Editor’s note: This article was originally published one day before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The article has been updated to reflect that incident.
While staying far from the divisive subject that politics can be, let’s instead discuss what politics should be. This is especially relevant after the televised presidential debacle debate, where we saw two candidates who are among the most contentious in history. We can talk about all the conspiracy theories you want, and how it’s all a big sham, and how puppet masters are pulling the strings toward some grand scheme.
However, more importantly, I think most of us can agree that the way the campaign season has been unfolding is far from ideal — and that was even before a would-be assassin tried to end the life of former President Donald Trump. This kind of thing needs to change.
But how? One would have to almost be certifiably insane to run for president of the United States, especially in the current climate of hate, disrespect, and violence. So, how can we make change happen?
With just celebrating the Fourth of July, our nation’s independence, it’s a great time to reflect on how our founding fathers intended for the country to operate. As with every human-run institution, there are going to be deviations from the plan, usually for self-interest. That’s why they set up a system of checks and balances.
As an agriculturist, I believe that we are the moral compass of this country. Find me a farmer or rancher who doesn’t want to make whatever they have, big or small, animal or crop, better. We, as growers, want to leave it in better condition than where we found it. Farmers and ranchers work day in and day out in all the weather conditions in all the financial ups and downs, normally in deep debt, fighting with a public that is untrusting of what we are doing, sacrificing events and gatherings because things need to be done, rarely retiring to “live the good life” because we believe in what we are doing. We believe that we can make an impact on the land, on the animals, on our communities, on people. We know we are feeding a hungry world that wastes more food than some see in their entire lives.
We believe in the lifestyle and the impact we are making.
That’s the thing about it, though. We are so busy keeping all the balls in the air that we’ve relaxed our involvement in the world of politics. We’ve let organizations be our voice. We’ve let a few things slide simply because we don’t have the energy. The time has come for us to step back in. We need to speak for ourselves, to involve ourselves and our own voices. We have to step back in and be the guiding light!
I’m fully aware, there isn’t enough time to do it all. And I agree, there isn’t. Yet we have relied on someone else doing it and look where that has got us.
I’m not saying to put your name in the ring for president, although if a farmer/rancher would, I think we’d be in a much better spot; I’m saying put your name on the local county commissioner race. At the end of the day, most of us want good roads to drive on so we can get our commodities to town; we want safe communities and schools for our children; we want to know we’re not going to be taxed out of our eyeballs with property taxes, income taxes, or other taxes; we want to know we’re going to have our constitutional rights upheld: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to own firearms, etc.
Yes, some of those are state and national issues, or at least parts of them are, but we can make positive changes. There are people sitting in decision-making seats who don’t have a clue about what, why, and how you do things on your farm. They are dictating their perception.
Perception doesn’t equal reality. Just because you live in a small community doesn’t mean people get it. Even though there doesn’t seem to be enough time, if we don’t find the time, we’re not going to be able to continue to do what we do. “They” will shut us down. There are enough “city” people with enough time on their hands and just enough misinformation and plenty of energy to make things change. If we don’t have a hat in that ring, we are going to lose.
Most of us just want to stay in our own lanes. We want to do what we’re doing and have a free market system to do it in. We want to do the work, but we won’t be able to if we don’t start stepping out of our lane.
We have to defend the greatest nation in the world from people who do not understand how good we have it. We have to be involved in the race, and the time is right now.
Kelsey Pagel is a Kansas farmer. She grew up on a cow/calf and row crop operation and married into another. Kelsey and her Forever (Matt) farm and ranch with his family where they are living their dream and loving most of the moments.
