THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE STATES PASS AG GAG LAWS THAT MAKE IT
A CRIME FOR ACTIVISTS TO GO UNDERCOVER INTO FACTORY FARMS,
PRODUCTION FACILITIES, AND TO RELEASE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF WHAT IS
ACTUALLY GOING ON THERE.
A NUMBER OF STATES HAVE ALREADY
PASSED THESE.
IOWA, UTAH, SOUTH CAROLINA, MISSOURI, AND IT HAS
BEEN ATTEMPTED IN OTHER STATES.
IT IS STILL LAW IN A NUMBER OF
STATES.
ONE PLACE IT IS NOT LAW ANYMORE IS UTAH, WHERE A FEDERAL
JUDGE HAS STRUCK DOWN THE AG GAG BANS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN
PLACE.
IF YOU CARE ABOUT FOOD SAFETY OR ANIMALS, THIS IS A
GOOD THING.
IF YOU ARE ABOUT FREE SPEECH, THIS IS A GOOD THING.
>>I DON'T SEE THE CORRUPTING INFLUENCE OF MONEY IN POLITICS
WHATSOEVER.
YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT IF THERE IS SOME NEFARIOUS
MEATPACKING -- LET'S FACE IT, THE MEATPACKING INDUSTRY HAS
BEEN ONE OF THE CLEANEST, BEST INDUSTRIES HISTORICALLY.
>>THOSE PINKY FINGERS AND RAT TAILS ARE SPOTLESS WHEN
THEY GO INTO YOUR FOOD.
>> I AM TRYING TO THINK OF THE NAME OF THE BOOK THAT
STARTED EVERYTHING.
>>THE JUNGLE?
>>YES, UPTON SINCLAIR.
>>I THINK IT SHOULD BE VOLUNTARY, I THINK IT
SHOULD BE VOLUNTARY REGULATIONS.
>>NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU SHOULD OUTLAW ANYBODY EXPOSING
MALFEASANCE INSIDE THE MEATPACKING, BECAUSE THAT
JUST HURTS MEATPACKERS AND IT RAISES THE PRICE OF
DISEASED MEAT FOR ALL OF US.
>>IT DOES, IT MAKES IT MORE EXPENSIVE TO GET A TERRIBLE
DISEASE.
LOOK, IT IS EASY FOR THE LIBS TO POINT OUT THAT HE
MEAT INSPECTOR WILL GO AND TWO GUYS WILL PROP UP A COW
WHO HAS MAD COW DISEASE -- IF YOU GET RID OF THAT, THOSE GUYS
WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS.
>>SO WE HAVE DISEASED MEAT AND FOOD AND STUFF, SO WHEN YOU GO
TO HAVE CHICKEN, YOU JUST CALL IT EL POLIO LOCO.
>> THAT IS PRETTY GOOD.
>> NOTHING SHOWS YOU THE CORRUPTING INFLUENCE OF MONEY IN
POLITICS -- YOU CAN'T DO AN UNDERCOVER --
>> THAT IS INSANE.
>>AND THEN THE PEOPLE VOTE FOR PEOPLE WHO OKAY THAT LEGISLATION?
BUT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT IT.
WE WILL CHANGE THAT TODAY.
FIRST THOUGH, WE WANT TO SHOW YOU AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF
THE SORTS OF VIDEOS WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED ON THE
YOUNG TURKS THAT WOULD BE BANNED UNDER THESE SORTS OF LAWS.
>>WORKERS VICIOUSLY KICK AND PUNCH COWS, STAB THEM WITH
SCREWDRIVERS, AND VIOLENTLY BEAT ANIMALS WITH POLES AND
OTHER OBJECTS.
>>THAT IS FROM SORT OF AN ANIMAL SAFETY RIGHTS ACTIVIST, BUT
THERE ARE ALSO EXAMPLES OF VIDEOS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE
LACK OF CLEANLINESS IN THESE FACILITIES, AND ALSO THE DANGER
TO PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THESE FACTORY FARMS.
ALL OF THAT
ACTIVISM IS SHUT DOWN UNDER THE SORTS OF LAWS THAT A FEDERAL
JUDGE THANKFULLY SHUT DOWN.
BUT TO GIVE YOU DETAILS ABOUT WHAT
PREVIOUSLY HAD BEEN LAW IN IDAHO, THE LAW MADE IT A
MISDEMEANOR PUNISHABLE UP TO A YEAR OF PRISON PLUS POTENTIALLY
STEEP DAMAGES TO MAKE SECRET RECORDINGS OR MISREPRESENT ONE'S
IDENTITY TO GAIN ENTRANCE TO AN AGRICULTURAL FACILITY.
THE US
CHIEF JUDGE, B. LYNN WINMILL, SAID THE REMEDY FOR MISLEADING
SPEECH, OR SPEECH WE DO NOT LIKE, IS MORE SPEECH, NOT
ENFORCED SILENCE.
IT SAYS THE EFFECT OF THE STATUTE WILL BE TO
SUPPRESS SPEECH BY INVESTIGATORS AND WHISTLEBLOWERS ON TOPICS
CONCERNING GREAT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE, THE SAFETY OF PUBLIC
FOOD SUPPLY, THE SAFETY OF AGRICULTURAL WORKERS, THE
TREATMENT AND HEALTH OF FARM ANIMALS.
I WANT YOU TO HEAR THE
DEFENSE OF THESE AG GAG BANS.
ONE LAWMAKER CALLED THE
UNDERCOVER VIDEOS FARM TERRORISM, INTENDED TO DAMAGE
THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY.
WHICH IS TECHNICALLY TRUE, BUT ONLY TO
MAKE IT BETTER.
ANOTHER COMPARED ACTIVISTS TO ANCIENT INVADERS
WHO DESTROYED CROPS TO STARVE ENEMIES INTO SUBMISSION.
I LOVE
300, I LOVE GLADIATOR, I LIKE THIS SORT OF IMAGERY, BUT IT
DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH AG GAG LAWS.
>>AGAIN THIS IS OUR GOVERNMENT BEING NO LONGER RESPONSIVE TO
THE PEOPLE.
IF THE 90% OF PEOPLE WHO WANT GUN CONTROL AND WE
DIDN'T GET IT, WOLF-PACK.COM, IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME FOR THAT
IT IS NOW, AND IS GOOD TO HEAR BERNIE SANDERS SAY THINGS LIKE
WE NEED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND HAVE CHUCK TODD
DISMISS IT.
THERE IS NOTHING LEFT -- THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE.
THIS IS NOTHING BUT MONEY IN POLITICS.
>>IT IS BRAZEN.
WE ARE GOING TO BE PROTECTED BY LAW FROM OUR
ILLEGAL AND IMMORAL ACTIVITIES BEING SHOWN.
AND WHAT I LOVE IS
THAT WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE IS LARGELY LEGAL TO PRODUCE
HEAVILY EDITED PROPAGANDIST VIDEOS ABOUT ACORN AND PLANNED
PARENTHOOD, AND SPREAD THOSE TO DESTROY ACORN AND PLANNED
PARENTHOOD, BUT TO SHOW THE ACTUAL FOOTAGE GOING ON THERE,
WE HAVE VIDEOS OF THEM TOSSING PIGLETS ACROSS THE ROOM, THAT IS
ILLEGAL.
SHOWING THE DISGUSTING, DIRTY CONDITIONS, THE DISEASE
RIDDEN CONDITIONS, IN THESE FACTORIES, THAT IS
CURRENTLY ILLEGAL, BECAUSE APPARENTLY THEY HAVE GOT
SOME POWERFUL, WELL-FUNDED LOBBYISTS ON THEIR SIDE.
>>YOU STILL EAT MEAT?
>>YES.
>>ME TOO, I FEEL BAD ABOUT IT.
>>I AM NOT SAYING WE SHOULD SEE THIS BECAUSE IT WILL TURN YOU
VEGETARIAN, I HAVE BEEN A VEGETARIAN AT SOME POINT BUT I
AM NOT NOW, BUT I STILL WANT THE FOOD TO BE AS HEALTHY AS
POSSIBLE, I WANT THE WORKERS TO BE PROTECTED, AND I WANT THE
ANIMALS TO BE TREATED HUMANELY EVEN IN THE HORRIBLE SITUATIONS
WE PUT THEM IN.