Editorial / Opinions

Although I was disappointed with the price of milk in the early 60s, I was greatly encouraged when Kennedy was elected president. “Jack will take care of us Democrats,” I thought, “and the price of milk will be good.” So we borrowed $4,000 to build a new walk-through milking parlor and milkhouse.

Farmers and ranchers have always suffered from job-related health problems. Most of them over the age of 50 (myself included) have some sort of permanent hearing problems from spending a lifetime being around and/or operating loud machinery. It would be much more “cool” to my sons if I could blame my hard-of-hearing problem on the rock music of the 70s, but in reality, I know it’s from 57 years of running everything from feed grinders to chainsaws to every kind of unmuffled motor that exists. At least my wife’s yelling doesn’t sound so shrill anymore.

A belated Christmas tree tale... We found our Christmas tree in the field this year. Finding the perfectly shaped pine or cedar, with a crisp, sunny day highlighting the enchanted experience, may be how most of us envision those home-grown Christmas trees coming. But, if you’ve ever gotten a tree straight from the pasture, fencerow or gulley, you know that usually the experience is much less magical and much more work.

There you are, you left your knife on the bureau cause you didn’t want to lose it to a scanner at the airport, and it's gone when you need it most. Turn around in a crowd of men today and ask for a knife to open something and they don’t have one on them.

Growing up on the farm, there were two things I swore I would never do when, and if, I ever became an adult. 

We found our Christmas tree in the field this year. Finding the perfectly shaped pine or cedar, with a crisp, sunny day highlighting the enchanted experience, may be how most of us envision those home-grown Christmas trees coming. But, if you’ve ever gotten a tree straight from the pasture, fencerow or gulley, you know that usually the experience is much less magical and much more work.

When my father left the farming business for Texas, there were no grandmothers or grandfathers or mothers or dads left to lean on. Instead, there were Helen and Connie and Andy, leaning on me.

As a youngster, my parents always had a huge vegetable garden. Out of necessity, we grew almost everything we needed to survive. For most people, garden work is both enjoyable and rewarding. Heck, some people even find it soothing and cathartic. I, on the other hand, always despised garden work.

This issue I worked on a piece about Drury University's Animal Rights program that we mentioned unfavorably in our Rumor Mill section last issue. This animal rights program came about from a total of $2 million in gifts from Bob Barker, of "The Price is Right." Bob Barker’s daily message on the game show about spaying and neutering your pets was one I always agreed with. My mom said one of the world’s big tragedies is the millions of unwanted, unloved, adorable puppies and kittens in the world. I’m an animal lover with a bleeding heart for the strays and the sick ones. I know I’ll be preaching to the choir here, but I think it is vital to understand this. There is a gigantic difference between not wanting to be cruel to animals, to loving your pets and treating your livestock well, and in raising animals’ status morally or worse, legally, to the same level as people, by considering their “rights.”

I’ve been to a few recent state and regional meetings of Rural Electric Coops and heard some real good news. Folks have woken up their representatives and senators. They've told them charging people in mid-America a carbon tax on their electric bill is not very popular with voters. This is good; keep contacting them, about this and any other issue that disturbs you. The voice of America is strong and you can make a difference. Enough politics.