The Invasive Species Order was signed as an Executive Order in 1999 by then President Clinton. The recent muscle behind the Order has been exercised by the Department of Natural Resources far more frequently under the current administration. While in affect an Executive Order designed to squelch the potential spread of swine flu, mad cow disease and the avian (bird flu) virus – in recent years the broadened focus of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has gone into small private farms and co-ops to impose the Invasive Species Order (INS) upon civilians in a SWAT raid fashion.
One of the recent raids of the DNA was upon Ron McKendrick of Renegade Ranch in Cheboygan County, Michigan. He faced a suit for not obeying the ISO–however, by the time of the raid on Saturday, he’d never received any paperwork informing him of any court action. The DNR agents reportedly had conducted armed interrogation of his customer base and a 75-year-old senior citizen employee. They had staked out his farm for several days. DNR officials had obtained a temporary restraining order to enter the property with intent to investigate ‘criminal activity’.
The most recent raid was upon the small pig farm of Dave Tuxberry. In order to avoid arrest on felony charges, Dave was forced to shoot all his own pigs before DNR agents arrived. The search warrant he was served was after having been staked out for days by the local authorities was based on the potential (the POTENTIAL) that one of his hogs would get loose. He was ordered to dispatch of his entire stock, piglets to sows, to avoid arrest. He reports that after slaughtering his hogs (and livelihood) the DNA remarked at how secure his fencing was.
The raids upon co-ops who’s members agreeably shared, and used raw milk and other natural products are up in record number. Even in states where raw milk is considered legal.
Each time the governmental system is exercised against the rights of the citizens, I am reminded of the opening and closing lines of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. …..
….that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
But is it?
Perishing?
