Lies & Pictures - Free Press or Mouthpiece?


One page separated the environmental lie of the day from the animal rights
propaganda picture of the day in my Friday paper.

The environmental lie (1/4 of page B4 of the 7 July Washington Times
complete with pictures):

"Karina Blizzard, associate director of the Wildlife and Heritage Service at
the (sic Maryland) Department of Natural Resources" is pictured herding
molting and therefore flightless Canada geese above a headline trumpeting
"Migratory geese tested for bird-flu virus".

Fact: While all Canada geese are legally defined as "migratory birds"
because they are named on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Canada geese
pictured are NOT "Migratory geese", they are resident geese that live where
they are molting year around.  Why is this little bit of ornithological
trivia important?  Because testing these geese that reside year around all
over the lower 48 states for bird flu at this time is merely window dressing
to justify the illusion of government activity and the expenditure of
government funds to "protect us from avian bird flu".  So, of course, the
"mainstream media" (like a hungry loon) swallows it hook, line, and sinker.

The danger from bird flu will arrive via the truly migratory flocks of
ducks, geese, swans, shorebirds, and other etcetera "feathered friends"
migrating in the fall and winter from areas where they mingled with infected
European or Asian birds on the summer breeding grounds.  While our
government is looking at those areas and species, neither the government or
our vaunted free press are addressing the questions we should be asking and
answering.

If bird flu is found in a domestic chicken flock or a turkey operation or on
a duck farm, no one doubts for a second that the entire flock will be killed
and the area disinfected and replacement flocks forbidden for extended
periods.  What if bird flu is found in a fall concentration of ringneck
ducks on Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge or in wintering snow geese on
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge or in the ducks and geese on
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge or along the Platte River in Nebraska or
in any of one hundred other places that wild birds transit through or
congregate or winter on?  What of the Refuge water?  What of the visitors?
What of the employees? Will drainage or burning be employed?  Will flocks be
disbursed or hazed or killed?  Are any preparations for all the legal
"challenges" that will be raised the instant bird flu is discovered or
action is recommended being made?  A truly free press would be asking these
questions, a "mouthpiece" will dutifully publish the
government/environmental propaganda as innocently as a Berlin newspaper in
1941.

Oh and one further point is worth making.  It is so "touching" to see the
"Wildlife and Heritage Service" lady and others taking "fecal swabs" on
behalf of human health.  Why have the Federal Wildlife Researchers and State
"Wildlife and Heritage" folks nationwide not been concerned up until now
about millions (that's right millions) of these year around resident Canada
geese spreading a significant amount of and wide range of disease,
infections, and, harmful environmental contaminants in their feces for over
20 years now in every schoolyard and parking lot and municipal park and pond
and ball field and industrial park of every urban and rural town?  The next
time you go to one of those National Wildlife Refuge fall or winter bird
concentration areas, notice the water and ask yourself if it "looks healthy",
chances are it will be reminiscent of split pea soup and the dike you stand
on will have more than a few bird droppings in evidence.  This problem of
great significance has been evaded and covered up as government and its'
animal rights "partners" sold all this "capture and relocate" and
"sterilize" and "addle the eggs" and "hire the dogs that harass geese"
nonsense as a part of the "there is no need for lethal control or for
hunting for any animal" propaganda.  This in turn justifies everything from
doing away with hunting to "rescuing" animals and treating deadly predators
as lovable lumps in order to justify further everything from "fixed"
agencies (no more Game & Fish agencies as "Wildlife and Heritage" agencies
replace them) to more "protection" of all animals, the elimination of animal
"ownership", and the elimination of any necessary animal management
especially if it is lethal.

Think that is all paranoia?  If so, turn to page B6 of the same newspaper
and behold the latest in a long (decades now) line of animal rights
propaganda photographs.  Like racial caricatures, such pictures deaden
reality and form young minds and unconcerned adults' attitudes in ways
desired by government and powerful factions like, in this instance, animal
rights organizations.

The propaganda picture:

"National Zoo veterinarian Suzan" checks the heart rate of a tiger cub held
by "animal keeper Mindy".  The two attractive young ladies replete with
smocks and rubber doctor gloves show us the snuggly little striped critter
amidst smiles and medical assistance.  It just makes you want to smile and
think of that tabby you had as a kid and the girls down the street that had
that lovable golden retriever.

The public appeal of such pictures is unassailable.  Who could find fault?
What is wrong?  Plenty.


For the past 25 years Federal and State agencies have used the "young girl
in uniform holding the (wolf pup), (endangered bird), (ferret), ("baby"
raccoon), etc. photo" as a sure-fire way to sway public opinion in favor of
new animal laws or regulations or to garner more appropriations for
programs.  Likewise, animal rights organizations are past masters and
seasoned veterans at using such photographs to get contributions and
political support for everything from eliminating animal ownership and
passing new laws to justifying non-lethal and ineffective animal programs
and the elimination of hunting and trapping.  Tigers, like other large and
deadly predators are dangerous and not to be thought of as cuddly little
balls of fluff.  Tigers, like wolves and grizzly bears and black bears and
cougars and coyotes are dangerous and harmful and should be treated even
more realistically than other less deadly and less harmful "beasts" (to use
the biblical term).

A free press would address this phenomenon while a mouthpiece dutifully
keeps publishing this drivel and then fails to see a connection with more
numerous cougar attacks by unmanaged mountain lions, grizzly bears, coyotes,
and wolves.  These harms that are growing greater daily are covered up by
the same people utilizing such pictures to make everyone believe they are
living in a Disney cartoon with characters that can just be "turned off"
when you want to watch something else.

Somehow it is hard to believe that the First Amendment has come to this.

Jim Beers
7 July 2006

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