October 21, 2008
Dear Friends
Dear Mr. Kuzmyk
Dear Justice Boswell
I would like to express my respect and thanks to all who have been part
of this trial and ongoing venture for the last months. The formality of
the court room makes it sometimes difficult for human beings to convey
all the necessary thoughts, intentions and concerns. However, since the
Honourable Justice Boswell accepted website postings as evidence, I am
sure all parties involved will, in fact, read this posting and gain
more insight into why I am who I am and why so many people are
supporting the cause.
In my response to Justice Boswell’s ruling, I responded with the following:
When Gandhi started his march to the Indian Ocean to encourage his people to make salt in order to defy the tax on salt imposed on India by the English Empire, he did that knowing full well that they needed to break the law in order to bring about justice.
When the black woman, Rosa, started the bus boycott in Montgomery, Martin Luther King knew that they had to break the law in order to eradicate injustice towards the blacks in America.
When Stephen Harper apologized this year in the House of Commons for the Government’s injustice towards the First Nations, he had to do it because the legal system failed to protect their individual rights.
In addition, I would like to remind everyone that the Rule of Law is indeed arbitrary. In history there have been countless executions and prosecutions of people in other countries and here in Canada who objected to injustice based on the Rule of Law of that country. We here in the west praise those in other countries who have the courage to stand up for lost rights, despite their breaking the Rule of Law in that country.
Every day I try to critically assess my actions in order to be sure that my motives are in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice and my own personal morals.
Was this the Ruling I expected? Yes. Was it a Ruling I had hoped for? No.
We are indeed in the process of appealing the Ruling based on some very basic concerns we have.
I am sure you are wondering why I asked the judge for the maximum penalty. The point I want to bring across is simple. Jail is not what I am afraid of as I have said so many times before. I also have no intention of becoming a martyr. I do not feel like a martyr. A maximum sentence will only demonstrate how far we are willing to go until the Government starts to take us seriously. If we learn not to be afraid, governing a country with threats does not work anymore and, finally, a constructive dialogue can take place.
In March 1995, I offered in writing to the Government of Ontario and the Milk Marketing Board my co-operation to study together the safe production of raw milk.
In December 2006, Bill Murdoch introduced a proposal to study the issue of raw milk at Queen’s Park.
For many years now, James McLaren in Ottawa has been trying to work with the different agencies to look at the issue of raw milk.
In November 2007, we prepared a proposal to the Ontario Government about how we might regulate a growing underground market.
All of the above has been ignored or ridiculed. What choices are left?
We cannot and will not pay a lawyer to defend our fundamental rights, which affect everyone.
This is not only about health; this is not only about milk, This is about the growing awareness that especially Government and its public servants are accountable and their need to learn to respect the unalienable individual rights that grant everyone equal standing before our creator and before each other.
With warm regards
Michael Schmidt
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