Weekly Posting of the Conservative Cow Doctor

 

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Dr. Temple Grandin is an animal scientist who is truly a master in corral design. She is a gifted lecturer and author, who also has autism and in her book, Thinking in Pictures, she reveals how she uses her handicap to her advantage; a perfect example of what God expects when life gives you lemons.

Ten years ago I visited one of her newly designed cattle handling facilities at the Decatur County Feed Yard in Oberlin, Kansas. Decatur was hosting a demonstration and dozens of other ranchers and farmers crowded with me in the chute house. (Chute house is a misnomer as the facility was nicer than my living room.) There were dual crowding tubs, and a double “S” curve alleyway connected to three data collection stations. The first station captured a digital image of the critter’s hip height, the second the animal’s weight and the third gently squeezed the calf for back fat measurement, ear tagging, and implantation.

It was station #1 which tweaked my interest. After calmly walking side-by-side through 50 feet of the double “S”, each steer was expected to step to station #1. To allow photography, the outside alleyway wall was no higher than the midsection of a 600 pound calf. The only thing restraining the steer from the elbows upward was air…that’s right; absolutely nothing. “That’s never going to work,” I thought to myself. “The first calf will jump right over the side of station #1.”

The gates were opened and calves filled each crowding tub. Like clockwork, they marched side-by-side down the double “S” without the assistance of hollering, hot-shots or heelers. The first calf into station #1 paused for a split second as the door in front of him momentarily closed and his hip-height profile was snapped. The door quickly and quietly opened and he advanced to station #2. The operation was flawless.

The secret behind station #1 is an illusion; the chute house walls are painted the exact color as the alleyway. The steer never realizes the alleyway wall doesn’t actually exist. In blissful ignorance, each calf dutifully follows the steer in front of him. In terms of animal behavior, Dr. Grandin is a master of deception.

A similar deception is occurring today in airports across America. Under the guise of enhancing safety, Homeland Security began using full-body, radiographic scanners to capture near naked photos of airline passengers. Although your revealing image is digitally transmitted to another room where it is evaluated by someone who never actually sees your face, the public screamed “No.” To counter noncompliance, Homeland Security ordered TSA agents to begin invasive pat downs of passengers refusing the scanner. Reports of agents fondling six-year-olds, and palpating the prosthesis of breast cancer survivors soon exploded across the airwaves. If blue-glove pat downs and radiographic scanning are too frightening you can always chose option three: Exit the screening line and pay an $11,000 fine. (America has certainly changed since Western Airlines advertized their champagne flights as “The only way to fly.”)


Facing the options, passengers began choosing the quick scanners over the invasive pat downs. Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano soon announced she is now considering backscatter imaging at federal buildings and all transportation stations. You see, it’s not about security; it’s never been about security. It’s about conditioning. With imagers around every corner, Americans will soon dutifully march through them like steers to slaughter; never noticing the chute house wall is painted the same color as the alleyway and no wall actually exists. Security is just an illusion.

Use your imagination and look ahead to air travel in 2014; this isn’t much of a stretch. In less time than it takes to put on your shoes, your “anonymous” digital image, complete with all your personal identification and medical records, are beamed instantly to the new Perfect Society Authority (PSA). Red lights flash because you had been warned. Obamacare physicians at the Internal Revenue Service evaluated your 2013, 1040EZ Form and demanded you shrink your Body Mass Index below 26 or lose government benefits like travel privileges on the previously bankrupted but now nationalized, airline system. On order from the PSA, security agents escort you from the terminal, void your boarding pass and suggest you call Jenny Craig. If you want to visit the grandkids this Christmas, you’ll have to walk. End of story.

Is there a level of freedom you are unwilling to trade for the illusion of security? We passed George Orwell’s 1984 many, many years ago. Think about it.


 
 
 
 
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