Thoughts from the field – Bill Schutte vs Small Family Farm in Michigan
I wanted to share with you a few things I’ve written that encapsulate some of my thoughts lately.
This first item is from an action letter but expresses some of our basic issues with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Invasive Species Order and Declaratory Ruling. This is a message to Bill Schutte, Michigan’s Attorney General. He is an elected official.
| 1) Bill Schutte claims a platform of constitutionality. This “law” is clearly vague, judging from the number of people who have had to call for clarification and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) statements that if average citizens don’t understand their liability under the law (the definition of unconstitutional vagueness) they should ask the agency for an arbitrary decision. This law is vague and subjective at best and outright unconstitutional at worst.2) It is clear to the citizens that this administrative law was made in defiance of our elected representatives and in cooperation with big agriculture organizations–to the detriment of the smaller scale agricultural citizens, of which there are thousands. This arrogant defiance of the voters’ voices is of great concern to the electorate.
3) This administrative law and its enforcement is an encroachment on private citizens and their property. The farmers and hunting ranch operators have done all they agreed to do and ensured they have secure fences and healthy animals such that no one else’s person or property will be infringed upon. The administration’s unwillingness to protect the citizens from an overzelous agency is disturbing. |
The second item is a thought from a movie. I just watched Le Miserables, and it struck me that the rebellion staged against the government towards the movie’s end relied on the people’s support and the populace standing with the young men. The people did not stand up. One young man said they were beaten down and too fearful. The young men all were killed and the rebellion failed. In our case the people are standing up and it is making all the difference. This not an armed conflict or “rebellion” per se, but the people are waking up, standing up, and saying “don’t tred on me!” The issues I outline to Bill Schutte regarding our pigs in Michigan could apply to various DNR and property cases people have shared with us, to aspects of Obama’s healthcare law, to the raw milk and food sovereignty cases around the country. We must support each other or our Creator endowed rights will be usurped. Thank-you to all who have stood by us in so many ways through our challenge to the Powers.