It must have been premonition that caused me to write that “ Your 'No Government' Tea Party and Your Dirty Tea Water” article back in September. I had no idea that Glenn Beck would take up the cause “against” clean water. I find that astonishing. Why would anyone be against clean water? Even more astonishing is why anyone would listen to a person who is against clean water. Wouldn't there be a nagging feeling in the pit of your stomach that something is wrong about being against clean water? I think so. Yet, according to this New York Times article, Beck “...spoke at length against the Clean Water Restoration Act in December...” and “if you can get Glenn Beck to say that government storm troopers are going to invade your property, farmers in the Midwest will light up their congressmen's switchboards...” against the Clean Water Act. Even more astonishing is a Supreme Court decision against The Clean Water Act because the act specifies restrictions for only “navigable” water. I've never heard of any water shed that didn't end up in “navigable” water, whether the water flows on or under the ground. One way or another, water seeps or flows to the ocean and cycles back around in the form of precipitation. But, apparently we are allowed to pollute directly into to tributaries or ground water wherever it may end up. And, “they” do it because they can.
In my opinion speaking against the Clean Water Act is traitorous. Clean water is essential to life. You only have to look to Africa to see that. Africa has so little clean water that thousands (millions?) of people die from drinking the filthy, diseased water they have. Topping the list of “the most needed items” given to Africa by International Aid is water filters to “try” to increase the supply of clean water. It's everyday news that Africans have to “boil” the water they're able to get before it's drinkable. So, what is Beck saying? Is he saying that we should go the way of Africa? Is he saying that we should boil our water before we can drink it? That if we don't filter our water, then that's our problem and that's tough? That's what I find astonishing about anyone speaking against clean water in America or anyone listening to that kind of bullshit. That's the only word that describes this kind of rubbish.
In fact, I don't believe farmers do listen when they know all the facts and think through the problems they face raising crops and farm animals. In cases where they do listen, they've been lied to and they don't know it. Remember the tobacco lies? Even in front of congress, tobacco executives said tobacco is not addictive and tobacco doesn't cause cancer. But the medical and scientific research has proven the opposite, that tobacco is one of the most addictive drugs in the world and that it does cause cancer. Finally, after forty years of denying it, we learned that the tobacco corporations' own labs knew and hid the truth.
I also remember conversations on that farm long ago between Elvin, his dad, Harold and Jimmy about the safety of products and chemicals they were persuaded to use by agri-corporations. I heard those same conversations at the Owensville Mill and Elevator. Farmers had doubts. When they learned of unacceptable hazards associated with farming methods, they stopped using or doing whatever was suggested. They changed their methods or reverted to methods they knew were more safe. And, I remember the stories I heard from my nephew and niece about what may have caused their father's death. On that day, he had stopped applying anhydrous ammonia to a field of corn because he didn't feel good. Anhydrous ammonia is caustic and hazardous. Over exposure to the fumes alone can cause chemical burning in the lungs. And there's no knowing what chemicals the Monsanto Corporation added to the mixture to control application. That night he died of a heart attack, the doctor said. I have doubts.
There is more to persuading farmers to call their congressmen against the Clean Water Act than meets the eye, here. I'm suspicious of the Monsanto Corporation, and other agri-corporations, muddying up the facts with polluting propaganda; pitting farmers against their government by creating fear of losing their livelihood. There is a poisonous snake in the woodpile that needs his head chopped off. I'm thinking the snake's name is Monsanto.
There's a few more questions you have to ask yourself. If your fish are dying in your polluted pond or nearby stream, how can you allow your cattle, pigs and chickens drink the same water? If your child or grandchild gets sick every time he or she drinks your polluted well water, how long will it take for you to start spending money on water filtering equipment and how quick will you call your congressman about that coal-fired power plant polluting the ground water? If you pollute your own water and then constantly buy and maintain filtering equipment for clean water for your animals and family, where in that scheme are you winning? Wouldn't you want your neighbor to respect your right to clean water too?
You also have to wonder what Beck knows about farming. I'd say that he gives no more thought to it than going to the grocery store. As long as he can buy milk and eggs, he's happy. I'm hoping he'll get a diseased, polluted egg so I won't have to hear or write about him anymore. Good riddance.
Dave
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