More on the Michigan pigs

Mike Adams from Natural News continues this report. Imagine being told by a government officer that your farm livestock (or your pet cat, dog, horse or whatever) is illegal using the excuse that they are vermin, feral or whatever trumped up excuse that you can think of. Not only are you obliged to destroy them, but you are also to be charged with crimes against the state if you fail to do so. This has happened in the state of Michigan since the beginning of April, with a farmer shooting his entire stock of pigs in order to avoid a felony charge.

A local attorney comments:

I think this is an unconstitutional order, these actions of the DNR are way out of bounds,” attorney Joseph O’Leary told NaturalNews in an interview today. He is representing one of the farmers who was targeted in these raids. “To take what was six months ago an entirely legal activity, and suddenly people are felons over it. They’re not growing drugs, running guns or killing anybody, they’re raising animals pursuant to USDA regulations and state of Michigan regulations. They haven’t done anything wrong here, and the DNR is treating them like they are hardened criminals.”

These are entirely legitimate objections to the DNR's cruel activities. Apart from wondering what kind of animal will be next on the hit list of the local Department of Natural Resources (which has a very public-friendly Facebook page), Mike Adams has called for armed citizens' arrest of DNR officers involved in armed raids against legal pig farms. He says:

While I do not espouse the use of violence to resolve issues with government, when innocent farmers are faced with being raided by criminal gangs of rogue government operatives who are forcing them to destroy their entire livestock herds, there is little choice but to bring out the rifles and arrest these criminals at gunpoint and bring them to justice in the court system where they must face charges of conspiracy, destruction of private property, the violation of the civil rights of private citizens, illegal trespassing and much more. 

He goes on to defend the Second Amendment. This is not a discussion of gun ownership by the way. I'm not particularly in favour of gun ownership, but I have to admit if I lived in Michigan under this kind of regime I would be very suspicious if the government called in weapons legally held by private citizens.

In this case I would hope that the Invasive Species Order comes swiftly under review – the ruling (not a law, it was made by bureaucrats) is ostensibly about protecting the environment and community against feral pigs. But farmed pigs are by definition not feral. Discussion here among people who know about pig breeds: some pointing out that wild hogs cause enormous problems to the public and farmers and others saying that's no excuse to kill farm animals.