I’m the recipient of a swell new designation — promoter of vegan terrorism — for writing about a proposed law that targets whistleblowers and animal activists.

Last week I reported on the tabling of new legislation at Queen’s Park called the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, which could impose fines from $15,000 to $25,000 for trespassing to expose abuse on farms and slaughterhouses.

It prompted interesting email from readers, including several who asked how to make their opposition known to the Doug Ford government. More on that at the bottom of this column.

Doug Baldwin sent a note saying that Bill 156 would allow the “owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises,” to make a citizen’s arrest of anyone found on their premises. The bill also says they “may use only such force as is necessary and reasonable.”

“This smacks of company-hired strikebreakers in the 19th century and shouldn’t be legal,” said Baldwin.

If the bill becomes law, how long before somebody is beaten to a pulp under the cover of using reasonable force to make an arrest? With the law on their side, how much force would be deemed reasonable?

Another emailer — Jacob Betker, who confirmed he is a dog-sledder in the Timmins area — defended the legislation, saying, “I doubt you’d be OK with 30 people entering your property without permission,” and made a bizarre accusation: “Not like you care about how your promotion of vegan terrorism impacts rural industries and people. Just keep spouting self-righteous bs from the centre of the world.”

Promoting vegan terrorism? Betker also sounded off about animal rights activist Jenny McQueen, who has been charged with trespassing on factory farms but later had the charges dropped.

“We aren’t talking about genuine concerns over animal welfare, the activists are extremist vegans with very laid out agendas,” including a plot to convert the world to veganism by 2030, he said.

“Well you know what, I’m reaching out to my local farmers, fur trapper association and anyone else that works with animals. Enough is enough. If people are concerned about animal welfare there are legitimate avenues.

“The idea that a bunch of vegans from Toronto can just terrorize rural people, is over. People won’t take your bs anymore.”

If raising awareness about legislation that would turn whistleblowers and even journalists into bad guys, then I am guilty as charged.

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This may set me back with the vegans, but I need to make a confession: I made a 2.6-pound sirloin tip roast on Wednesday. Cooked it myself. It was excellent and I don’t feel even a little bit conflicted about it.

In an email, Lawrence Anderson sent a link to a petition against the bill, organized by www.change.org, which anyone can sign. He also sent a link to www.ola.org, where email addresses for every member of the Ontario legislature can be found, for those who want to express their opposition to government members.