I9ve just been reading this amazing story which is
happening on the east coast of my continent, in Florida, and which mirrors,
to a chilling degree,
the structure of the FMD/contiguous cull
mentality.
The subject, in this case, is not cattle or sheep, but the
most innocent of all, trees
From
backyards all over south Florida, families' citrus trees are
being eradicated, "contiguous cull" fashion, in order to "save" the
mega-groves from the dread "citrus canker".
Why? Is the disease
so bad? No. It is cosmetic. Doesn't hurt people,kill the
tree or even compromise the juice. But is a blemish, which"consumers"
do not tolerate, and so will cost the multi-billion dollar industry plenty.
And so we must agree it is bad. But the remedy?
The remedy is
familiar: to wipe out all the trees throughout the residential areas to keep
the canker from spreading to the groves. This is done by illegal,
unconstitutional search, under threat of jail, to any property owner within
1,900' (scientifically determined) of a tree suspected of infection (no test
required).
Here's a report from the citrus canker.com website. What
I think it shows is that the mentality that killing is preferable to risking
profits is a disease not limited to the UK. It says to me that we all
need to be vigilant and awake and learn to do just what your website does:
never to let a lie lay unchallenged.
Read this excerpt. Does it
not sound tragically familiar?
Update: March 28,
2000
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A
95-year-old Tamarac (Broward County) man was arrested yesterday
after brandishing an unloaded rifle at a police officer.Florida
Department of Agriculture canker personnel were uninvited guests and about to
remove and destroy the fourth and final citrus tree (a grapefruit)from the
man's yard. Homeowner Nelson Edwards refused access.Canker inspector David
Benner threatened Mr. Edwards with a lawsuit for standing in the way of
workers. Police were called in so Edwards got his rifle and was immediately
arrested. He was later released on $5,000 bail charged with aggravated
assault with a firearm on a police officer.The State cut down his last
tree.One neighbor commented "I hope this doesn't kill
him."
Update: September 6,
2000
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September
6, 2000 is among the saddest days in South Florida history.Citrus Canker is
a Page-1 story again saying the disease has now cost taxpayers and citrus
growers over $129 million and counting. The spending pace is currently
about $8 million per month.The tragedy, however, is not the money. We
called and spoke with business writer Joseph Mann at the Sun-Sentinel to
confirm his unbelievable words,"Over the next year, plans call for
aggressive cutting in Broward and miami-Dade that will eliminate almost all
citrus trees in the two counties."That's right, almost ALL our citrus
trees.If you do care about the money, the newest estimate is that $250
million will be spent before its all over.It already sounds like it's all
over, doesn't it? Right now the kill rate is about 4,500 trees a
day. If they speed up a little, every citrus tree in south Florida will
be dead, ground up and buried in the dump by this time next
year.
Update: June 19, 2002
With the kill zone now 1,900 feet, few
trees will be spared. If any citrus
tree is confirmed or suspected of having
canker, every other tree in a 1,900foot circle will also be
destroyed.
What can we do--other than never let a lie lay
unchallenged...
Hugs to you for all those lies you do not let
rest,
Bonnie