American Micro-Agriculture in the New Century
As I have drifted from blog to blog today I have noticed an increase in the number of posts concerning gardening or home farming. It seems that there is a new found interest in what is now considered a pastime and used to be just a normal means of sustenance. This alongside an increased interest in organic foods appears to be a rebirth of the “Back to the Earth” movement of the 60’s and 70’s.
Nutrition is a hot topic these days (especially in America where obesity and obesity-related disorders are some of the most common health issues in the country). In answer to the seemingly endless questions regarding health and diet there have been a number of studies and books published. I have just finished one such book myself: Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food. It was a very encouraging book in that it reinforced the way I already viewed food and diet. For some, however, it might be the bearer of bad news as it rejects industrially processed foods, excesses of diets and a lack of vegetables in the diet. It also dismisses (or rather addresses) the idea that foreign diets are the way to better health. If you have some free time I highly reccomend this book. It is not a long or difficult read and offers a great many things to consider regarding food, diet, culture and other related topics.
In the wake of this agricultural reassessment, it astonishes me how little people know about their food, where it comes from and how it is grown. You would think that when it comes to something as essential as your food, you might care to be better informed. Guess not.
It is worth mentioning that there are several other advantages to a renewal of interest in local and organic farming. Some of these benefits include a decrease in fossil fuel use (as semi-trucks will no longer be needed to transport food over incredible distances) which in turn may lead to a surplus of fuel and a decrease in overall fuel cost. Another benefit would be the possible increase in health and decrease in obesity (and the subsequent decline in diabetes, heart disease, etc) which could possibly lead to a decrease in the cost of health care and health insurance. Keep in mind that obesity is considered a health risk. Sure, I may be looking at the situation through rose-colored glasses, but what’s the harm in hoping?
I personally support my local farmers market and am currently looking into starting a CSA (community sponsored agriculture) in my area since there are quite a few farms within reasonable distance. There is nothing quite so enjoyable as eyeing baskets of fresh veggies and contemplating the possibilites of their use. And nothing makes a meal more enjoyable than having plenty of time to anticipate the pleasures of enjoying the fruits of your labor (and the labor of others). I would like to see more people involved in their local farmers markets, produce stands, etc. I think it will do a lot of good in a lot of ways, some of which we have yet to imagine.
Religion and Politics in an Increasingly Secular World
In a recent article I was reading on the NPR website Barbara Bradley Hagerty wrote about James Dobson’s response to a 2006 Obama speech in an article titled “Evangelical Leader Blasts 2006 Obama Speech” (see: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91853800.). This is nothing new to me. For as long as I have been paying attention (the 2000 election, come on… I’m only 23!) religious leaders have been weighing in on presidential candidates. And for as long as I have been paying attention, it seems that their opinions and endorsements really matter (at least on the Conservative side). What irritates me here is that Dobson, a Conservative leader, is mad at two things he really has no right to be mad about. The first is Obama inciting liberal Christians to vote and not to “cede the ground to religious conservatives” (Hagerty). The second thing Dobson is flustered over is Obama’s comparison of him to Al Sharpton (a Christian as well, but with a more liberal view). As a result, Dobson has begun campaigning against Obama.
I wouldn’t have a problem with this situation if, say, Obama was taking a radically opposite stance on a religious topic. However, Obama is merely trying to motivate Christian voters of all degrees to vote in the election. He certainly has a right and an obligation to do this as both an American and a candidate for public office. I can see where Dobson might not agree with Obama’s inclusion of liberal Christians, but is that really something to get that angry over considering this is a secular election for a secular office?
Religion in politics has become increasingly complicated as our country has grown. I believe that on a fundamental level having a solid religious background can make you a stronger candidate and an overall better person by instilling some personal qualities that non-religious folks might not have (not to say all religious people have these traits, just that they ought to based on the fundamentals of most religions). The qualities of which I speak are: Patience, understanding, forgiveness, diplomacy, empathy etc. They also have a similar set of rules by which they live (I’m thinking of somthing like the Ten Commandments or the Five Pillars of Islam or some similar groundwork for personal conduct). Politicians, it seems have a great need for these basics of conduct as evidenced in our daily headlines. That is another topic for another post, however.
Overall, I just want to state that religion in politics is an overstressed issue. Given the crooks that have surfaced in our government over the last eight years, I don’t think we could do much worse. I find it especially ironic that there was a fairly big deal made about Bush becoming a “born again” Christian. Certainly if he were so some of the events of the past eight years might have played out differently. Instead of worrying about a candidate encouraging certain groups to vote, we should be focused on things that matter. Things like our economy, the homeless or hungry in America, the national debt (seriously, how can we be taken seriously by the rest of the world when we owe so much money and the value of our dollar is dropping? Would you trust a guy who is trillions of dollars in debt? What would you automatically assume about him? Think about it.) and so many other domestic worries. The sad part is that small squabbles over minor differences and minor slights lead to one candidate or the other getting drummed out of the race. I sincerely hope that Americans will get their heads on straight and stop listening to what the media feeds us when it comes to this election. It is way past time for us to think for ourselves.
