I just wanted to chime in personally because Alphonse doesn’t understand politics at all. They think like our government does, apparently. They live for the day, not worrying about where their food comes from, or whether they are safe for tomorrow as long as they are safe for today.
I didn’t understand how important that is until I started taking care of myself, and my farm.
My parents were young during the Depression, and thankfully they both had a safe food supply,
but that was because they worked to make sure that happened. My mom was never a “country girl,” but she learned to can, sew, and entertain herself. My dad knew the same things, though his idea of entertainment was actually woodworking, or learning, or gardening. He was always looking ahead to make sure the house was ready for “the next storm,” rather than just worrying about a storm when it happened.
I try to do that now, though I’m frustrated that more people aren’t. I’ve known for a long time that most humans, especially Americans, take the planet and its occupants for granted. Farms are now depicted as either “Farm Sanctuaries,” where animals live without worries, for their whole lives. Or they are considered “Animal Factories,” where those animals have terrible lives. Those are both extremes, with most of us in the middle. Those who adhere to “animal rights,” think that life is worth the pain, as long as its life. That is not true for a meat bird that can’t stand up, or walk to the
water. I’ve seen birds drown in their own water source, because their muscles got tired and they couldn’t get their head out of the stream.
I hate that “farming” is now considered “factory farming,” which itself is the anti-thesis of “animal husbandry.” Husbandry is meant to be caring for the welfare of the land, plants and animals, which automatically means planning for tomorrow. It seems that industrial farms are so concerned with bottom line, that they don’t plan for husbandry. Granted, that is because many of our large farms are now corporate owned, and don’t know what’s involved in raising that crop or animal. They just want to make sure there is a profit at the end. Real farmers know that profit comes in many forms, other than money. It’s also a healthy crop, fertile soil, breeding stock that will benefit the farm in the next generation.
Now we have a government who obviously doesn’t care about tomorrow. Climate change? It’s inconvenient, so it’s not a problem. It will cost money to fix it now, who cares it will save money or lives next year. Food security? They’ve got enough food, and since they don’t know where or how it came to them, they don’t care what’s involved in making sure that everyone has food for their families. Fires? Well it’s too bad that occurred, but “if they’d just raked the forest,” it wouldn’t have happened. If we take away the firefighters, then there will be fewer fires. It’s very much the same way that restauranteurs say “We don’t have disabled customers,” as they serve a dining room located up a flight of stairs with narrow doorways and no handicapped bathrooms. Of course, they don’t have those customers. They can’t make it into the restaurant. Forest fires exist whether there are fire fighters to fight them or not. Fire is a natural aspect of life. It’s a problem because we now build communities in places that would not have been accessible a hundred years ago.
Short sightedness is the bane of the future. Our children naturally look forward, to being adults, to having their own homes, to having a healthy life in a healthy environment. Yet, they have little or no say in how that is achieved. Young people are crying for adults to take notice of their future, and still they are ignored.
I am very happy here on my farm, and I refuse to be one of the people who “shuts out the world,” because it’s too scary. To me it’s more frightening to assume that something is there, than it is to try and stop it from happening. Recent tragedies with tornados are a perfect example. Sirens don’t stop the storm, but they do give people warning that it’s coming so families can take haven somewhere safe. We all need to stand up for those things we care about, for tomorrow, not just for today. Watching health departments, fire services, weather programs, and farm inspections disappear are all part of saving money today, not assuring there is a healthy population next year.
I hate to blame everyone for the actions of a few people, but those with money, who are so worried about the next year’s tax bill, are not the ones who need a neighborhood health clinic. They can go to the finest hospitals in the world. They can air condition their homes, and send staff out into the world to get what they need. They may be the ones making the decisions now, but we as the “masses,” have to hold a magnifying glass, so they see that they do not live in reality. It is our duty to make sure there is a planet, a food source, and a society for our children, grand children and others how are just “dreams in someone’s mind,” right now.
If I were to talk to Alphonse about this he’d just walk away and look for a tasty leaf to chew on. We humans have to stop being goats who are carefree and start practicing “planetary husbandry,” where we look at how we can improve the future with our actions now.
