BISMARCK, N.D. — Animal activism. A hidden agenda? Or the refusal to see the open agenda.
August 3rd-6th, Animal Rights National Conference in Alexandria, Virginia gathered more than 2,000 attendees. Yes. More than 2,000 attendees, who want to dedicate the vision that animals have the right to be free from all forms of human exploitation. Let me simplify that, everyone. They don’t want anyone to own a cow, a horse, a pig, a chicken, a dog, a cat, a gerbil, a hamster, a hermit crab or a snake. Whatever your preference is for a companion animal or an animal to make a living with, they want it ended.
The speakers were clear that agriculture was a main target. A key message: Eliminating farms of all types and sizes, not only the buzzword of factory farms, which many people in our own state – an agricultural state – have been hoodwinked and bought into talking about the quote, unquote, “factory farms.”
In fact, Hope Bohanec of United Poultry Concerns emphasized that farms of all sizes are equally cruel. So those of you out there that are traditional, conventional producers, or whether you are grass-fed, or you’re free range or you’re holistic, don’t think your method is accepted by the animal rights people, because that statement by Hope Bohanec just proves what I and NDFB have been saying for many years. Animal activism is dangerous for agriculture in North Dakota.
And just to prove that even more: Zach Groff, a representative of the Animal Liberation Collective encouraged attendees to be as extreme as necessary. Quote: “Breaking the law can often be a good thing to do.” End quote. Folks. He is encouraging protests. And here’s the scary one, “Open rescue from farms without permission.”
It’s time we wake up in North Dakota and realize that this is happening right in our backyard. Our legislators need to realize why we asked for that protection in the 2017 Legislature. But that’s another topic for another day. But it relates to the very thing that animal activists are encouraging. Open rescues from farms without permission? Everyone’s American dream is put in jeopardy with this extremism.
For questions or comments, please contact Dawn Smith-Pfeifer.
— Daryl Lies, president of North Dakota Farm Bureau
For more news from North Dakota, click here.
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