NAIS—not ethical or moral
by Karin Bergener

No type of property requires people to register with the federal government simply because they own it. Even though the NAIS data are initially gathered by the states, the system is designed specifically to send the information to the federal government whenever the USDA decides it needs it.

Nothing else requires this level of tracking and reporting to any level of government. This database will require reporting movements, which is unheard of unless you’re a criminal out on parole or under house arrest, or a registered sex offender.

Farmers are, generally speaking, more inclined to be private and independent, which makes this tracking an even greater insult to our way of life. The sheer size of this program is incomparable and the intrusion unheard of.

We can find no reason why such an invasion is warranted, and most of us conclude it can have only a nefarious purpose. What purpose? Chief among the theories is the destruction of independent agriculture. Even if that’s not the goal, it’s certain to be the outcome.

Unethical Foundations—The revolving door between private companies and government jobs is well known [see Island of Distrust]. It’s no surprise then, for instance, that the Equine Species Working Group includes a representative from a company that specializes in software systems for tracking horses. If the ESWG were the board of directors of a corporation, it would not be allowed to have someone participate in making decisions who had a strong personal interest in the outcome of those decisions. A corporation that did allow an interested party to participate might have to rescind the decisions.

Because the government is running the working groups, however, having all the same people involved isn’t illegal. But it is unethical. When you add the lies told to sell the NAIS—one year it’s for marketing, the next it’s for disease control—you know it has no ethical basis.

And it doesn’t stop with NAIS. Separate from the NAIS, but with the same people at work, is a move to establish the same reprogrammable chip for dog breeders that has been designated for horses and cattle under the NAIS. To learn about that, go to: www.AmacaUSA.org/contact.htm, and follow the link to the Action Letter. Greed and a lust for power will make these people continue until we stop them.

Treatment of Animals—A separate ethical issue involves the treatment of animals. Many people have stated that, although no animal rights issue is involved, NAIS raises a real animal treatment issue. For cattle already tagged as calves, a second tagging will be traumatic, and may harm both the animals and the humans handling them. The crazier government tagging ideas—such as attaching dangling tags to the necks of young chicks—show an utter disregard for animal welfare.

Forcing cattle through a process that causes a significant adrenaline rush immediately before slaughter harms the animal and reduces the quality of the meat. The mere fact that animals will be tagged and tracked indicates they are viewed as no different from a nut or bolt in a warehouse. You don’t have to attribute human characteristics or rights to animals to know they’re not widgets. Many people see this objectification of animals as unethical in and of itself.

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Karin Bergener of Freedom, Ohio, is an attorney and a cofounder of the Liberty Ark Coalition dedicated to defeating NAIS. This article appeared in the Spring 2007 issue of Rural Heritage.