Freedom For All
By Trent Loos

In the 1980s, I participated extensively in purebred hog shows across the country. We sold boars for as much as $10,000. I admit that I would finish one hog show and anxiously await the next one. My Dad, who has always been an excellent teacher of animal husbandry, would tell me, "Trent, it is fine to go shows and sell high dollar hogs but you have to take care of the ones at home too." I am beginning to wonder if it would be a good idea for my Dad to have a talk with President Bush on that subject.

On September 3, 2003, The Des Moines Register ran a story headlined, "Pocahontas Sewage Kills 104,000 Fish." It appeared in Section B on page six in a very obscure place. Less than two weeks later, I can't find the story archived on their website.

The Register ran a story on September 6, 2003 on the front page of the paper headlined, "Farmer on State Panel Faces Pollution, Ethics Complaints." The complaints were filed against Heidi Vittietoe and her family's southeast Iowa operation. So what is the distinction?

I met Heidi in April of 2002 when we spoke to a crowd of 1,300 about the importance of animal agriculture. Recently, she has been outspoken in favor of animal agriculture. She was appointed as a producer representative to the Iowa governor's Environmental Protection Commission (EPC).

On September 15, 2003, the EPC voted on recommendations regarding air quality standards. Heidi has been accused of having a conflict of interest because her family still raises pigs on their farm. While I have not spoken to Heidi about the allegations against her family's operation, they are minor paperwork violations with no negative environmental impact that have been blown way out of proportion. Meanwhile, a confirmed fish kill of 104,000 by a city municipality draws no interest because it is buried on page six.

The complaints against the Vittietoe operation were glorified on the front page by author Perry Beeman. Many of Beeman's articles seem to be similar to the views of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, the same organization that filed the complaints against Vittietoe in an attempt to prevent her from voting. Conveniently, this article makes front page news a little over one week prior to the commission's vote. Could this be a series of events designed to shut Vittietoe up? In Iraq, we called that oppression.

On the same day, a township commissioner in Minnesota had hog manure dumped in his yard and a dead rat nailed to his front door with a note that read "Resign or Die." Dave Ericson of Hayfield, MN has been willing to vote in favor of livestock expansion when he believes it is appropriate.

A pork producer from Nebraska recently told me that he is building one new finishing barn. He received threats that if he built the barn, it would be burned down. A prosecuting attorney for Yankton County, SD filed false criminal charges against a member of Yankton County Planning and Zoning because of his support for animal agriculture. The commissioner was forced to prove his innocence at trial.

I could go on and on about oppression against people who support animal agriculture. Evidently we need to make sure that everyone understands the founding principle, "Of the people, by the people and for the people." It was not originally nor should it ever be "My bias prevails regardless of the cost."

In regard to the importance of my Dad talking to President Bush, I feel the time is now. I believe it is important that we prevent oppression globally, but no matter what happens anywhere else in the world, we must take care of things here at home. When it comes to Homeland Security, what is more important than producing food in our own country? Isn't it important to prevent the mafia-like tactics that are being used to shut people up when they attempt to speak their mind? 

On April 12, 2003, President Bush stated, "We know that freedom is the gift of God to all mankind, and we rejoice when others can share it." Isn't it time that the people in this country who support agriculture and the securities that it brings to our nation, enjoy the same freedom that we are fighting to give to others around the globe?

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