Cyndi's Two Cents

Reach out to lawmakers

I remember the day, after weeks of hearing my husband voice his disapproval for actions (or lack thereof) of lawmakers, I laid in front of him a call sheet, listing phone numbers for those representing our interests in Washington, D.C.  My message to him, “I cannot fix what is bothering you.  Here are the phone numbers of those who have the power to do something.”

And so it began.  Instead of cussing and discussing, he invested some time each week to call our senators and representatives.  Rarely did he actually speak with the lawmaker, but did get the ear of their aides.  Some of them didn’t much like what it was he had to say.  Others listened and asked questions, and answered those he posed.

I wouldn’t label my husband a political activist, but he did take the information gained from these conversations with congressional aides to educate others with shared concerns as well as those with opposing views.  Those conversations sparked action by others who also called lawmakers.

I believe that if each one of us would invest the time to make the calls, the grassroots of this country would be heard and recognized much more clearly.  I don’t care, as I’ve said a million times, if your political views lean to the left or to the right or somewhere in the middle. I do believe that it is our responsibility as citizens to be a part of the process.

Animal rights activists, modern-day luddites and some environmental activists don’t care if your family farm has been passed from generation to generation. They do not care that animal welfare practices, too, have been passed from generation to generation. They do not care that your use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides is precise.  They do not want animals raised for food and they do not want farmers to utilize modern crop protection tools.

Charitable donations to the groups that are working so hard to put your family farm out of business and turn consumers into vegetarians have risen exponentially in recent years.  These anti-organizations are investing hundreds of millions of dollars domestically and internationally to change – and ultimately destroy – American agriculture.

It is exhausting to listen, watch and read messages from political candidates who spend all of their campaign dollars talking about themselves.  We need to know what they will do for the people. They need to stop talking about themselves and listen to us.  We can talk to each other until our faces turn blue, but we have to do more.

Pay attention to bills introduced in the statehouse as well as in Washington, D.C. You and I vote for our lawmakers. We put them there and they work for us. We need to make sure they are held accountable for actions they take – either by introducing, supporting, or opposing bills that impact agriculture and our rural communities.

Maybe things can be a great again for American agriculture. But we have to get involved in the process. Please call someone who can make a difference.

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