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Florida Lawmaker Wants To Make Farm Photos Illegal
Large farming operations should be put in the spotlight, not hidden.
Out of sight, out of mind- right? Well that’s what Big Ag companies in Florida are hoping for. SB 1246 introduced on the 8th by Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa would make it a first-degree felony to photograph a farm without consent. This is the sort of legislation that will turn down the exposure on factory farms, the likes of which have been infiltrated by animal activists armed with hidden cameras, ready to show the world the ugly truth behind the scenes.
The treatment of animals and use of chemicals on these farms is certainly nothing to be proud of and it is the intent of the industry to keep these practices hidden from the public. In 2008 Florida had 47,500 commercial farms, last year there were about 130 certified organic producers, including both crop and livestock. That shockingly low number of organic farms means that Big Ag gets its way when it comes to controlling who monitors them. The FDA and the USDA already back Big Ag and now the American people will be shut out from documenting the truth.
~Health Freedoms
Along with mountains of oranges, tomatoes, and sugar, Florida’s branch of Big Ag Inc. is a reliable producer of bad news. Whether it’s the fight over proto-slavery conditions for its tomato workers, the push to perfect genetically modified oranges, or the outrage of the crony capitalist “solutions” to the environmental degradations of sugar plantations, it seems like there’s always something rotten in the state of Florida. Oh, and did I mention that Florida also has a shockingly low number of organic farms?
So I am not surprised to learn that a creative (not to mention unconstitutional and idiotic) solution to the grave problems with factory farms should arise in the Sunshine state (via the Florida Tribune and Matt Yglesias):
SB 1246 by Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa, would make it a first-degree felony to photograph a farm without first obtaining written permission from the owner. A farm is defined as any land “cultivated for the purpose of agricultural production, the raising and breeding of domestic animals or the storage of a commodity.”
Media law experts say the ban would violate freedoms protected in the U. S. Constitution. But Wilton Simpson, a farmer who lives in Norman’s district, said the bill is needed to protect the property rights of farmers and the “intellectual property” involving farm operations.
The “bill” was apparently inspired by the successful undercover videos produced by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society. But mostly it was inspired by rank stupidity. It doesn’t take a close reading of the Constitution to know you can’t make photographing private property from a distance illegal.
Really, this is about the tendency in the food industry and, sadly, even in our government to believe that transparency and knowledge are the enemy of a functioning food system. People must not know how animals are slaughtered and processed. People must not know the nature and safety of all the chemicals involved in agricultural and food production and processing. People must not know if food is genetically modified. This belief now appears to undergird the very logic of the American industrial food system.
So, with that as a foundational principle, it’s inevitable that in the epistemically closed system of Big Ag, a rancher, and a state senator would agree that a bill like this makes perfect sense. I’m not concerned that this bill is anything but DOA. What we need to learn from this sorry episode is that Big Ag’s answer to reform is denial, obfuscation, and ignorance. You know what? I’m still not inspired.
By: Tom Laskawy
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-07-florida-lawmaker-wants-to-make-farm-photos-illegal
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does anyone else think this is as unbelievably insane and police-state as it looks? WTF???
Next it will be lakes, then mountains, then springs/streams, then roads, then… where does it stop? Someone can ass-ume that most anything (and in this environment of fear, anyone) can be sabotaged/a saboteur! We’ll have government-approved photographers assigned to you to take your vacation pictures for you!!
For the sake of everyone’s health what goes on at those farms should be outlawed, not the photos!
LIKE MOST RAMPANT STUPIDITY TODAY…THIS IS JUST ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO DUMB DOWN THE CONSUMER’S RIGHTS….GOOD OLD TOTALITARIAN COMMUNISM AT WORK….THE FDA AND THE USDA NEED TO BE PROSECUTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE AMERICAN CONSUMER & REPUBLICAN JIM NORMAN OF TAMPA, IS NO FRIEND TO AMERICA AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE….
I appreciate the news brought to us by your website, but am a little confused. What is the point of your organization if articles are written with missing people’s names (who is the lawmaker that is backing this bill??) and no action (such as a petition to sign, or someone to email who can change the matter at hand)? Otherwise this is just an exercise in frustration; dump the news, anger people who care about this issue, and run. Perhaps the authors here will be insprired to do more than just report the news from now on and actually be agents of change.
Our law makers haven’t anything better to do. They are so self absorbed they don’t see the real problems that need to be addressed!! Take the job and the money and do what they want not what they were elected to do.
Our representatives are supposed to be there for the people. However here is another case of big $$$$ preferred over doing their job as representatives and protecting us. Write a letter to your Representatives in Fl Congress and Senate and NOW. Blogging lets off steam but letters and calls to their offices can make changes for our benefit.
This is how things like Egypt and Libya begin.
Another piece of moronic effort to hide not only the stench, and cruelty and abuse and harmful effects, as well as unsafeness of factory farms…is nothing more than an effort censor public safety. Actually the stench cannot be hidden I would think, but it is an effort to keep the public in the dark, without knowledge of that is all wrong with factory farming…It is a cowardly, detesting bit of legislative effort by a legislator of whom I can onl ass-sume is receiving money from factory farming lobby. It is also an effort to deny accountability, an irresonsible effort to hinder enforcement of what laws there are to protect the public health.
If this passes we could name Florida the Don’t Let the Sun Shine State…
Yes, we concur!
The American people should be filing class action law suites against the FDA and USDA for the damage they have allowed to our food sources in this country. see https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RxdF7muEIR192mXXwbeIrkVfD-lnriNgo1806uWxmvs/edit?hl=en
It’s never too late to right a wrong!!!
I have already been threatened here in Lincoln because I took photos of a building and also some photos of small school children going on a field trip. what next?
I have already been warned about taking photos of a building here in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was also cautioned about taking photos of small school kids on a field trip. What next?
Well said!! This sort of legislature is a travesty of the legislative process.
I do believe they should consider making it a felony to photograph a politician. Obviously the new anti photography laws that keep cropping up are there to protect those with crimes…. and no one has more crimes than a politician.
While this law may pertain to big ag as well, it seems to me it also pertains to the organic farms. From personal knowledge and from research, many “organic” farms are far from “organic”. Those that are charging the higher “organic” prices without using organic processes need to be weeded out. This bill would go far toward protecting them.
It is so obvious that this is a tactic to prevent people from
knowing what is going on. Making disclosure illegal. This
‘lawmaker’ is a real jerk! The only reason a person would
even suggest this is because some deep pockets are supporting him or
her.
Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa needs to be voted out of office. The only way for this to be done is to create public awareness of his bill. Guys like this know the majority of voters are in the dark and always forget the name behind the law. Come election time all will be forgotten.
Enough! is it not time to take the so called law makers down! we need to start prosecuting them? the Senators who are bought and paid for by the BIG AG companies PUT THEM ON TRIAL for create BOUGUS laws!
Do they not think what this means long term for there family and friends? Obvisouly Senator Jim Norman does not think he is TOLD what to do by the big money. Dumb A _ _!
We the poeple are large in numbers and we can stop this stupidity! This Insanity!
You Morons are not the only beings who can divide and conquer.
We are taking our freedom back!
We vote these idiot politicians into office – they are a reflection of the majority of us. We are the problem – they are the outcome of our vote. Unbelievable
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! Remember this politician’s name, Sen.Jim Norman, R-Tampa, on the next elections. God Help Us!
What is wrong with our poiticians? Who are they representing? When will the obvious influence of special intrest monies stop! This is another outrageous law that makes no sense at all to the hard working American middle class working family!
Well, I guess Google Earth has just got to go! Another terra forming stint of BIG AG with Big Biotech to destroy the entire food chain into a synthetic variationof life on Earth. This includes all life, animals & human cloning too. Eugenics-Transhumanism, anyone???? Next it will be illegal to post photos of ones food garden or will they again propose that backyard gardening requires a 10 year imprisonment that was struck from the last food bill. Fire all these idiots in Congress! Unplug your financial support to these institutions.UNPLUG from the MATRIX that controls you!
That’s exactly the problem. The politicians are a reflection of the people of this country.
If you want good food, you should grow your own. It is a great way to spend family time together, and you will KNOW what you have on the table or in the freezer. God said we would work by the sweat of our brow. If we are not willing to grow some or all of our own food, we deserve whatever they sell us.
These farms should be completely SHUT DOWN!!!!!!! They aren’t farmers but saddits. How can you be so cruel to a helpless animal?
Remeber, these are God’s Creatures’.
ALL (98.9%)of our career politicians are being blackmailed.
Isn’t it obvious people?
Things just keep getting worse and worse, it’s just too obvious!
ALL political positions should have term limits or this is what happens, and it’s called Tyranny.
This reminds me of a bill passed by the AZ Republican controlled legislature about 10 years ago called the VEGETABLE HATE CRIMES BILL – real name, which prohibited anyone from saying anything negative in print or public about produce sold in Arizona. This was shortly after the apple Alar scare caused sales of apples to plummet nationwide.
These politicians are all puppets to the BIG AG companies who contribute $$$$ to their compaigns and in return the politicians allow the companies to write just about any bill they please. Follow the money – the greatest motivator for the crooked and the corrupt so called leaders who allow themselves to be bought and sold to the highest bidder. The ends justify the means and the means is money.
Thanks for the heads-up. Florida is a scary place to live these days…
Lisa – thank you for your concern. We are absolutely not about simply dumping news and not following up, but we have limited resources and time to bring as much news and action as possible. Here’s are update http://healthfreedoms.org/2011/03/28/your-guide-to-the-illegal-farm-photos-bill/
It contains lots of info about Senator Jim Norman, new developments, the backstory of the bill, and other similar bills. Petition coming soon! Please check back, we are working as dilgently and quickly as we can.
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