So you just happen to be doing the Von Trapp family tour in Switzerland, looking for lonely goatherds and edelweiss. You find some nice wildflowers and want to take out your and proceed to cut a couple to grace your partner's locks. She is so happy, with your romantic gesture, you find a more secluded spot, plop down a blanket (you were planning ahead)  and proceed to celebrate that happiness, maybe crushing a few edelweiss and the two of you thrash around on the blanket.

You head back to your room in some quaint inn, only to have the inkeeper notice those flowers in her hair the the edelweiss residue on your blanket. Said innkeeper is so offended he reports you to the PETVFFM (People for the Ethical Treatment of Vegetables, Fruits, Flowers & Mushrooms. Not quite the same ring as PETA, but, hey give the Swiss credit for chocolate, at least). And off you go.....

Sound far fetched. Not according to the weekly standard article

 The Silent Scream of the

According to the auther: At the request of the Swiss government, an ethics panel has weighed in on the "dignity" of plants and opined that the arbitrary killing of flora is morally wrong.

They added an ammendment to their constitution in order that "account to be taken of the dignity of creation when handling animals, plants and other organisms." Since no one new what that really meant, they then created a panel to find out what they put into the constitution. That panel came up with "biocentric" moral view, meaning that "living organisms should be considered morally for their own sake because they are alive." 

Based upon this conclusion, we cannot maintain absolute ownership over plants and that individual plants have inherent worth.

And that's how, after your innocent romp in that Swiss meadow you now find yourself in front of a magistrate facing a stiff fine and expulsion to Austria.

I still like Swiss chocolate (but only the extra dark).

The article can be found at

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/065njdoe.asp