factory farms. Lawmakers in 10 other states introduced similar bills in 2011-2012. The laws passed in three of those states: Missouri, Iowa and Utah. But consumer and animal-welfare activists prevented the laws from passing in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York and Tennessee.

In all, six states now have Ag-Gag laws, including North Dakota, Montana and Kansas, all of which passed the laws in 1990-1991, before the term “Ag-Gag” was coined.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

1. Isn't that fascism?

[newfie11]

3. The new America nt

[HiPointDem]

4. yes, a lot of that going around these days. you didn't think the patriot was actually for real

terrorists, did you?

it's so they can attack whoever they want with minimal restrictions.

[Berlum]

6. Food Fascism, Inc

"Shut up and eat your occult GMO foodlike substance." - Food Fascists, Inc.

[newfie11]

2. This is crazy

When animals are mistreated and the person reporting the abuse goes to jail, unbelievable!

Rape victims going to jail for having an abortion.

A 5 year old being sent home from school in a police car. His crime, his shoes were not the dress code color. His mother used a black magic marker to try to make them black but missed a little spot.

Any citizen can be held in defiantly with no trial if a suspected terrorist.

The crazy go on and on. What the hell is wrong with America?

[MadHound]

5. At this point there is only one way to stop the madness of factory farms.

That is to directly patronize small farms. Farmers' markets, CSA, look for, or place an ad in the paper, whatever it takes to get in touch with your local small farmers.

Either that, or grow your own.

I'm fortunate, I live in the country and have easy access to neighbors who raise cattle, hogs and chickens. But if you check around the farmers' market, or even in the local paper, you can find farmers sell sides of beef, pork, etc. You'll need a deep freeze, but for a price much lower than retail you can get a year's worth of meat, meat that is not factory raised, that is organic, isn't pumped through with anti-biotics or hormones, free range, grass fed. Great tasting.

Same with the veggies. With the advent of hoop houses, you can even have fresh, local veggies year around.

The only way to stop the madness is to hit the factory farmers in the pocketbook.

[BrotherIvan]

15. Support local farmers

I couldn't agree more with supporting local farmers or growing your own. A great resource is http://www.localharvest.org/ that helps look up any product in your area.

[CRH]

7. Lot of folks scream about the Second Amendment, ...

but here the First Amendment is sacrificed at the alter of corporate business, and barely a peep.

Seems there might be a debate the second amendment ensured the teeth protecting the first amendment, right to bear arms and all. Maybe someone could incite a discussion in the 'right' party, why guns are more important than freedom of speech. Then again, maybe not.

[Duppers]

8. constitutionality of this?

If passed, I'd love to see animal rights groups sue.

This is more cruel medieval thinking.

[Lordquinton]

16. You did read that several states have these laws as early as 1991

[Duppers]

17. no, thx.

I was in a hurry. I'll do the reading now.

[Heidi]

9. Kick!

Mornin', sunshine!

[justiceischeap]

10. If you're shocked by this you should research "SHAC7" and "Animal Enterprise Protection Act"

basically, 7 animal rights activists posted phone numbers and addresses of Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) officers and employees on their website for the purpose of protesting (they had a disclaimer stating that all protests should be done legally).

"All six activists were convicted and sentenced to four to six years. No evidence was submitted that the SHAC7 participated in the unlawful protest activity, directed it, or even knew of it in advance – only that they ran the website."

http://ccrjustice.org/us-v-SHAC7

What amazes me about this case, is that they do nothing that anti-choice advocates do and the worst that happened to the employees/officers of HLS is some vandalism (still unlawful, I know) but when anti-choice groups post information, there is often violence and no one seems to be creating a law to protect abortion providers from their madness.

[pecwae]

11. I'm sorry. I can't go to the link.

The photo in the OP and story snip is enough to turn my stomach.

K&R for those poor innocents.

[bobclark86]

12. Try READING the New Hampshire law...

...not just making shit up.

"VI. Any person who records any activity that falls under paragraph III as committed against livestock shall have a duty to report such activities to law enforcement authorities and shall submit any unedited photographs or video recordings to the law enforcement authorities within 24 hours of the recording’s creation."

Instead of just posting it to a website to raise funds and bump up a YouTube channel's subscribers, you actually have to call the cops to get the ball rolling on prosecutions.

BTW, after the Food Lion v ABC fiasco, journalists know getting a job just to hide a camera is ethically questionable and is already in many cases illegal.

And another BTW, not a single one of these three bills uses the word "terrorism."

And a third BTW, look at the writers:
"Katherine Paul is director of development and communications at the Organic Consumers Association."

"Ronnie Cummins is founder and director of the Organic Consumers Association. Cummins is author of numerous articles and books, including "Genetically Engineered Food: A Self-Defense Guide for Consumers" (Second Revised Edition Marlowe & Company 2004)."

Nope, no bias there at all...

[bunnies]

13. Thank you.

you just saved this NH resident from a full bore freak-out.

[bvar22]

14. Combine this with putting MONSANTO in charge of the USDA and the FDA,

and you have a Trifecta!

Google: Vilsack and Monsanto

Google: Micheal Taylor and Monsanto

[Initech]

18. The real and only terrorists on this planet are corporate terrorists.