My tiny town has a big problem. For 47 years now, the housing of lifestock of any kind has been prohibited by law within village limits. Apparently, in 1979, all livestock was slaughtered in one big murderous event because of this law, and a huge party was held. Since then, nothing has been allowed.
Except, that law has been ignored regarding chickens.
Now, not very many of us raise chickens, but there are rather more of us who hate chickens and do not want chickens anywhere in the village, not even on lots of ten acres or more. These haters want zero chickens anywhere. None. Nada. Nuh unh. So, they found out that the law forbids them and, even though there have been no problems at all other than a few complaints (according to the mayor, the police chief, and the code enforcer), the village board, the police chief, and the code enforcer have been hard at work fashioning a new law that will allow a very few people to have chickens. This law is so onerous to comply with that most of the people with chickens today will have to get rid of their flocks. One chicken lover put the question to AI which found a great many clauses in the proposed law that are questionable on constitutional grounds, and downright absurd, such as that fecal material must not be composted on ones property. Chicken lovers will recognize the ridiculousness of this requirement.
This 3000 word law would essentially prohibit the raising of chickens for nearly everyone in the village. There will be far fewer chickens than there have been while law enforcement was ignoring the law.
Are the chickens haters happy that neighbors would have to give permission for someone to raise chickens right next door? Nope. Are they happy that coops will have to be 50 feet from any property line? Nope. Are they happy that the code enforcer will be allowed to make surprise and warrant-less inspections of a property with chickens? Nope. All this and more is not enough for them. They want the chicken prohibition to remain in force, and to be enforced forthwith.
The vote on this ridiculously unconstitutional law is this coming Monday.
What did one of our chicken haters do?
Called Channel 2 News to alert them that my small town is going to allow the raising of chickens. Because - wait for it - The Big Bad Avian Flu.
Yup. We'll be on the telly for allowing a source of a deadly plague within village limits.
Who thinks like this? Only someone who wants another pandemic/plandemic in our midst. The last con job (covid) must have scared their wits right out of them if you ask me.
So this is what I miss about the pre-plandemic era: the good old days when pandemics were not believed to be a regular thing of life, here to stay, here to allow folks handy excuses to shirk responsibilies. Most aggregiously, here to be used to slaughter millions of creatures based on the plus or minus results of a plastic testing trinket from China, said trinket administered by the hands of untrained persons, and those results used to fashion public policy for all.
I've gotten heavily involved in the making of this law, even though I do not have chickens. I learned a lot! About the persons in "charge" of my life here, about how laws are made (arbitrarily!), and about how to raise my own voice in public. I am, once again, turning into one of my parents, in this case into my father, who was himself a local politician in this very town, as mayor among his many positions, and either hated or loved by everyone here. It's been fun! I look forward to Monday's meeting. I might even harass Channel 2 News for being there at all.
This is what I do not miss: my being hesitant to express an opinion that is contrary to the opinion of most of the other people in a room.
Good times.
Memoir Monday initiative. I'm a bit late for this particular topic, but the question was "What do you miss about the pre-pandemic world?"This is my entry to @ericvancewalton's
For nearly a full year now (I believe there is only one week left) Eric has posted a question about our lives for us to answer, in hopes that, after a year, the participants will have produced a valuable collection of memories.
In Eric's words:
Someday all that will be left of our existence are memories of us, our deeds, and words. It's up to you to leave as rich of a heritage as possible for future generations to learn from. So, go ahead, tell your stories!
Well, today is Monday and I hope you give 'em hell. That is the most asinine thing I've heard since gardens would be banned. I can't even remember where that was taking place. I second the suggestion of @sunscape...get the quail, easier to hide should the need arise. You've got quite the hen party here with @sunscape, @deirdyweirdy, @ladyrebecca, @bleujay and all the rest lol
Thank you @tamaralovelace for including me.....
Oh yes...I am all for becoming self-sustaining. May the peeps win!
Cheers!
You go right ahead and express your opinions all you want. Nothing changes for the better if we don't stand up for our rights. I can't have chickens either and it really upsets me from time to time. I've had to accept that I can't have them, but no law in my town says I can't have quail. lol
OMG I have to tell you that I thought to myself "I'll get quail. The law doesn't say I can't have those." I could have fifty of those. I'll bet we could have pheasant. and I know folks openly had pigeons after the original law was passed. Your comment sent me to see if quail qualify as livestock (which is what the original law forbade - this new law only regulates chickens) and I found this:
I am soooo getting quail!!!
I thought of the same thing...get quail lol
Morons who believe in bird flu deserve to pay $10 for a dozen eggs, like they do in the US these days.
Good luck with your meeting on Monday. I don't know how you can deal with the news people. Guess you cannot use the catchphrase that's increasingly popular in Romania, which best translates as "Fuck off!" Sure, dialogue is nice, but at some point there's nothing else you can say to certain people. There is no way you can dialogue with people who lie to promote an agenda bent on destroying regular folks by threatening their food supply.
I am trying to always be polite and gracious, spouting simple words that bite. I'm so happy I got advance notice of the news' being there - I had a private meeting with one board member to discuss the upcoming chicken vote and boy did I ever learn a lot! The original law, dating to 1978, forbids not only livestock, but also the raising or cultivating of any food source, whether for commercial or personal use. Everyone grows a little something here, and many of us have small backyards full of veggie gardens. Crazy!
Good for you! I really wish more people would be willing to participate in local government and voice their opinions. I feel like the world is a better place when this happens! It was great to read you again @owasco. I hope all is well in your corner of the world!
It's pretty good of late! I'm sleeping well again, thanks to a homeopathic remedy, or two or three, for grief and arthritis. That stuff is amazing! I'm so fired up about it. Medicine that actually treats the condition, doesn't only palliate the symptoms.
How's the new house coming along?
I'm glad to hear that, proper sleep makes a world of difference in everything. My Mom has had great luck with THC for sleep, anxiety and arthritis. The new house is coming along slowly. All of the big mechanicals have been updated. We're going to start some renovations soon of the main bathroom and upper level. I think we've settled on a pellet stove for the lower level. Even with the new furnace we can only maintain about 62 degrees down there when the temps slip below the teens.
My goodness, are you living there while all this is going on?
I earnestly wish you the greatest success in that endeavor, and hope you go well armed to the war of words you will be fighting.
Thanks!
It's my pleasure! I'm enjoying this immensely. More should try holding their village or town boards accountable. This board seems to be a bunch of jokester buddies who vote yes on everything without any discussion of the matter at all. REally eye opening!
What a wonderful world it would be if everyone would mind their own business. Good on ya for standing up and good luck on Monday.
Right? And thanks. I am looking forward to Monday, and may have even gotten a few other people interested in the goings on at the board meetings.
I am concerned about many parts of this law, but the get-the-neighbors-permission is enraging. The board members seem hell bent on putting it in their pretty law, but AI says this:
Legal Concern: The ordinance delegates permit approval to neighbors rather than a zoning board or government official. If a single neighbor objects, the permit is denied.
Potential Challenge: Courts have ruled that neighbor consent laws can violate due process if they grant an individual veto power over another person’s lawful use of their property.
Example Case: In Eubank v. City of Richmond (1912), the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law that let neighbors decide whether a building permit could be granted.
Possible Legal Argument: Applicants are denied a fair and impartial permitting process because their ability to keep chickens is subject to personal opinions rather than objective standards.
Greetings @owasco ,
Such a beautiful post.....thank you for articulating what can only be called...a conundrum.
How very brave of you to attend this meeting....hope you will keep us posted.
May the peeps win!
Kind Regards,
Bleujay
Thank you bleujay. Your comment means a lot to me.
I thought individuals raising chickens locally was a good thing as they are not exposed to vast amounts of other chickens being born and raised too close together.
I admit I haven't studied it. It's too bad that it is hard to figure out the real truth of things. So many precautions may be for nothing.
If its' not one thing, it's 10...right?
There do seem to be an awful lot of things, yes. We plod along and hope to get to as many as we can.
Chickens are a good thing, but some folks just don't want that kind living in their neighborhood.
I understand. A lot of places that have chickens, even if it is not a lot, do come with a not so pleasant smell. I think people get used to it when it is theirs and maybe they become nose blind, but the neighbors are not always so lucky. Also, if there is a rooster, the every morning crowing can become annoying.
The smell can be a bit much, I admit. The only folks here that I know with chickens keep their coops scrupulously clean though, and there is no smell at all, certainly not that would reach someone more than 20 feet away. And I support "no roosters" in the law, even though I find the morning crowing charming. I know it is highly irritating to some.
Look, what a cute little chicken. It's a shame that those Chinese finishing everything could have the bad flu.
Could it be that you tell us where that news is, the time and details to see if I see you defending the rights of chickens?
I think it's a local station that you are unlikely to be able to get, but I'll consider letting you know.
I can see not having chickens if you live right on top of each other, but if you have a big yard, there should be nothing wrong with having them.
Good luck Monday.
I wish I could get your channel 2 news, but know I will be rooting for you.
Some of the chicken keepers do live in very small properties, maybe 1/6 acre. I think those are the folks some people object to, especially if they don't keep their coops clean.
Thanks. I have no idea what is going to happen. They'll probably pass the law, and then I'll have to sue them. I don't even have chickens! But I'm thinking I now have to get me some quail, which are game birds, not livestock, and so are not forbidden by law.
We had quail, and even though I cleaned their cage every day, they got bumblefoot, which required us to operate on them to get rid of it. If you do get them, order a pair of quail egg scissors, the eggs are very hard to crack open. Let us know what happens.