Originally from: wieniaski
                        
What a good newsletter from FFA, I agree. How wonderful to know there are more of us out there.

My sister phoned just now to say that the Wilts and Glos Standard have published my letter. I won't put it on warmwell because it would seem like own-trumpet blowing...but here it is for you – a bt out of date because I sent it ten days ago:
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Foot and Mouth Crisis – Public debate during such crises "essential", said Phillips BSE enquiry.

Sir

You have mentioned my Internet website warmwell.com in the past two issues of your paper suggesting that it is a site existing to give graphic horror stories about ill treatment of some animals during the crisis. True – but the website – (and others like it, such as sheepdrove.com, farmtalking.com, cullmaff.com,
vets4vacs.co.uk and efrc.com and many others that I link to on my site ) – is equally concerned about the ill treatment being meted out to human beings; traditional farmers who still care about their livestock, smallholders and the rural communities. It attempts to counteract the secrecy surrounding the present policy. It gives the information so hard to find out through other more official channels. It warns about the worrying erosion of our civil liberties. Most of all – thanks to contributors far more well informed than I – it offers advice and support to beleaguered farmers who have the misfortune to find themselves in the vicinity of a so-called "Infected Premises" – which may well be nothing of the kind. As long ago as May 10th Andrew Veitch at Channel Four revealed that 40 percent of the 'confirmed' cases tested negative. On contiguous culls no animal is even tested. Farmers up and down the country have allowed their healthy stock to be killed without blood testing because they trusted that it was a necessary evil. Many still believe that it is.

After more than four months I am sick of the killing and the bullying, and sick to death also of the phrases repeated by government spokesmen like a mantra; "we must bear down", "we must not relax our guard", "pre-emptive strike", "these animals cannot be called 'healthy'" etc These animals, threatened by the barbaric and pointless "contiguous cull", CAN be called healthy. (They look less so after the teams have finished. Then the problems of disposal have to be dealt with. It is not so easy to get rid of the bodies of over 5 million cattle, sheep and pigs).

As for the veterinary input into this shameful affair, a member of the Council of the RCVS, Roger Windsor, spoke fearlessly to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons at their Council meeting on June 6th "... the College should have led the way in condemning what I call "postcode slaughter" – the indiscriminate and unnecessary slaughter of animals because of where they are, – and I have tried to prod the College to action, but the response, particularly from the Registrar has been that we must not offend MAFF" His very worrying speech can be read in full on the warmwell.com site.

One of the main findings of the Philips (BSE) inquiry was that "public debate during such crises was essential, that dissenting advice should be heard, that there should be full and open discussion". Here however, dissenting advice of the most expert kind (Professor Fred Brown O.B.E., Dr Simon Barteling, Dr Paul Sutmoller, Dr Donaldson, Dr Kitching – all internationally known for their knowledge of foot and mouth disease) has NOT been listened to and is hardly mentioned in the press. It is not surprising that so many people are uninformed. The warmell website (and others) does at least give a platform for dissenting voices – and much needed information to those who prefer not to swallow everything they are told by officials and by government.

The crisis has exposed serious weaknesses in the way scientific advice is sought and used by ministers. Prof Hugh Pennington of Aberdeen University is one of those who have criticised the lack of openness surrounding the selection of scientific committees that offer expert advice to the Government. The warmwell website not only throws light on the selection but questions the nature of that "expert" advice.

Christopher Thomas-Everard, who fought and won when his herd of pedigree cattle were threatened in Dulverton in May, said: "The situation Maff put us through was like being at war. Maff didn't tell us anything, we just heard everything through the media. It was dreadful." His words are still being echoed by many others today. Confirmed cases may be decreasing – but the relentless killing is not.

Yours faithfully