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Federal and state teams arrest people at gunpoint, destroy food, and seize assets—all because they’re afraid of unpasteurized milk and cheese. Please don’t let them trample the Constitution this way—a new Action Alert!
On August 2, there was an armed raid on Rawesome Foods in Venice, California, conducted jointly by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, the FDA, the Department of Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You may recall that we reported about a similar FDA raid on the same co-op last year.
Mike Adams, editor of NaturalNews.com, broke the story last week, and we thank him for his excellent and continuing coverage of this issue. He reports that armed teams were deployed with guns drawn, law enforcement ordered all co-op members out of the store, seized all the cash in the register, then handcuffed the co-op’s founder, James Stewart, and placed him in an unmarked car without reading him hist rights.
Then authorities seized $70,000 in raw organic food—raw milk, cheese, yogurt, and fresh produce—and poured an estimated 800 gallons of milk down the drain, though there was no evidence that any of the products were contaminated.
Two others were arrested as well: Sharon Palmer, owner of Healthy Family Farms, and Victoria Bloch, the LA County liaison for the Weston A. Price Foundation. They were charged with the production and sale of unpasteurized goat milk, goat cheese, and other products without the proper permit; and with “mislabeling cheese.” They were also charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit a crime.
Unpasteurized dairy products are legal in California, but the Los Angeles District Attorney says that applicable licenses and permits are required. This is a specious claim. As Mike Adams points out, Rawesome does not need a license because it is not a public store, but rather a private club or co-op whose members actually own a percentage of the cows, goats, and farms that produce the raw dairy. The state of California is trying to regulate it as a public grocery store, when it is instead a private buyers’ club. The facility is used only as a distribution point for the products that the members already own.
All three of those arrested have been released from jail after posting bail, but only on condition that they give up their First Amendment rights and refrain from talking to anyone about the case—specifically, from communicating in any way, verbally or nonverbally, about the government raids conducted against them.
The public has responded with outrage. A public protest was held in front of the LA County Courthouse; this, together with the global attention the raid has caused, may have been responsible for the swift reduction in James Stewart’s bail—from $123,000 down to $30,000.
Bye-bye, Constitutional Rights?
Public Outraged over Armed Raid of Food Co-op | Welcome to the Alliance for Natural Health - USA
Article Source: Alliance for Natural Health USA
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- Public Discussion (15)
The problem with GMO corn is the fact that maize pollen covers continents. CONTINENTS. So there really isn't any corn on the planet that isn't GMO. Though I like the practice of destroying the Roundup ready crops.
- 4 votes
#1 - Sun Aug 14, 2011 1:02 PM EDT
Please watch on PBS's POV the documentary "Food Inc." http://video.pbs.org/video/1402965302. It explains why the food industry would fund/push for such a raid. it is said that they have so much control that private/individual farmers cannot farm. In the USSR, farms were government owned and run. Here farms are corporate owned and run. No difference except one is for profit of corporations and the other is for the country. Under the USSR control of farms, citizens were allowed to grow their own food which is where 85% of the food citizens consumed food was grown. Eventually the food industry will not even let us have our individual farms unless we use their seeds. This is why there is hunger in the world. Farming for corporate profit.
- 7 votes
I seemed to have posted my response about Hungary's turning over of the corn crops, on this thread about the Milk Farm Co-Op!!! That's funny, kinda. :) What I meant to say about this article is:
When they control your food supply, then you are no longer a free people. If you have to get your food pellets from the store, and there is no way to grow a vegetable, then you are completely at the mercy of your owners. You are a pet, or a slave. And I dont want to be either.
- 3 votes
It will soon be illegal to have a personal garden regardless of where you reside. Our only option will be to purchase food that contains pesticides, e-coli and salmonella. Unfortunately, we won't have the FDA and other government agencies to protect us. Corporate profit is more important than the health of the citizens.
- 5 votes
#2 - Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:07 PM EDTIllegal or not, they ain't getting my veggies. ;) It wouldn't be a good idea to mess with my wifes garden.
- 6 votes
Make me wonder if this kind of prospecting in the food industry followed the Great Depression. As we are seeing similarities with the Great Depression in our current economic crisis, I wonder if their was the same speculation then in the food industry as we see now. It has contributed to the current high food prices. Did it contribute to the necessity of the soup kitchens of the Great Depression? They only product left for speculation is food and gasoline. We can avoid credit and investing in the markets. We cannot avoid eating or in some cases gasoline. Will they invade/raid our backyard and community gardens?
- 6 votes
#3 - Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:21 PM EDTAll three of those arrested have been released from jail after posting bail, but only on condition that they give up their First Amendment rights and refrain from talking to anyone about the case—specifically, from communicating in any way, verbally or nonverbally, about the government raids conducted against them.
- 5 votes
#4 - Sun Aug 14, 2011 4:16 PM EDTThis is just how law enforcement was during the 1960's. They were paid government assassins. It will only get worse with a military person heading the CIA. Why is he not heading the Pentagon instead? They will treat us as they have the Iraqis and Afghans. War has been delcared on the American people who go aganist corporate interest as demostrated here. We have already agreed to wear our star of David by tolerating and not loudly protesting the Patriot Act. Why is bail only allowed with the forfeit of Constitutional Rights? Sounds like the treatment of Gitmo detainees. Was there a risk of flight? Did they have a previous record of incarceration with flight attempts? Was the suppposed crime so serious that is warranted bail? They Civil Rights Movement protesters did not have their right of free speech and to speak out against their government taken away when they were jailed and later freed. Sounds like a case for the Supreme Court. Where is the ACLU?
- 6 votes
#5 - Sun Aug 14, 2011 4:40 PM EDT Maybe I'm far reaching is my comment . Reading this article . Over and over again , the word "Rights " was used . The rights of the people .
For some tine now I've been reading about genetically engineered food , and what controls they're putting on it . Reading about how more food is becoming a controlled commodity , on the stock market . Allowing the price to go up ,up ,up world wide . Reading how some are spending half of all they have , to feed themselves . The greed of the stock market , could starve millions to death .
This article is about control . One farm at a time . They are doing this around the world .
Here is where I fell I'm far reaching . The end of last week . There was an article about China trying to tell us to cut back on our spending . The American public have been doing so for some time now . Also in the same article China was saying , we need to get rid of the American dollar , and have a one world money . Taking it as they want to control the money , world wide
They take control of the food and the money supply . Soon there will be a One World Government .
We need to read this article with great care . I love our freedoms . I pray , my analogy is wrong .
RON
- 5 votes
#6 - Mon Aug 15, 2011 11:30 AM EDTWhen they control your food supply, then they control you completely.
- 6 votes
Well, this is ridiculous and frightening. I can buy raw milk cheese at the farmers' markets here but the makers have to label it "For Agricultural Use Only." It's completely frustrating that we have lost so much control over our food supply and our right to choose what we eat. I try, as best I can, to not give my money to those who want to take away our control (Monsanto, etc.) but it is difficult.
- 5 votes
#7 - Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:25 PM EDTThe government limits the "organic" farmer but allows the big corporations to do whatever they want. As a consumer, I feel that anyone selling food products should label their products, where they came from, contain a tracking label(s), etc. Corporations don't want the public to know where their food comes from. Farmers can't afford to label their food or so they say.
This needs to change. Also, governments all over the world need to come together to ban genetically modified food, ban the use of growth hormones, ban the use of antibiotics, etc. I would rather pay more for safe food than something that may or may not kill me. People need to stop eating this garbage as well as stop eating so much processed food.
- 4 votes
You are spot on, JB. I wish I could believe all that will happen soon but, unfortunately, I still know so many people who don't question the safety or origin or anything else about their food.
- 4 votes
They don't question anything until something happens to them or someone close to them, then they get upset. Until then, however, these people that believe in small government, feel the FDA and other agencies meant to protect citizens should be shutdown. If anything, they should grow and run more efficiently. Not one person should ever get sick or die in this country because some company was not being safe or selling tainted food.
- 3 votes
IMO, the FDA needs reform or something. We need the agency to do their job properly. As it is, they rubber stampt too many things and seem to be looking after corporate interests more than those of individual citizens. But I'm with you on the small government issue. Shutting down the FDA along with the EPA and other agencies would accomplish nothing but letting our fine corporate entities continue down the path of contaminating our food and environment for the sake of profit. That would be a disaster.
- 3 votes
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