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Today we present another entry for Round 2 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best article will win a four day course certificate at Front Sight. (An up to $2,000 value!) The deadline for entries is the last day of January, 2006.
Hello to all the Survival Blog readers! My name is ‘Shooter,’ and I came across this blog one day looking for information on the novel “Patriots”. Actually, I was hoping to find a sequel, or even a second novel, by Mr. Rawles. Instead, I found a great tool to better prepare for when the oscillating air disruption machine dices the Schumer. I wrote James hoping to have my own blog linked here, and found that he had an interest in what I had to say. My contributions to this site will revolve around tactical handgun training that I have received over the past 10 months in a weekly class called Tactical Tuesday.
I was granted a Concealed Handgun License by the State of Texas last spring. Since that time, I have logged several thousand rounds through my Springfield XD-40 and Kimber Pro-Carry II 1911. Not just shooting static targets, mind you, but engaging in tactical exercises to sharpen my mind and hone my shooting abilities for the unlikely event that I may have to one day defend myself or my loving wife from harm. While these weekly training sessions are geared more for those of us with CCW permits, they also have a place in TEOTWAWKI times, too.
My personal blog is a chronicle of these weekly lessons called Tac Tuesday at the range we shoot at near downtown Houston, Texas. I do not profess to be an instructor, nor do I claim to have any military or LEO training, either. I am merely a student relaying information to others who do not want to be caught with their pants around their ankles when the proverbial ‘balloon’ goes up. These Tac Tuesday classes are made up of students from all walks of life; doctors, lawyers, bankers, ex-green berets, DSS (State Dept. Diplomatic Security Service), IDPA/USPSA Champion shooters, principal dancers for the Houston Ballet, school teachers, students, housewives etc, etc. Our instructor, whom I refer to as Instructor Greg, or IG for short, is also a certified lethal use of force instructor, a Texas CHL instructor, has hunted big game in Rhodesia, worked as a bodyguard in South Africa, was recently with Blackwater in New Orleans, and testifies as an expert witness in self-defense shooting cases. His curriculum vitae is a lot longer, but I am just glossing over some of the juicier parts. IG also owns his own company manufacturing quality Kydex holsters and accessories. He is able to pass on the knowledge he has and the knowledge of others like Paul Howe, Clint Smith, Mas Ayoob, John Farnham and others to make us each a stronger and better fighter in self defense situations.
It is my hope that the articles I provide Survival Blog readers will help you become better shooters and stronger fighters when the time calls for it. I am going to start at the beginning and move through the lessons as I have moved through them. I plan on covering everything from safe/proper gun handling, to basic carbine and shotgun drills, and a plethora of handgun skills.
Since this is my first contribution to Survival Blog, I thought I should start with the “Viking Method.” Instructor Greg has a unique way of injecting wry humor into his lessons and making them fun and enjoyable. “No Sven, it’s Pillage, Plunder, then Burn!” as IG puts it (actually, he says it another way, but I promised to keep it clean for Jim). Very simply put, the Viking Method refers to the proper and safe loading/unloading of semi-auto handguns. This is the technique as it was explained to me:
Clearing a semi-auto handgun:
STEP ONE (PILLAGE): Remove the source of ammunition! First things first, punch the mag release on your semi-auto. However you want to store that magazine is up to you. If it is full, put it in a pocket, or a mag pouch, or even stick it in your waistband. If you know it is empty, or is of no further value, let it fall to the floor. Don’t worry, mags are relatively cheap…more will be made if yours breaks (if yours breaks, you may wanna find a better magazine!).
STEP TWO (PLUNDER): Clear the chamber! First, turn into your weapon and make sure the ejection port is facing down. With your weak hand, wrap it over the back end of the slide and rack it a couple of times to clear the round out of the chamber. Don’t worry about picking up your bullets. They’re cheaper than magazines. I am quite positive they will make more bullets for you. Repeat and lock the action open for visual inspection.
STEP THREE (BURN): With your non-nosepicking finger, physically and then VISUALLY inspect the chamber to insure that the weapon is now clear.
Loading a handgun:
STEP ONE (BURN): Draw your weapon from the holster and point it downrange.
STEP TWO (PLUNDER): With your weak hand, draw a fresh magazine from your mag carrier, pocket, whatever. **NOTE: Your magazines should always be carried “bullets forward.” This way, you can insure that the magazine is facing the right direction when inserting into the pistol.** Bring the gun up and turn it so that you can easily access the mag well. Guide the mag into the gun and insert smartly.
STEP THREE (PILLAGE): Grab the base of the slide with the meaty part of your hand and rack the slide to chamber a round. You may also use the ‘pinch/pull’ method to rack the slide. Condition check the chamber and holster.
That was the very first lesson I learned. In several easy steps, I now know how to handle any handgun placed in front of me. When I walked into the first Tac Tuesday, I thought I knew it all already. What knowledge I had may have been correct in some areas, but this first lesson helped build upon that knowledge base. Another lesson learned is that we have been inundated with rules, rules and more gun rules. I no longer think of safe gun handling as a number of rules to follow, rather, I consider it to be ‘Good Gun Manners.’
The range we work at is considered a “Hot Range.” We are able to carry our weapons holstered in whatever condition we are used to carrying concealed in. This usually means holstered with one in the chamber and configured accordingly. Wherever I am legally able to carry (concealed or otherwise), I practice Good Gun Manners. That means:
-The gun remains holstered at all times unless I have been given permission to shoot. Either certain circumstances or the Range Officer will dictate when it is okay to shoot.
-My finger WILL REMAIN OFF THE TRIGGER UNLESS TWO CONDITIONS ARE MET: My sights are confirmed on target, and it is safe to shoot. You may know this as keeping your finger in register. Also, when they drag you to court for your self-defense shooting trial and play the grainy convenience store security camera footage, you want to prove to the jury that you are not some crazed Rambo wannabe, and you do have a modicum of self control.
-Don’t point the gun at anything or anybody you are not willing to destroy. It’s just plain rude!
-Be cognizant of your specified ‘safe direction.’ That usually means guns remain pointed downrange at all times. Our class operates on a 180 degree rule. If we see the muzzle of the gun move greater than 180 degrees, then that person is done shooting for the day. The real world is 360 degrees, so be aware of a safe direction. Brick walls, televisions, stacks of telephone books all make safe places to point a gun. I use my television when I dry fire practice.
You are probably muttering to yourself right now, “Geez, Shooter, this is stuff we already know. Why not give us some good nuggets of tactical, ninja-suit, cloak and dagger prowess to use?”
I decided to start at the beginning for two reasons. First, to remind myself and the rest of you of the simple basics of safe gun handling. Second, so the new people joining our ranks have something to refer to when they start their firearms training. This article is an added benefit to those leading a retreat group, or those who expect to train their neighbors and friends after the world is unavoidably “schumerized.” Think of it this way, I have given you the syllabus to your first lesson as a firearms instructor post-TEOTWAWKI.
Just remember, though, that practice is the key. As you train yourself and others, repetition and practice will build muscle memory, confidence, and control. These are but the stepping stones to the other lessons I participated in and will share with you. Next time, I will discuss draw techniques.
And before I leave you, I will bestow the final lesson in your syllabus. I did mention there are really no gun rules, just ‘gun manners.’ Well, I lied. There are actually three rules that I live by, and, no, “the gun is always loaded” isn’t one of them. Actually, my guns are ALWAYS LOADED, so that is a statement of fact.
The three gun rules I live by are:
1. Keep your finger off the trigger!
2. Keep your *&$% finger off the trigger!
3. Keep your &*%$ finger off the #$%& trigger!*
*unless sights are confirmed and it is safe to shoot!
James:
Just me, but I’d call and ask. It sure looks like a generator that runs in the 3600 RPM region. Some use a slightly higher or lower RPM than 3600 but they’re all the same class of service. Northern has a habit of calling non-continuous duty generators a “professional model”, which means absolutely nothing. I’d look around for an electric start 1800 RPM RV version. Also very quiet (to meet the National Park Service regulations), rated for continuous duty and, courtesy of the site, can be fitted for switchable propane or gas. A new 4.5 KW model runs ~$2200 and go for around a grand in used condition.Just my 2 cents worth ….. or is that already my .02 Euro worth? I dis-remember.;-)
Regards, – The Army Aviator
Jim:
I live in southern Louisiana. A guy that lives near me built a dome several months before Hurricane Andrew it is a wood framed [geodesic] dome, covered with shingles.He told me he had a very hard time finding some one who would agree to shingle it. That dome has held up to every hurricane to hit us since Andrew with only minor damage. – Mosby in Louisiana
JWR Replies: I much prefer monolithic domes over the more conventional Buckminster Fuller geodesic style wood frame domes. My brother was the owner/contractror of one of latter and he could never get the thing to seal out the rain properly. Shingling all of those little triangles is a nightmare. Geodesic style wood frame domes have roughly the same lifespan as any other wood frame house. But a monolithic dome will probably last for generations.
All dome homes can take tremendous wind loading. This is because of Bernoulli’s principle. (The wind velocity–and pressure–is roughly the same on the front and the back of any round object.)
Memsahib:
Just a little correction to R.J.’s note regarding animal I.D. in Wisconsin. As of January 1 every livestock owner was subject to mandatory premises registration and this includes horse owners. Even if you only keep one animal you are suppose to register. I found out that our very crooked legislature was trying to rush this through late in 2004 and tried to organize some opposition among fellow horse owners but you know how hard it is to wake up the sheeple. Thanks for trying to keep this from going national! – J.M.
Jim
Here is a link for an American company from West Virginia: http://www.propane-generators.com/ They make conversion kits for all sizes of generators, etc. to propane and natural gas. (I have yet to order mine, so I was hesitant to share this.) It has been proven that the gases burn much cleaner, and engine life is greatly extended, because the small amount of ash left behind with gasoline that contaminates the oil, etc, is not introduced every time it fires. Carbon build-up is history! I have been procrastinating on ordering a kit for mine, guess I should get moving. Right now, procrastination is my worst enemy. Sid, Near Niagara Falls
“Only God is eternal. Everything else is vanity." – The Memsahib
Many thanks for the recent wave of 10 Cent Challenge donations! That makes me feel like I’m on track with what I’ve been writing, and that I’m helping folks get squared away.
Domes have been the long term favorite of futurists, and while they suffer from some peoples’ non-acceptance of the unconventional features, they do have several features very desirable to survivalists. The dome of course is a near perfect form of nature. Take an arch, known for its strength in building and bridge construction, and turn it in a circle. Now it’s a dome, and it’s even stronger. Domes use the force of gravity and the extreme compression strength of materials like concrete (cement and sand/gravel mix) to give a clear span, and support tremendous weight on top of it. This can make it a very good choice for underground or earth bermed structures. Depending on your location though, and the fallout or weather you anticipate receiving, covering it may not even be necessary to survive the most extreme conditions. (Note that I am not considering geodesic domes here; note they are more conventional in material and construction)
Sound intriguing? Well, let’s start with the bad news. Here are the down sides, the three problems that stand in the way for most people to buy or build dome homes or survival retreats:
But now the good news, the advantages of having a dome survival retreat:
These are the four major types of non-geodesic dome homes:
1.) Concrete Domes. The clear leader here IMHO is The Monolithic Dome Institute, http://www.monolithic.com Since around 1970 David South has continuously innovated his unique and near perfect (IMHO) method of constructing the “monolithic dome.” A heavy UV resistant and waterproof membrane is manufactured by Monolithic per design, and then tied down and inflated on site secured to a completed round foundation. You then enter through an “air chamber” (plywood box) as industrial fans keep the dome inflated, and spray polyurethane foam on the inside if the dome several inches thick (depending on dome size). The dome now stands on its own, and using some ladders, scaffolding, you can now use some clever little pieces of metal to hold rebar to the foam on the inside at just the right gap. Using special a concrete pump, nine bag mix (optimal strength) concrete is sprayed on the inside to make dome of a single pour of concrete, thus being monolithic – all one continuous rock. This creates a very pure and very strong dome, but even better, it can have an insulation factor of up R65. So efficient is that, they recommend cooling it with a just a RV air conditioner, and only the smallest wood stove or fireplace or you will simply over cool or overheat yourself. Another great feature is the flexibility. Domes can be stretched wide, tall, or oblong to order, and even better, molded into one another (continuous attached multi domes). A great design is a home with one dome for each room, see http://www.mountainviewdome.com . Making a monolithic dome is something you can hire a certified contractor to do, or you can go to Texas for a week and get certified yourself. Check out the monolithic.com site, it is just loaded with information, articles, and other spin off sites.
2.) Concrete Dome Home with Square Walls: This company is about as close to conventional as you are going to get with a concrete “dome” home. http://www.terra-dome.com The come to your site and use elaborate forms to create buildings made up of either 24’ x 24’ or 28’ x 28’ modules with very heavy concrete roofs. The site has several plans shown. I happen to like #12 for a three bedroom retreat. A lot of concrete in this design, and a very strong building that also gives you a more conventional feel to it inside at least.
3.) Fiberglass Domes. If you are building in a very remote location, an island in particular, where shipping weight is a major cost and concrete may not be available, consider http://www.domesintl.com These modular and lightweight domes can also be made with extra fiberglass to make them strong to the point of being bullet resistant. These models are fast erecting, efficient, and able to withstand extremely high winds. Be sure to see the multi-family designs too, and imagine a survival condo development.
4.) Steel shell underground dome or arch homes. The other option here is the more conventional approach, using a steel structure to make an arch with a half dome on the back, and then bury it. I’ll offer three sites for this, but also an article as a warning on steel corrosion underground, just to be fair since it is a concern. Remember, no matter which method you use to build underground, pay for proper, if not extra, water proofing. The cost of corrective repair, digging it up, is high. See: http://www.formworksbuilding.com or http://earthshelter.com or http://www.americansheltertechnologies.com and (note warning about underground steel corrosion http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=1280 )
Sorry if I have missed some types or manufacturers, I tried to present the major ones. For more information on concrete domes in particular, see this association http://www.itsa.info and for some cool further ideas of what you can do, check out this builder http://www.cloudhidden.org/ – Rourke (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/survivalretreat/ )
Great site Mr. Rawles! I view it most every day. Have also passed your book (“Patriots”) on to two friends after having my two sons read it. I have a general question for your readers. I just purchased a Bushmaster .223 [AR-15 clone] with Eotech site system. I am wondering during a TSHTF scenario what parts to this weapon should I have in backstock? [JWR’s replies are in-line, in bold.]
Ideally, it would be best to a have a complete spare carrier assembly, to provide a quick “in the heat of battle” replacement in case you break a firing pin or extractor, or you gall an ejector. (99% of AR-15 bolts are “automatic headspacing”, so the assembly is a drop-in replacement.) If you are on a tight budget, get just ONE EACH of these critical high breakage/high loss subcomponents from the bolt carrier group: Firing pin, Firing pin retaining pin, Ejector, Ejector spring, Ejector retaining pin, Extractor, Extractor retaining pin, and Extractor spring (with nylon insert). The only other parts that I’ve seen break (or get lost) are ejection port cover springs and buffer retainers. However, both of those are non-critical to the function of the rifle. Buttstocks and handguards also break (albeit, less frequently). If you have a generous budget, get spares of all of those in addition to a complete spare bolt carrier assembly.
I have a .300 Weatherby Magnum, M1A, and a Remington 270 [Winchester bolt action] as my Rifleman weapons.
It sounds like you are squared away on long range guns. The .223 that you mentioned is indeed fun to shoot, but consider your M1A your PRIMARY rifle. Get plenty of magazines, web gear, spare parts, and ammo for your .308 semi-auto battle rifle! OBTW, you wife really needs her own M1A, as well. Remember the SurvivalBlog motto: “Two is one, and one is none.”
One other question. I am currently reading Molon Labe, excellent work, is there a FSP going on in Wyoming?
Yes there is an active Free State Wyoming (FSW) Project. See: http://www.freestatewyoming.org/. Wyoming is great place to live, and FSW is indeed a worthy project. Go for it! OBTW, there are dedicated discussion boards on the FSP at The Claire Files.
If so, I am there. My wife and I are both RNs and feel there is always a need for our services.
Nursing is a great profession that will allow you to live just about anywhere! OBTW, in my estimation the healthcare professions will be just about the only ones that are “offshoring proof” in the next couple of decades. (Consider this a strong hint for any of our readers–male or female–that are in college or nearing college and considering a career.) Good luck with your move. See my data on Wyoming at our Retreat Areas page. As detailed there, the length of growing season varies widely in Wyoming. My advice is to go for the warmer country at low elevation. And plan on building a big greenhouse, regardless of where you settle in Wyoming. Snow has been reported in every month in every county in Wyoming.
Following your move to Wyoming, your .300 Weatherby will work fine as a rifle for taking elk, and your .270 Winchester will be ideal as a long range rifle for deer and antelope. There is no need to buy different rifles.
Jim,
Our power here on the North Coast has gone out twice in as many weeks. This time it was out all day Saturday and Sunday, for a total of 40 hours. (Some are still without power, and may be for days.) I intend to be ready for the next one. In a few weeks I plan on purchasing the Northstar 5500 Watt professional. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=448&R=448 That is unless you raise a red flag. But I thought the topic of emergency power might be a good one at this time, since so many are without power. BTW, I might add that the power outage was just an inconvenience, as I was still warm, dry and fed. <Grin> But still, why go without all the goodies when you really don’t have to? Take care, – Gung-Ho
JWR Replies: With a shipping weight of 203 pounds, you are probably better off buying locally, unless you live in a state with high sales tax. (The savings on which would offset the freight charges.) I prefer propane or diesel-engined gensets, due to the longer storage life of their fuels. Low RPM diesels last the longest, by far. (Roughly 20,000 hours for a diesel versus only 3,000 hours for a gas genset.) And that is precisely what I recommend to nearly all of my consulting clients. Looking at things from a “big picture” perspective, you pay a lot more for gas engines in the long run, because you’ll be buying one every four or five years. In contrast, a diesel may last you 20+ years. And, in fact, if you shop around diesels don’t cost any more than a gas genset with the same output. OBTW, I often see 5 KW diesel gensets with electric start sell for as little as $700 or $800 on eBay. You might also consider getting one with an extra co-axial 12 or 24 VDC winding, so that you can charge a battery bank more efficiently. (Plan ahead for the future, when you might have a PV power system.)
4,500 watts continuous and 5,500 watts peak is about the right size for a home backup generator, unless you have both a refrigerator/freezer and a chest freezer. (You can always alternate between the two, with a little cord shuffling.) However, if you live in a typical suburban housing development, I’d recommend that you get a 10 KW, if you can afford it. Why? Odds are that the next time you have lengthy power failure there will be neighbors tapping on your door–with extension cords slung over their shoulders! Believe me, they will hear your generator running. (And you will want to be charitable, right?)
Gensets on wheels that are over 6 or 8 horsepower tend to “walk” when operating, but you can overcome that either by strapping it down or by temporarily removing the wheels and bolting the frame to something solid. For a mid-size genset at a fixed site, you might just skip getting a wheel kit if you have a strong back and a sturdy wheelbarrow.
In my experience, recoil starters are generally the weak link with most low-priced mid-size (8 to 12 horsepower) gensets. Be prepared to pay a bit more for one with an electric starter (and manual backup.)
“Guess you broke into the wrong G** d*** rec room, didn’t ya?” – Michael Gross as Burt Gummer, in “Tremors” (1990)
One of the benefits of reading SurvivalBlog is that you get essentially free consulting. Once I began posting SurvivalBlog in August of 2005, my consulting income (at $50 per hour) dropped off to zero. The reason was obvious: By merely e-mailing me their questions, folks can get them answered gratis, in the blog. I’m not begging for 10 Cent Challenge donations, but please consider that what your read in SurvivalBlog has some value. The sad fact is that only 32 readers (out of the +/- 9,000 that read SurvivalBlog every week) have ponied up 10 cents per day, or more. 🙁 Donations are of course entirely voluntary.
The USDA and the Agrobiz giants have been crafting a national animal identification scheme that threatens the traditional freedom of self sufficiency, the privacy of Americans, and the livelihood of organic farmers, and family farms. The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is the creation of the Agrobiz giants Monsanto, Cargill Meat, National Pork Producers, and others to monopolize American food production using fear tactics to advance their agenda. The NAIS scheme was not created by any act of congress. Rather, it is merely a presumptuous bureaucratic dictate.
The NAIS plan requires two types of mandatory registration for everyone who owns even just one “livestock” animal. Every person who owns even just one horse, donkey, chicken, pigeon, goat, llama, sheep, pig, cow, alpaca, duck, farmed fish, etc. must register their name, home address, telephone number and Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of their home in a Federal database. Secondly, in order for any animal to leave its birth farm, the owner will be required to obtain a Federal ID number for it which will be kept in a national data base and have the animal biochipped. Animals will have to be registered if they leave the farm for any reason; to go on a trail ride, to go to a show or fair, to be bought or sold, to be bred by a stud on another farm, or to be taken to the local butcher, or anywhere else. The most likely type of ID will be a bio-microchip containing a low power radio transmitter so that the chips can be read from a distance. NAIS would allow “industry” to decide if retinal scans and DNA samples would also be required. Of course large scale Agrobiz has exempted itself from individual identification. (Agrobiz producers will be allowed to use one ID number for groups of hundreds or even thousands of animals that are raised and processed together.)
Americans will be required to report every time an animal enters or leaves their property, every time an animal loses a tag, every time a tag is replaced, the slaughter or death of an animal, or if an animal is missing. Such events must be reported in 24 hours or owners would suffer an as yet unspecified penalty. Small family farms and organic farmers will be driven out of business by the costs of premises registration fees, individual animal ID fees, event reporting fees, electronic tags or chips, electronic readers, home computers, Internet access, phone service, and reporting software. According to the USDA’s plan all of these costs will be born by the animal owners.
NAIS might enhance Agrobiz’s export markets and allow tracing of animal movements to track disease outbreaks which is its stated goal. But it will not make the American consumer safer. The most common type of meat contamination in the United States is bacterial, such as E coli. and Listeria. It is not discovered until masses of people become ill. Since Agrobiz processes meat in huge packing plants with thousands of animals being slaughtered a day, NAIS is useless to determine if the contamination was from one animal, multiple animals, or unsanitary conditions at the packing plant itself. Contaminated meat from giant Agrobiz processor is sent to all 50 states endangering millions of consumers simultaneously. On the other hand family farms, organic farmers, and private citizens their animals in natural and healthy conditions because they are raising their animals for themselves and their neighbors’ tables. When they are driven out of the market, America’s food supply will become less safe not more so. The consolidation of America’s food supply by Agrobiz makes it more vulnerable to terrorists. As Americas meat industry becomes a giant monopoly where all meat is processed in a few giant packing plants then it becomes easier for terrorists to deliberately contaminate millions of pounds of meat in one attack.
I believe that many varieties of farm animals (not just rare breeds) will become extinct as individuals give up animal raising rather than submit to all the required fees and bureaucracy or agree to having their home pinpointed by satellite and their personal information put in a national database. The only animals that will survive will be those that Monsanto, Cargill and company deem the most profitable.
The USDA’s NAIS Timeline:
• July, 2005: All States capable of premises registration.
• July, 2005: Animal Identification Number system operational.
• April, 2007: Premises registration and animal identification “alerts”.
• January, 2008: Premises registration and animal identification required.
• January, 2009: Reporting of defined animal movements required; entire program becomes mandatory.
I urge you to take immediate action in fighting the implementation of NAIS. Widespread objection by Americans can still stop the implementation of NAIS or at least create exemptions for religious objectors, home breeders, and/or small scale farmers and ranchers.
Please e-mail this posting to everyone that you know. Contact breed associations, organic and sustainable farming groups, neighbors, and family and ask them to oppose NAIS. Ask them to organize letter writing campaigns to the USDA. Write to your Federal and state legislators. Oppose any state level implementation of NAIS. (Some states such as Wisconsin are already implementing NAIS registration and biochipping.)
In particular, the USDA’s planned issuance of a NAIS rule for public comment in July 2006 will be a crucial juncture. Regular updates on the status of NAIS will be posted at http://wwwSurvivalBlog.com. When the public comment period is open, submit an individual comment letter, strongly expressing your disapproval. Get involved, or our another piece of our precious liberty will slip away.
Web Sites:
USDA resource about NAIS. http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml
Regular updates on the status of NAIS: https://survivalblog.com
You can find contact information for Federal and state legislators at: http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm or http://www.firstgov.gov
Special Thanks to Mary Zanoni, Ph.D. (e-mail: mlz@slic.com) whose excellent article in the Jan./Feb. 2006 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal alerted us to NAIS.
Memsahib:
There was a good article and a great editorial in the December issue of “Acres USA” (Best farm magazine in America: http://www.acresusa.com/magazines/magazine.htm ) on NAIS. I know one employee of the Idaho Dept. of Agriculture who is very skeptical about NAIS. I found the Acres article, “Tagging Terrorist Chickens” at:
http://www.freetennessee.org/NAIS_proposal_overview.html. I still recommend reading the editorial in the magazine. Also, see Mary Zanoni’s writing: http://www.warmwell.com/05sept30regsoppose.html The NAIS has been discussed on Timebomb 2K over the past year but not in much depth. There is now a Stop Animal ID Message Board: http://stopanimalid.org/forum/index.php I hope this helps some. Regards, – Daniel
Mrs. Rawles,
Living in Wisconsin we have implemented the NAIS this past October. Draconian is not quite the word for it. All farm animals, from chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, to cattle and pigs (seemingly horses are exempt, just food chain animals?) must be registered with the state. This information includes their location of residence. If you take your prize pig to the fair, it’s new location (the fair) must be registered at the Wisconsin NAIS website, then when transported home it must of course be re-registered for your farm.
The states happy face promotion of this scheme has been centered around the rapid stemming of communicable or food chain threatening disease response. Looks like a great way to keep an iron fist on who has what/gets what during tough times to me. The Soviets never had such control over the Kulaks when they collectivized their farming industry.
Step two of this program is apparently a barcode system, which all animals will be required to have for I.D. purposes, again for the abovementioned facts.
Wisconsin has been the charter state for this scheme. We’re the guinea pigs for the rest of the nation, which apparently is expected to follow in short order.
I don’t have a link or web address to give you but by surfing around the Wisconsin.gov site, probably hit the agriculture or county extension links you should be able to find all the info you want. If you are unable to come up with something, let me know and I’ll make an in person visit to the local county extension agent and get you some hard copy.
You and I (and most of the others on the Survivalblog) understand this has very little to do with disease, it has everything to do with CONTROL. Please remember that circa 1995 the U.N. was considering a program to issue everyone on the planet an I.D. card which would also contain the number of calories/sustenance they would be allowed (this was mentioned on a Michael Reagan radio show over several nights in 1995), what a better way to make sure no one is holding back something for themselves. As I said above the Soviets have never had as extensive a database on each of their citizens as this country currently has. As a former scholar of Russian/Soviet history, it is absolutely chilling what the Fedgov could/can do when it implements a program. You may also want to take a close look at the “community government census” which has been getting issued about various parts of the country the past few months. Hope this helps. – R.J.