Me? Pissed off? Imagine that.

Ok, another Raw Milk Update from Donna at South Pork Ranch:

Midlife Farmwife: Raw Milk Update

I know, I know, it's just a link.  And that means that you'll have to do a little bit of reading to get the whole story.  But if you're not familiar with the war that is on Donna's barn doorstep, please take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with what she is doing.  In my opinion, she IS the Joan of Arc for Raw Milk in Illinois.

But here's a (not so) snappy-quick synopsis of what's currently happening in Illinois:

The holier-than-thou, we-know-better-than-you, screw-your-local-farmer Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been on the attack regarding the sale of raw milk.  Pretending to listen to the advocates of raw milk.  Giving them lip service while telling them to kiss their fatgovernmentass in the process.  If you think that the political process is a "fair and balanced" way to handle things like what you can or cannot cram in your maw, you are going to be horribly disappointed.

This is a classic example of our current political system.  Governmental departments wanting to impose more rules upon their "servants" when they don't even bother to follow their own rules.  More rules, more permits, more bureaucratic red tape, more hoops to jump though.  Oh, and they're going to need more tax money from you in order to save you from yourself.

Don't fool yourselves.  Although Donna gave Molly Lamb (director at the IDPH) a chance to listen to the "other" side, Mrs. Lamb and her associates never considered changing the "proposed" rules.  Rules they tried to sneak into the legislature without even letting those being affected by them into the discussion group.  Had it not been for Donna, this probably would have gone pretty much unnoticed.  Which is what most government operations rely on.  Stealth, secrecy, untruths.  They invited raw milk advocates simply so they could say "we listened to both sides" even though through the eyes of the IDPH, those proposed rules were as good as law.

Some may say that I don't have a dog in this hunt.  I no longer live in Illinois (thank goodness....sorry Donna) so this will not directly impact my ability to produce, sell or consume raw milk.  But this is NOT about my right to drink a glass of raw milk.  It is about control.  Plain and simple.  And for those of you that think I've put my tin foil hat on a wee-bit tight, it is YOU that is wearing the tin foil hat.  If you cannot see the writing on the wall, if you cannot feel the noose tightening, if you cannot hear the drums of war, then I think you need to turn off Dancing with The Stars and wake up.  Or just get in line, don't resist, and get in the boxcar.

The IDPH will claim that these new rules are being implemented for the safety & health of all.  That people cannot be trusted to buy milk from somewhere other than a 7-11 (do they even have those anymore??)  That you will not be allowed to enter into a private contract for the purchase of a perfectly safe food from a non-corporate or non-government-approved facility.

Right now the IDPH has their sights on raw milk.  Evil, horrible, toxic raw milk.  Pasteurization is the only safe way to consume milk.  Because they say so.  So if you want to produce, sell or consume milk, it damned well better be pasteurized and produced by a multi-million dollar mega farm.

So the Department of Health wants unpasteurized milk to be illegal.  In their eyes, pasteurization is absolutely necessary, the only way to safely consume milk and because of that they are attempting to pass laws so no one can produce/sell/consume non-pasteurized milk (or cheese, or yogurt, etc.).

Stay with me here, I'm getting to the point even though it may seem to segue a bit.

Did you know that the USDA and FDA approves of the irradiation of foods?  (Click here for a quick info sheet on why it's bad)  What happens when these same governmental agencies start passing laws that state only irradiated foods are allowed to be sold?  That only irradiated foods are "safe".  That eating something that hasn't been subjected to radiation is evil, horrible, toxic.

Another steering committee is assembled.  "Real Food Advocates" are reluctantly invited to these meetings, and only because somebody was diligent enough to keep an eye on the government agencies.  But the big produce corporations/farms have had their people stuffing money in the government department purses for years now.  New laws are passed, "for the safety and health" of the general public.

Now you cannot grow/sell/consume non-irradiated foods.  Meaning that the food in your front yard, that you planted, cared for, harvested has suddenly become illegal.  The only way you would be able to legally eat food would be if you purchased it from your local mega-grocery store.  

Oh the Department of Health wouldn't necessarily make growing your own food illegal.  They would just make it impossible to do it according to their wishes; the same thing they are doing for raw milk.  They wouldn't outlaw your garden, they would just make it impossible for you to be able to afford to garden.  You would have to buy an insanely expensive contraption capable of irradiating your produce and build a separate holding facility for your produce per USDA specs (based upon specs for mega-farms and totally unnecessary and financially impossible for you). You would have to pay for monthly government inspections, lab work and onsite testing of your food.  You would have to apply for permits, tax stamps, ID tags, special equipment and relinquish any possibility of having the slightest control over what you or your family eats.

Any non-irradiated foods found by authorities would be doused with bleach and dumped into landfills.  Jack booted thugs with black bullet-proof jackets and waving AR-15's would break through your front door, shoot your dog, hold you at gunpoint while they torched your gardens.  Your children would be kidnapped and handed over to the DCFS because you've been convicted of child abuse for knowingly feeding your children the "poisoned" food you grew.  And this all transpired because you dared grow and sell your own non-irradiated strawberries to a family down the road.

Really.

How far am I stretching this?  They already do this to raw milk farmers who dare sell their milk.

I don't care how you feel about drinking raw milk.  If you don't want to drink it, then don't.  And don't call those sounding the alarm a bunch of paranoid nutjobs.  These atrocities sanctioned by our own government against peaceful and lawful citizens happen on a daily basis.

Don't be blinded by man behind the curtain.  This is not about raw milk.  This is not about irradiated foods.  This is about a bunch of arrogant, self-serving people in positions of "power" that want to stay in power by making you powerless.  By making you a criminal.

Don't fall for it.