As of April 15, 2016, the Bovine will no longer be posting comments, except in exceptional circumstances. However, readers are still welcome to use the comment process to message the Editor.
In fact, since we don’t check our email that often, “posting” a comment is probably the best way to get a message through. Just don’t expect it to be posted.
Thank you,
– Editor
Up until this time — or at least for the past few years — our comment policy had been:
The comment section on The Bovine is intended for civil, respectful discourse on topics related primarily to raw milk and related matters, as represented in the content of the posts. Any digressions into ad hominem (against the person) attacks, or other offensive content may result in removal of comments.
Comment moderation may periodically be enabled according to whether it seems to be needed. When moderation is enabled it may may result in your comment not appearing until it can be reviewed by a moderator.
Regarding freedom of expression, folks are free to start their own blogs. Editorial discretion on The Bovine will be exercised here in an attempt to keep the discussion relevant and friendly.
For now, all comments will be moderated. By submitting a comment here you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of this site. You agree that comments may be edited for length, content, and embedded links, and that we may decide not to post your comment at all if we feel it doesn’t meet our guidelines.
We regard commenting on this blog as being a guest at our dinner party. If you come across as unpleasant and disrespectful or as an embarrassment to your host, you may not be invited back. As for freedom of speech, everyone is free to write their own blog. We’re not undertaking to provide a platform here for anyone to endlessly declaim their own views on the issues we present, as though we had an obligation to publish them.
In particular, threatening to sue this website is a good way to get yourself excluded from future postings. If there’s something posted about you that you find libelous, the polite course of action is to write to us in a comment or email and ask that it be removed.
Thank you,
– Editor
P.S. Sometimes the reason for not posting a comment is that it includes a video that I don’t want to take the time to watch first.
The Bovine 
I see that i have comments awaiting moderation. Just wondering why, when they are relevnt and factul, in response to a previous post by Michael. Are they going to be posted or is this a case of censorship? Just wondering as the public has a right to the facts and not get a censored version.
Same thing, other posts get put up but when I respond to things from Ms. selick, they do not get posted. What is the issue? Is Ms. Selick not capable of defending herself? Or is it not proper to allow someone to point out where she contradicts herself, as posted on this site and quoted from an interview on this site?
I also have noticed that you are prone to snipping portions of posts that you do not like. What is the problem? Is the truth not to get to the public? Complain about government and then censor people who express their views, and I might add views based in fact, not on twisted versions that some of your posters are allowed.
Come on do really think it is necessary to censor things, or are you implying that your readership should not be allowed to decide for themselves?
The In’s and Out’s of Comment-Making
What is fascinating here is if one were to make a general analysis of the comments (not commenters ) in this grand old blog , 4 broad classifications emerge :
1 .VISIONARY – These comments offer solutions and are action-oriented and highly specific in their remedies and suggestions . An example of this would be Nadine’s comments in this blog .
2. SUPPORTIVE – These comments do not offer any new ideas in themselves, but they offer support ($,resources, volunteer time , connections ) to build on the Visionary comments and ideas previously presented, or , at the very least, they try to inject “positive emotion” into the conversation.
3 . UNRELATED – These comments, while harmless and innocent in themselves, have little to do with the topic at hand. Or if they do they tend to overfocus on unimportant details. These comments may be a bore to read . They may also even be entertaining to read and they may even give you some kind of a mental buzz. . On the down side, these comments may prove to be a waste of everybody’s time and distract from the overall focus and intent of the thread. They tend to muddy the waters too much and cause people to rapidly lose interest in the thread or topic at hand .
4. DESTRUCTIVE – These comments tend to be overanalytical, insulting (or worse threatening ) , hypercritical and patronizing and never offer any constructive alternatives in place of the original ideas attacked. They may also have little to do with the topic at hand and simply be an exercise in purposely injecting “negative emotion ” into the forum. These comments tend to attack or criticize other commenters instead of the ideas presented . The people offering these comments may be unconscious of this tendency as a function of their own mental /emotional dysfunction i.e due to drug,alcohol or other abuse ,senility or other mental illness etc. or they may doing it deliberately as part of some agenda to pollute the constructive agenda of the blog. An example would be a government agent , a dairy lobby representative or a representative of the corporate chemical, GMO or Factory farming industry.
I wish to emphasize that criticism , in itself , does not make a comment “destructive” . It is when it tends become excessively personal and fails to offer a constructive alternative in its place that its value diminishes.
This valuation scheme is somewhat subjective. For example , many people may find an article by Michael Schmidt to be visionary(Category 1 ) in its nature and content while others may read it as a lot of “hot air” (category 3 ) .
May you all have fun with these classifications and find them useful ! It actually can prove to be useful as a time-saving device as well as certain individuals who tend to be stuck in Category 3 and 4 are rarely able to make the leap to Category 1 or 2 no matter how many opportunities they are given to do so ! So if you are short of time you can probably safely skip those comments without actually missing anything !
I was wondering if the small cow share dairy outside of Portland was addressed on your site? The one I mention is where the Dairy owners
children became sick after ingesting raw milk. Last I heard one of the children came down with HUS and is on dialysis. Do you have an article pertaining to this situation? Thanks
Lol… While some people require 100 percent guarantees in order to live their life, the truth is if you believe in a 100 percent guarantee anything then you are simply living in either a dream world or a lie… There is no guarantee of anything, and some may argue it is the spice of life itself. Some people are more adventurous than others, some people more curious, smart, dumb… what have you… Free will is actually what is being discussed here and as the old saying goes… If we have to explain, you wouldn’t understand. This case is NOT about raw milk… Its about freedom, and freedom scares a LOT of people and governments alike ! Go pour yourself a glass of Cool Aid ( make sure you pasteurize it first ) and watch brave-heart 😉
BC: I love the “In’s and Outs of Comment Making” Perfect. This isn’t a comment..it’s a “Hey Thanks, I enjoyed that!” 😛
I am milking a miniature jersey cow that has A2A2 milk and it does taste better than any other milk plus it has helped my health problems it is sad that all people cant drink A2A2 milk
where do you get it?
hi there, my daughter is 8 years old and was diagnosed with celiac disease last year…she is 100% celiac…its tough enough to make sure everything she consumes is gluten-free, but now, as her mother, I am greatly upset about the monsanto bastards…how do I know exactly whats not engineered here in bc. canada, if its not labeled…very frustrating and just wish these monsanto people would get to really see how disgusted we canadians really truly are with them and what they are doing to our health, especially our childrens health!!!!!
Sincerely,
Emma from British Columbia
I don’t understand why a government such as our has the right to prevent people from freedom of choice when they fail to inform us of the dangers of thimerol in vaccines, dental amalgam mercury ,high fructose corn syrup (results in mercury levels higher than fish) when they know mercury is a neurotoxin and banned in several countries including Sweden. Not to mention GMO foods and pesticides. This focus on unpasteurized milk is nothing but a witch hunt likely brought on by some ovezealous government clown with a huge ego.They also push the flu vaccine knowing that the risk of Alzheimer’s increases 10 fold for every 4 flu shots due to mercury containing thimerosol preservative and knowing that it is not effective. There are different delivery methods for vaccines such as by skin patch that our government doesn’t publicly fund.I think this is nothing short of crazy.The informed public should be allowed to decide what do do for their own health,as our government is not doing so and causes harm to more than good in it’s decisions, The decision to remove thimerosol from many vaccines was due to public pressure and the epidemic in Autism unseen in the Amish community. Look up mercury toxicity. Are they completely mad?
Michael Schmidt youn are a freedom hero SIR.
PEACE to you
Raw milk is bad but mercury in your tudler is fine ! please gooberment go fuck your self.
Surprised to see you would have to think about negative comments but l guess there are people out there who are gaining from the loss of our freedom. Our freedom is being taken at slow and ever increasing pace. Mr schmidt you have done a grate job for free people . Unfortunately gov doesn’t allways adhere to the constitution of the land which was created by people who saw the past and tried to protect our future but it seem greed takes president more often then not. You have my support and thoughts. if there is a list or patiton please add my name to it or let me know were I can.
Here are a few
Seat belts, smoking weather you are a smoker or not this one benefits me because of allergy . Property rights bylaws who owns it not you you just pay., gun laws are they really tying to protect us or taking our right to protect our selves from injustice . Anyway there seems to be a hidden agenda .my thoughts are with you
Brian Scheufen