As I’ve gotten older, and since my brother enlisted in the Army, my dad has started sharing more and more about his time in the Air Force during the mid 70′s to the early 80′s. This weekend, I learned that he was in the Honor Guard as part of his duty. I wanted to share with you all the email that he sent me this weekend. It is a good reminder about why we celebrate Memorial Day.
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In 1975 I was a new E5. I was on my second enlistment in the Air Force. That September I was tapped to be part of the Lowry AFB Honor Detail. It was our duty to render military honors to the fallen personnel and their families at the funeral service. The detail lasted for 30 days. The Honor Detail is made up of three teams. The pallbearers, the color guard, the firing party, and the officer that was entrusted to present the folded flag of our nation to the family.
When I was first chosen, I didn’t understand why I HAD to perform this duty. A month of perfect Class A uniforms. Sharp creases with spit-shined combat boots and bloused trousers. Uniform inspections before we left the base and before every service. We had a large, mostly white Calico cat at the time. Guess how that looked against a dark blue uniform. I used up a lot of masking tape that month. We had to learn to properly march again. And then learn the proper drill and ceremonies for the task we were undertaking.
We rendered honors to 33 service members and veterans that month. Some were from WW2, some were from Korea, and some were from Vietnam. Sometimes the fallen were known to our team members. No matter what the age, background or personal circumstance; all of the fallen were our brothers. Some of the services were in large national cemeteries, others in small country church cemeteries. Some were held on bright sunny days, other were cold and rainy. Each service was, at the same time, the same as the ones we had previously rendered honors at and yet each was different. Each service touched me in a different way. I still have very clear memories of a few of the services.
From my position on the color guard I got to see how the family and friends reacted to the honors being rendered to their loved one and friend. “Taps” was still being played by a hidden bugler back then. The sound seemed to come from nowhere and from everywhere. I could see the physical impact of that sound on the gathered people. There was always the shock from the rifle reports as the three volleys of seven shots rang out. Then the folding and presentation of the flag, solemnly and quietly presented in behalf of a grateful nation.
At the end of the month, if it would have been permitted, I would have volunteered for another month. And at the same time I was relieved that the Honor Detail was no longer my duty. I have since come to realize that serving on the Honor Detail was not a duty, it was a privilege.
Please remember, Memorial Day was started by a group of women placing flags on the graves of Civil War veterans. It is the people, not the government, honoring the fallen. It is the people, not the government, remembering the tremendous cost to our nation.
I found the following article today and it brought back some solemn memories for me.
Yes everyone, I did post this on both of my blogs. I wanted to do my part to spread the word (and to be a good Personal Assistant).
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Hello Literary-Folk!
My name is Laura Kreitzer, and I’m the author of the Timeless Series and the Summer Chronicles. This week I would like to alert everyone on a colossal crisis that’s gone unnoticed in the world: human trafficking. That’s why I’ve asked hundreds of blogs to be involved with spreading the word on this issue that’s become close to my heart.
As an author, and someone whose life is put in the spotlight, I keep most people at a distance. Only a handful of my friends know the whole me and the events from my past. But this week I’d like to share with you a part of myself that the outside world doesn’t see (and a part of me I don’t like to share). I was emotionally abused for five years by someone I thought loved me, my mind beaten into submission. Though the turmoil I went through doesn’t penetrate as deep as someone forced into slavery on the worldwide market for human trafficking, I can sadly relate in some ways: imprisoned, my life dictated down to what I wore, ate, where I went, whom I spoke to, where I worked, when I slept, bending to his every whim. He did not sway, even when I cried through some of the more traumatic things he had me do. I was a slave in my own home. In my desperation for freedom, I held out a gun and asked him to just end my suffering. I was desperate.
I can’t even imagine how many women (and men) in the world are in a similar situation. What’s even worse, I had it mild compared to the children that are sold for labor or sex. Surprisingly, the good ol’ U.S.A. is reported to be the host to two million slaves. Did you know this? Because I certainly did not; not until I was preparing to write my newest novel: Phantom Universe. The main character, Summer Waverly, was stolen as a child and sold as a slave to the captain of a modern-day pirate ship. From a loved child who only knew “time-out” as punishment, to being whipped into silence was something I knew nothing about. So I researched deeply into human trafficking and the psychological effects of torture of various types that one would endure in these circumstances. I felt shaken at my findings and knew I had to tell Summer’s story. (Read a sneak peek here.)
A storm began to brew in my mind; transforming, morphing, twisting, and expanding into this massive, black cloud. I had to bring this tragic atrocity to the forefront. My own emotional experiences, mixed with the research I did on human trafficking, made me feel an intense connection with Summer, and to all women who’ve been through this kind of brutality. The cloud ruptured and rained all over my computer one day. It took one month to write Phantom Universe, the first in the Summer Chronicles. I was so consumed by the story that I wrote nearly nonstop, only breaking for necessary tasks like eating, showering, and occasionally—very occasionally—sleeping.
Though the book I’ve written would be classified as Science Fiction, or as I’d like to call it, Dystopian, the emotions and psychological aspects are not Science Fiction—they’re real. Reviewers have said many amazing things about Summer, this character who is so real in my mind and who I cried along with as the words poured from my soul onto my screen.
“I admired Summer’s strength and ability to adapt,” says CiCi’s Theories. “I felt tied to her emotions,” Jennifer Murgia, author or Angel Star admits. And Tahlia Newland, author of Lethal Inheritance, remarks, “Summer is strong and smart in mind [. . .]”
Through her overwhelmingly horrendous past, Summer goes on more than just a physical journey in Phantom Universe, she goes on a psychological one as well; growing beyond her mute state to persevere and survive in a new world beyond the whip she’s so frightened of.
Now that the release date is here, I’m excited and terrified to share this story with everyone. I’m emotionally tied in every way to the words I’ve written, because they’re more than words. More than just a story on a page. Beyond the fictional aspects, there’s a real issue that needs to be addressed: human trafficking must be stopped. We shouldn’t sit idly by while this continues to plague us. Our world’s children—our nation’s children—are being affected. It’s time we take action!
Earlier this month Phantom Universe hit Barnes and Noble’s top 100 Best Selling list. I’ve decided to donate 10% of my sales from Phantom Universe, until the end of February, to the DNA Foundation.
“DNA hopes to help abolish modern day slavery, deter perpetrators, and free the many innocent and exploited victims. We are committed to forcing sex slavery out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
Freedom is a basic human right and slavery is one of the greatest threats to that freedom. No one has the right to enslave another person.”
I ask that you spread the word to everyone you know. Look around on the DNA Foundation website and find a way to get involved in ending human trafficking. Take action today. Everyone has a voice—you have a voice. Will you have the courage to use it?
——————– Phantom Universe is an amazing read and the character of Summer is very captivating. I hope you will help us with our mission by spreading the word and purchasing Phantom Universe during the month of February.
Today is the beginning of Banned Book Week, which runs until October 2nd. This is a week to bring attention to violation of an American’s First Amendment right to write and read uncensored material. There are hundreds of books every year that is either banned or challenged. Some of the books you will find on these lists are surprising to say the least, and the reasons given are even more so. I have included three examples here (the reasons were provided by various websites), and at the end of the post a list of the 2009 Banned and Challenged books.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear: Most parents of kids under 5 have seen Eric Carle’s art accompanying the book by Bill Martin. The Texas Board of Education banned the book, in January 2010, because it thought the book was written by the same Bill Martin who penned the non-children’s book “Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation.”
The book is challenged because it:
Contains profanity: In reaction to being smacked in the head by Tim Meeker as she tries to wrestle a letter away from him, Betsy Read shouts “You Little Bastard!”
Contains excessive violence: While observing the British army Tim Meeker experiences the horrific beheading of a slave.
Mentions alcohol consumption: The Meeker’s own a Tavern.
Contains unpatriotic views of the American Revolution: The Meeker’s are Anglican’s.
A parent in Bozeman, Montana objected to the inclusion of this book in his daughter’s middle school library collection, not for the content, which he found unobjectionable, but for the inclusion of the phrase “sex god” in the title. The Bozeman parent who brought the complaint felt that the term “sex god” could influence girls to enter relationships with older men that might result in statutory rape. The Bozeman High librarians chose not to replace the current copy of the book with a version entitled Confession of Georgia Nicolson.
After reading the list of banned book my local library carries, I actually laughed at some of the names. I think some of those were banned strictly by their name. A couple of my favorites were The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things and One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. I did find some books to add to my “To Read Pile”, including On The Bright Side, I’m Now The Girlfriend of a Sex God”. I hope you look at the following link and find some books for your “To Read Pile”. I am planning on reading at least one “Banned or Challenged book this week”, how about you?
Friday is the last day to voice your opinion on whether the EPA — the Environmental Protection Agency — should regulate carbon dioxide pollution, the primary cause of the climate crisis. This is a big deal.
The EPA is taking public comment before making a ruling. I sent my message in and it will appear on the EPA’s website, and be part of the public record.
Of course, special interests — like the oil and coal lobbies — are working overtime to defeat a positive ruling and have already gotten thousands of comments submitted in opposition.
I did not stay up late enough last night to see this in person, but I heard sound bites on the radio this morning. First on NPR Morning edition, and then on one of the country stations. This speech gave me goose bumps when I heard the sound bites and when I read the whole thing, it brought tears to my eyes. This man is so much more than a Politician. He is a Statesman.
Statesmanship conveys a quality of leadership that organically brings people together and of eldership, a spirit of caring for others and for the whole. Anyone elected to office is a politician but only a few consistently manage to work as disinterested promoters of the public good with integrity. There is a huge difference between the two. (Wikipedia.com)
Aristotle says, “What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain moral character in his fellow citizens, namely a disposition to virtue and the performance of virtuous actions.”
This man has united the country in a way that has not been seen since the 1960′s! The United States had a 71% of all eligible voters, vote last night. The highest number of voters since the 1960 election between John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Also it was the largest margin of victory for a Democrat since the 1964 election between Lynden B Johnson and Barry Goldwater. This was a historical election and I am proud to have been a part of it!
Here is the complete text of the remarks by President-Elect Barack Obama on November 4, 2008, in Chicago, Illinois. I have included a video of the speech at the bottom.
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If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled –- Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of red states and blue states: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I just received a very gracious call from Sen. McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Gov. Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke….
…for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to -– it belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington –- it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -– two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America –- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you –- we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.
I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for 221 years –- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek -– it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers -– in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House –- a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity.
Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn -– I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world –- our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down –- we will defeat you.
To those who seek peace and security -– we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright –- tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America -– that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing –-Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons –- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America –- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes, we can.
At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes, we can.
When there was despair in the Dust Bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes, we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes, we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes, we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes, we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves –- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time –- to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth –- that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes, we can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.
Proposition 2, also known as The California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, will be on your ballots this November. If this act passes it will prohibit the cruel confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs.
By allowing these modest animal welfare improvements, it will allow the animals to engage in their natural behavior and satisfy their physical needs, which makes the animals healthier and safer for human consumption.
Also due to the large numbers of animal confinement in close quarter (i.e. factory farming) it allows for illness to spread rapidly. As I have written about in previous blogs regarding Factory farming, it is also a serious environmental issue. Housing large number of animals in a small space leads to ground water contamination, over grazing of pastures, and animal waste management issues.
California is not the only one with this type of law. Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Oregon has all passed similar laws. According to the industry’s own trade journals and other studies, it costs less than one penny per egg to produce cage free eggs. Yes, the Factory Farms will have to reduce the number of animals they use for production and maybe prices will go up a little, but Factory Farming is not the way to do food animal production.
Here are two videos put together by the Humane Society of the United States and Free Range Studios. The first one is a fun PSA about Proposition 2, while the second one shows real images of Factory Farming and does contain scenes of animal cruelty.
For more information about Factory Farming see my blog from June 25, 2008.
Did you know that October 4th – 6th is the dead line to be registered to vote in the November Presidential Election? Why the different dates? Well, it depends on the State you live in.
Every November Election is a crucial election, but every four years we are given the chance to change our national leadership. Our Fore-fathers gave us the right and the responsibility to choose the best person to lead our great country.
I am not here to tell you who to vote for or why. My biggest concern is that EVERYONE who is at least 18 years of age is registered to vote and does vote.
Voting has nothing to do with Popularity, Religion, Gender, or Ethnicity. Voting is about exercising our rights as Americans to put someone in the White House who will protect and enforce the laws that govern this country. This country is not perfect and has many flaws within its borders as well as the flaws we have encouraged outside our borders.
Each individual needs to pick a candidate that will fix the issues that they deem are important. My issues are most likely not the same as the issues you would pick as important. Who cares as long as you are involved in this election.
The election commentators are saying that this will be the closest election in recent history. Therefore EVERY vote does count! I don’t care if you write in the name of your pet dog for President, just get out there, register, and vote!
You can even sign up for Absentee voting, which allows you to mail in your vote. This is a great option for those of us who have problems getting to the voting locations on Election Day. There is also the option of Early Voting. There are special locations that are open about a month in advanced so everyone can vote.
Remember November 4th, 2008 is the day that we ALL decide the future of this Country!
If you still need to Register for the November Election, here are a couple of websites that will assist in getting you registered…..
Still need a Reason to Register to Vote? Watch these…..
In the last few months, there has been a lot of news coverage about how our eating habits are the number one cause of global warming. Many sources, including PETA and The Humane Society of the United States, claim it is due to our consumption of beef and if we quite eating beef that would solve the problem. That might be true, but that would lead to unemployment for the cattle ranchers. There are much better ways to fix this problem than boycotting beef, and education is one of them.
Factory farming is a big problem in this country. Wikipedia has the best description of what Factory Farming is.
“Factory farms hold large numbers of animals, typically cows, pigs, turkeys, or chickens, often indoors, typically at high densities. The aim of the operation is to produce as much meat, eggs, or milk at the lowest possible cost. Food is supplied in place, and a wide variety of artificial methods are employed to maintain animal health and improve production, such as the use of antimicrobial agents, vitamin supplements, and growth hormones. Physical restraints are used to control movement or actions regarded as undesirable. Breeding programs are used to produce animals more suited to the confined conditions and able to provide a consistent “product”.”
A large environmental problem that arises from factory farming is waste disposal. With low density outdoor farming (like a family farm), this can be coped with by stock and crop rotation. In 1972 the Federal Clean Water Act was enacted to protect and restore lakes and rivers to a “fishable, swimmable” quality. Factory Farming, along with other types of industry, have been identified as a source for groundwater pollution. From Wikipedia:
“In 24 states in the U.S., isolated cases of groundwater contamination have been linked to CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations). For example, the ten million hogs in North Carolina generate 19 million tons of waste per year. The U.S. federal government acknowledges the waste disposal issue and requires that animal waste be stored in lagoons. These lagoons can be as large as 7.5 acres. Lagoons must be protected with an impermeable liner, but can nonetheless leak waste into groundwater under some conditions, and run-off from manure spread back onto fields as fertilizer can leak into surface water in the case of an unforeseen heavy rainfall. A lagoon that burst in 1995 released 25 million gallons of nitrous sludge in North Carolina’s New River. The spill allegedly killed eight to ten million fish.”
Two large contributors to the factory farming are ConAgra and Smithfield Foods. For the most part, beef and pig factory farms are run by large corporations. Smithfield produces many familiar brands, including Smithfield, Butterball, John Morrell, Farmland Foods, Gwaltney, Patrick Cudahy, Krakus, Cook’s Ham, and Stefano’s. ConAgra also has many familiar brands, including: Act II Popcorn, Banquet Frozen Dinners, Blue Bonnet, Chef Boyardee, Crunch ‘N Munch, Dennison’s Chili, Egg Beaters, Fleischmann’s Butter, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt’s, Jiffy Pop, Knotts Berry Farm, LA Choy, Libby’s, Marie Callender Frozen Meals, Orville Redenbacher’s, Pam, Parkay, Peter Pan, Reddi-Wip, Rosarita, Slip Jim, Swiss Miss, and Van Camp’s Pork And Beans.
In my opinion, one of the most important environmental problems is the pollution created with the transport of our food stuffs. U.S. Department of Agriculture figures indicate the average distance food travels between harvest and consumption is 1,500 miles. In a previous blog , I quoted from an article by Jim Harkness, the president of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a Minneapolis-based policy research center committed to creating environmentally and economically sustainable rural communities and regions through sound agriculture and trade policy. In “U.S. Food System Deeply At Risk”, Mr. Harkness states:
“U.S. farm policy has encouraged the mass production of only a few cheap crops largely used as food ingredients, animal feed and exports. U.S. trade policy has aggressively pushed for the removal of trade barriers paving the way for the global food trade.
Missing from this industrial model is a national priority to produce healthy food to feed Americans. For example, most rural Midwest supermarkets, surrounded by farms, import nearly all their food from elsewhere in the country and around the world. Taken to an extreme, some chicken grown in the United States actually is sent to China to be processed and then re-exported back the United States!
We have built a system of production and trade that treats food the same as computer parts. Cracks in this system manifest themselves in different ways, including the loss of family farms in the United States and worldwide, declining soil and water quality, and a rise in food-related health problems including obesity. But food safety dangers get most of the headlines, because these can be quickly fatal.”
A typical meal made with ingredients from a supermarket takes four to 17 times more petroleum consumption in transport than the same meal made from local ingredients. And a head of lettuce grown in California and shipped nearly 3,000 miles to Washington, D.C., requires about 36 times as much fossil fuel energy in transport as it provides in food energy when it arrives.
The current rising cost of our food is linked to the rise in gas prices. Not just for the transportation of the food to our grocery stores, but the transportation of grain to the factory farms. Also, ethanol production is a large contributor to our rising food prices. Many ranchers and factory farms use corn as a primary feed for their livestock. Because of the increased demand for ethanol from corn (which is the worst source for ethanol, but that is another blog), ranchers are having to pay high prices for corn to feed to their herds.
On December 30, 2005, corn was being sold at $1.86 per bushel. During his State of the Union Address on January 31, 2006, President Bush promoted the good qualities of ethanol. The next day corn prices jumped to $3 per bushel. On June 18, 2008 corn was being sold at $7.85 per bushel. The current prices are the highest corn prices since at least the US Civil War, based on Chicago Board of Trade data. The current prices are slightly inflated by the floods in the corn belt, but not by much.
But we have a vicious cycle. Corn prices are higher because of ethanol production, which causes ranchers to buy higher priced corn, which then causes beef and chicken prices to go up, and to top it all off gas prices are high, which also contributes to the increased price in fuel. Because the price of gas is high, more people are demanding alternative fuels like ethanol. And on the cycle goes.
It is impossible to avoid buying products from known companies that use factory farm practices or food stuffs that have traveled long distances. But being educated, limiting the products you buy from these companies, and buying from local farmers and ranchers is a large step in the right direction.
You know when the world had gone crazy when 15 middle school students face expulsion after instigating a food fight. The students, nine boys and six girls, were suspended after the 10 minute food fight shut down the school for two hours, on Feburary 1st. (Okay, why was the school closed for two hours?!?) At least the students were smart; they took a change of clothes with them to school.
According to reports, it took 11 people two hours to clean up the mess! Why didn’t the principal make the “instigators” clean it? At least the kids didn’t bring any of mom’s food to use. Instead they used what was available at the cafeteria: chicken Alfredo, cheese pizza, taco salad, and fresh fruit. Chicken Alfredo and taco salad?!?!? Why are tax payers paying for students to have those kinds of foods at school? And why is there more than one choice? What ever happened to 1 entree, 1 side, 1 small dessert, and a pint of milk? That’s what I grew up on and turned out okay. No wonder children are facing obesity issues!
Florida state law requires school children to eat lunch before they leave campus. So the principal put the day on hold while students waited for the floor to dry so they could eat lunch. They couldn’t take orders and money from the children and then deliver the food to classrooms? Or how about outdoor dining? It is Florida and it was 80 degrees yesterday.
The Orange County school district has a discipline policy that permits administration to expel students who disrupt the school day. I don’t think they had food fights in mind when they wrote that policy.
The students and their parents will have a chance to appeal to the school board before the school board votes whether to expel the students. Hopefully the school board will laugh at the stunt and just send those students back to class.
As I’ve gotten older, and since my brother enlisted in the Army, my dad has started sharing more and more about his time in the Air Force during the mid 70′s to the early 80′s. This weekend, I learned that he was in the Honor Guard as part of his duty. I wanted to share with you all the email that he sent me this weekend. It is a good reminder about why we celebrate Memorial Day.
From my position on the color guard I got to see how the family and friends reacted to the honors being rendered to their loved one and friend. “Taps” was still being played by a hidden bugler back then. The sound seemed to come from nowhere and from everywhere. I could see the physical impact of that sound on the gathered people. There was always the shock from the rifle reports as the three volleys of seven shots rang out. Then the folding and presentation of the flag, solemnly and quietly presented in behalf of a grateful nation.
