If you don't want a power grab in your state by Big Ag - please read this post again and AGAIN.
So many good articles have been written re why Ohioans should vote NO on
Issue 2, and not surprisingly -some by Ohio farmers who see beyond the false
claims of Big Ag for safe, local, and sustainable agriculture. These farmers are
rightly worried and concerned about them and the 200 factory farms already in existence in Ohio. I believe that anyone visiting one of these places of animal cruelty would vote no in a heartbeat. But for those who have other concerns these are probably dealt with here as well.
I am grateful for the Ohio farmers who are speaking out against this issue
which should never have passed through the Ohio legislature in the first place.
I don't know how much cachet the Speaker of the House has - but I am
disappointed that the present one is from the Gr. Cleveland area, and it seems
to me -he must have either agreed with this power grab by Big Ag or his influence in this position was nil. Northern Ohioans are usually more sympathetic and concerned about animal issues.
In the past- most of southern Ohio legislators and voters have voted for their
special farming and hunting interests. In the case of protecting the Mourning
Doves some years ago - when this became a voting issue, the TV air waves
were bombarded with an unbelievable warning from the proponents opposing
their protection. It said that should this issue pass- animal rights people will
have deprived Ohioans of meat. It took me quite awhile to figure that one out
until I realized that they were referring to the dove as a meat source! And yet
it seems that a gullible, unsuspecting viewing audience may well have bought
into this shameful lie and the issue was rejected. The peaceful Mourning Doves are no longer flying free and unthreatended in the skies of "beautiful" Ohio.
I also recall that in the 70's Brian Davies of the International Fund for Animals
came to Ohio to campaign against the cruel leghold traps used by hunters
generally. Sadly, southern Ohio wasn't ready to give him a sympathetic ear
and the issue failed- even though it was generally supported by Northern Ohioans. I believe it is still used in Ohio- cruelly maiming -not only the poor hunted fur animals but often pets who wander into the woods and end up caught in the cruel jaws of the leghold trap as well - often losing "only" limbs if they are lucky enough to be found before bleeding or starving to death.
Today I received an e-mail from the Center for Food Safety (True Food Now.org). I would like to quote them re Issue 2 and their reasons for REJECTING IT:
"In the most ambitious power grab we've ever seen, corporate agribusiness
proponents are trying to write themselves into the Ohio constitution.
Technically the product of the Ohio General Assembly, the ballot issue is
heavily backed by groups representing major agribusiness interests, including
the Ohio Farm Bureau, the Ohio Pork Producers Council, and the Ohio
Cattlemen's Association. While masquerading as an attempt to improve food
safety and animal welfare, Issue 2 would give a board of Political appointees
unchecked power to decide any and all regulations related to animal agriculture. The board could make decisions that would radically shift policy in any direction and would not require any public input process. This could include decisions on issues like the use of antibiotics and growth hormones, genetically engineered animals, cloned animals, animal ID and traceability, and factory farm zoning regulations."
And, in my opinion, they have rightly called this attempt to control all farming
in Ohio as the foxes guarding the hen house. They are spending millions of
dollars in their slick campaign messages to trick voters into thinking Issue 2
will be good for us as well as the small farmers. They are even getting help from two out of state Big Ags. Both Arizona Pork and Texas Turkey have already spent nearly a million dollars campaigning for Issue 2 in Ohio.
Yesterday, I was glad I spent 3 hours leafletting against Issue 2 which was put out by the Ohio Farmers Union of Ottawa. Ohio. For a 79 year-old whose "Real Age" profile is supposedly 86 -I am gratified for doing something even so small. Of course my energy level doesn't measure up to or compare with the marvelous output of that 87 year-old woman phenom who danced the salsa on the You Tube. But climbing 150 house steps for 3 hours is a happy accomplishment for me.
Re the Real Age profiling - I told them- maybe it needs some tweaking. What
does using a seat belt or my driving habits have to do with my real age? I believetheir questioning should confine itself to health questions and not life expectancy.For a 79 year- old vegan who doesn't use drugs and whose only medical complaints are some joint pain which I have a handle on with supplements and osteopenia - which so far has not proved debilitating- I am quite happy with my profile. One of the oped commentors in one of my posts remarked that her parents were slightly younger than me and they were having a host of medical problems. If I remember correctly, she mentioned: heart problems, osteoporosis, high cholesterol, hypertension, etc. I am truly grateful that thus far I feel I am in pretty good health for my age - despite the awful Real Age tests results.
Sorry for the digression. The real message of this post is: Ohioans- please vote NO on Issue Two. Don't embolden Big Ag with a win here to go for another unsuspecting state next.
