Canadian Dairy Farmer Willing to Die for Food Rights
October 26th, 2011Via: Mother Nature Network:
The right to decide what one can eat and drink seems a very basic human right. Yet, even that simple freedom can be trampled upon. Take Michael Schmidt for example. He is a biodynamic farmer with a masters degree in agriculture and has been an instrumental voice for both the rights of farmers and consumers.
Over the last 17 years Schmidt has tried to work with authorities to find solutions for providing raw milk legally to people in Canada. He feels that informed consumers should have the right to drink clean raw milk. The Canadian government disagrees. So his farm was raided as if he had contraband and his farm family terrorized. This happened despite the fact that nobody has ever gotten sick from drinking his milk. Similar situations have happened in the U.S. as well. I wonder if they sent SWAT teams to the farm that produced the cantaloupes that have made so many ill?
He was acquitted of all charges at first, but the Province of Ontario decided to appeal the acquittal and Schmidt was then found guilty of 15 of the 19 charges. I find it ironic that in a world full of evil and injustice so much attention is directed at consumers’ food choices. Michael has since gone on a hunger fast only asking that a constructive dialogue happen. He is now on his fourth week, and I want to see this man eating soon.
“The state might try to stop you, if it gets wind of what you’re doing” Cryptogon archives…
Four weeks; that’s about max for a fast – starvation follows. I think most of us reading this want to see this man eating soon.
In the realm of dramatic arcs, if it isn’t comedy then it’s probably tragedy.
Sadly, the headline welded onto the top of this item should probably read:
“Canadian Dairy Farmer GOING to Die for Food Rights”
As you read the text of the linked article it starts of like surrealist comedy, a dystopian script co-written by Kurt Vonnegut and Philip K. Dick — with dialogue revisions by Terry Gilliam.
By the middle we’re at 50/50, and as our eyeballs near the end the “TRAGEDY” sign is flashing intently at the audience.
All the niche-press outrage at the “conspiracy theorist” less-affluent edges of western civilization is not going to topple the edifice doing Michael Schmidt grievous bodily harm.
For merely asserting his right to choose what he can eat.
The very definition of state terror, this one.
Now, to more practical concerns…
Will this story gain traction via conventional mainstream media and become a rallying point for the voices of outraged millions demanding the Canadian authorities release our poor hero?
Are you kidding?
How long was Mandela in lockup then? The Memphis Three? We could go on and on here, but I don’t have that kind of time, and I think the point is probably made by now.
Michael Schmidt is an intelligent, informed individual who made the mistake of believing that fighting the system head-on would actually make a difference. That right would prevail over might.
A noble position, but also ultimately suicidal. State organizations and those who prop them up, throughout written history, tend to clench and hold when pressured, not the contrary. The power of information, knowledge, wisdom and truth?
Powerless against stormtroopers and demagogues.
Literally billions today are held prisoners by their eyes and ears and their desire to believe in SOMETHING. Anything. But today’s of choice tend to be secular and seductive. Carefully crafted SOMA wrapped up in flashy flags and high-flying doublespeak. Backed up with more deadly firepower than you want to know.
The justice system isn’t actually designed to produce justice, ladies and gentlemen.
The story of our modern world — our western civilization and it’s ruling paradigm — is pure black comedy. And we’re living the tragedy as we read this, through the tragic character of Michael Schmidt.
Good on ya mate, hope you make it through somehow. If you don’t and there is a Valhalla, I’ll see ya there in a few years.
@Miraculix “Literally billions today are held prisoners by their eyes and ears and their desire to believe in SOMETHING.”
Something, ANYTHING but the truth. The “falling away” into “strong delusion” is almost complete. 2Timothy 2:1-12
LJC is not a thing.
This is horrible – the hunger strike hasn’t been in the mainstream media that I’ve seen. I just called the Ontario Premier’s office (number given in article (416) 325-1941) and told the representative/ call taker they needed to take action NOW. I reminded her if this farmer dies (which he could within days) the story would become HUGE. All he wants is to meet and discuss the issues with the premier, for gawd’s sake. Everything that has taken place with this man is so wrong…..
…and Miraculix charges the net, deftly angling left and volleying the unnecessary injection of religious fervor hard down the line past the lunging messiah for game point.
Nice try.
The subject is a good man sacrificing himself at the altar of a cause, yes, but not your head druid, he of the crucifix and the thorns.
Look closely. Closest I came to organized religion was Valhalla. That’s Odin, Thor & Loki. Just a little harmless mythology, right?
Such consideration does also ultimately raise a good question as well, Druid, so thanks for the impetus if not the attempted hijacking.
Q: Will Mr. Schmidt’s willing sacrifice against the walls of the statist fortress — in the name of an individual’s right to self-determination — produce a modern martyr? Is he the basis of a movement? Or is such a phenom simply beyond the human ken in the era of the mass mind?
It may well be. At least until the brownouts get rolling.
miraculix, your writing is consistently compelling. i appreciate your commentaries.
i have nothing useful to add except that i wonder under what circumstances the subsurface boiling rage/disgust that is accumulating in segments of the populace towards their overlords will finally spill over..? it can’t stay underground forever.
Very kind words Neo. Very kind.
The most compelling answer to your question I can muster is the brownouts mentioned above.
Basically, I suspect that all but the most disaffected (and therefore radicalized) will behave like good little Spart… uh, Americans. Until the lights go out.
Of course, since the Stormtroppers have night-vision tech, they’ll be sitting ducks, but I digress…