Some See 666 In Mandatory National Animal Identification

Initial plans for a national livestock identification program were unveiled in 20002 and almost immediately opposition to the program started to mount. In fact, some said the proposed ID program is a new threat to rural freedom. The voices against instituting the USDA National Animal Identification System (NAIS) continue to grow louder as more elements of the plan are being put in place by USDA. Opponents base their stand on a smorgasbord of issues ranging from the plan being unconstitutional to not fulfilling the initial goal of the program, and from an unfair economic burden on livestock producers to the infringement of their personal and religious rights. Even though the NAIS process has advanced to the stage of voluntarily obtaining premise ID numbers, those opposed to the program hope to stop it dead in its tracks, before January 2008, when they claim USDA will make premise and animal identification mandatory. To better understand the opposition to the plan, a little background information is first needed. The NAIS plan is basically made up of two registration components and an additional animal tracking capability. First, every person who owns even one cow, pig, horse, sheep, bison, chicken, turkey, or virtually any livestock animal, would be required to register their location, including name, address, telephone number, GPS coordinates, in a federal database under a 7-digit “premise ID number.” The second part would require these owners to obtain a 15-digit ID number for any animal that ever leaves the premises of its birth. This number would also be kept in a federal database. Even though these registrations are now voluntary, opponents to NAIS say it's only a matter of time until they become required and they point to recent statements by political and commodity leaders to prove that point. Finally, once the two ID parts are in place, animal tracking will be easily accomplished. “We want to see it mandatory,” Philippi said. “We believe the best thing that can happen is that if it's a mandatory law people have to register their premises, because if we can have that 48-hour trace-back, we protect our herd.” The voices against instituting the USDA National Animal Identification System (NAIS) continue to grow louder as more some are claiming that the proposed ID system directly conflicts with the Bible's book of Revelation, where chapter 13 warns, “The Beast also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.” William Jud, writing in Maine's Magic City Morning Star, said “The convergence of NAIS and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags enables the Beast Computer to place its mark on every item of commerce. If the Beast Computer does not, will not, or is instructed not to recognize its identifying mark the Beast will not let you buy or sell.”