Thursday, June 25, 2009

Joel's visit to Washington

Joel's visit to Washington; The Farm Blog

Something a little different: From the conclusion of the Joel's post:

...No face time. No interaction. I was just supposed to listen, catch the euphoria bug, and leave elated and thankful that the Democrats were finally in charge. Of course, I don't think the Republicans would be any better, but the postulating and self aggrandizement was both disgusting and palpable. Anyway, I finally decided to leave at the end of the second panel. As I walked out, I realized I had navigated to the end of the comment line and since only 6 people were in front of me, I might actually get to say something. So I waited.

`And they got to me. Here is the best I remember what I said:

I'm amazed that after half a day of talk about green jobs and energy, I have not heard the word food, the word farm, or the word agriculture. I represent the local food movement and the pastured livestock movement, and we are tried of being marginalized, criminalized, and demonized by the USDA and this government. I'm a bioterrorist for letting my chickens run in the pasture. What good is it to have the freedom to own a gun, assemble, or worship if I can't choose the fuel to feed my internal 3 trillion member community of bacteria to give me the energy to go shoot, pray, or preach? I propose that we have a Constitutional Amendment that allows every American citizen the right to choose their food. Government bureaucrats should not come between my mouth and my 3 trillion member internal community."

`Other speakers had waxed on about health care and all sorts of things. I couldn't have talked more than one minute, when Sen. Udall interrupted with: "If you just looked inside the USDA, you would find tremendous support for local food."

I was the only speaker interrupted, the only one who mentioned food, farming, or agriculture, and the only one who didn't ask for more government money. And when I responded that I had looked inside and it was not a pretty picutre . . . they cut my microphone off. Enough of you, Salatin. We don't want your type around here.

Thus endeth Mr. Salatin going to Washington. I think I'll write some more books.


Comment: This posting, from the renowned farmer Joel Salatin, sums up much of the "green" movement in my mind. They are fixated on solving environmental issues through industry and government, when the real green issue is our food, which could be solved through nature and our local communities.

Salatin says above, "Of course, I don't think the Republicans would be any better, but the postulating and self aggrandizement was both disgusting and palpable." That says a lot about the US Senate, and Congress as a whole...time to repeal the 17th and remove some of the hubris, what do you say?

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