Home →Editorials / Opinions ( April 14, 2021 )
Yes, it was a great night on March 26 at Kauffman's Woodworking Shop in Lancaster County, but now what? Will the crowd of 160 people turn it into a serious attempt to help cover the inequities that are facing the majority of dairy farmers? Or will the excitement of all the people that were present at the meeting ebb and end up to be in vain.
What is the next real step? Let's hope that people like Congressman Smucker of Lancaster County will listen to the plight of the dairy farmer. I certainly hope that many of the dairy farmers at the meeting will contact Congressman Smucker and urge him to support Pro-Ag's proposal; The Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act. This Act will price the milk to dairy farmers based upon the national average cost of production.
In addition, the proposal illustrates a reasonable/workable supply management program.
I ask everyone why is it so difficult for anyone to understand that dairy farmers deserve a chance to have a milk price that will allow them an opportunity to cover their costs. Certainly, we fully recognize that all dairy farmers have a different cost of production.
Our proposal would give every dairy farmer an opportunity to cover their cost. What is so hard to understand with our proposal that would not only help our dairy farmers, in addition, many parts of rural America would be revitalized. Everyone should remember it's just not Congressman Smucker who should support our proposal, but we need all of you to contact all other elected officials in Washington, DC (both members of Congress and Senators).
This may be our last chance to rectify the dairy farmers' pricing crisis. Let's not be foolish enough to let the large meeting at Kauffman's go down the same drain as many other attempts have ended in the past.
It's up to you, local dairy farmers, to contact all these elected officials.
Arden Tewksbury/Pro-Ag can be reached at 570-833-5776.
Sincerely,
Arden Tewksbury, Manager of Pro-Ag, Meshoppen, PA
Can a few thousand hold the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul's, a Region of three million, hostage? You bet they can.
The Twin Cities are not yet recovered from the summer riots of 2020. The protests were ignited by a rumor that police had killed an unarmed black teenager. The story proved false. Nonetheless, hooligans rioting and looting wreaked $500 million in destroyed properties and shuttered businesses.
Not a year later, the Region is boarding up storefronts in what might be a record wave of mayhem. This time 'round, it's because of the trial of George Floyd. Insurance companies estimate that if police officer Derek Chauvin, convicted in the court of public opinion, is not sentenced for murdering George Floyd, then the Twin Cities will burn once again, but at a projected cost of $2 billion.
Maya Echols, a popular TikTok model and BLM activist told her 500,000 followers, "If George Floyd's murdered is not sentenced, just know that all hell is gonna break lose. Don't be surprised when buildings are on fire. Just sayin'."
Some 25 years ago, another trial riveted the nation's attention; it was a mirror image of the Floyd trial. Remember when O. J. Simpson stood trial for the murder of two whites?
Simpson was finally collared after he led Los Angeles police in a 90-minute highway pursuit ending in front of Simpson's Los Angeles home.
White Lives Matter, an infamous White supremacist group, gave due notice that Los Angeles would burn if Simpson were found not guilty. Well, Simpson was found not guilty, and LA didn't burn because WLM is fictitious. If, however, WLM were real, the media would use it as target practice. But BLM – a factual organization – gets a free pass.
Nonetheless, both trials have a racial component. In the Floyd trial, it's in a very vocal and substantial minority. In Simpson's trial, it was not the crowd but the composition of the jury.
The demographics of the 12-member Simpson jury were: nine Blacks, one Hispanic, two Whites. Nine jurors thought Simpson was less likely to be a murderer because he was a pro athlete, and five reported a negative experience with the police.
After an hour-long lunch, the jury took three-and-one-half hours to reach a verdict of not guilty and make it back home in time for supper.
The verdict shocked the nation. Simpson walked after the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her companion, Ronald Goldman.
And, as you know, there was no white rage, no burning, looting, or even protests, though the not guilty verdict stands as an outrage in American criminal trial history.
Now the nation awaits the verdict of former police officer Derek Chauvin – he was fired less than one day after Floyd's death, so much for innocent until proven guilty.
There was no doubt in the mind of Medaria Arradondo, the city's first Black police chief. Arradondo called Floyd's death a "murder."
It's a sad commentary on today's race relation that race is a crucial consideration in jury selection. In Floyd's case, the jurors are eight Whites and six Blacks. All 14 will be under intense pressure no matter how they vote.
The identities of the 14 are carefully guarded. Whether it will remain secreted after the trial is doubtful; it would not be a stretch to say that the courtroom experience and its aftermath will profoundly affect their lives.
George Zimmerman comes immediately to mind as one whose life is forever haunted by his courtroom experience.
In 2013, Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin in self-defense. He was acquitted of all charges. Nevertheless, nine years after being judged not guilty, he is hounded as the murderer of Martin.
In 2015, six Baltimore police officers were charged with the death of Freddie Gray. Gray was allegedly given a "rough ride" in a police van that contributed to his death. All the officers were acquitted. Gray's death became a symbol for the Black community's distrust of police and triggered days of rioting.
In 1991 four officers were charged with using excessive force in Rodney King's arrest after a 100-miles-per-hour highway chase. Only one officer was found guilty and sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. That verdict resulted in rioting in which 50 people were killed, thousands injured, and $1 billion in property destruction.
George Floyd is the latest to join the reliquary of tainted sainted: Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, and Rodney King – martyrs to the myth of racial injustice.
Sincerely,
Bob Scroggins, New Milford, PA
You Biden voters are responsible for these crimes. Biden has introduced 'The Equality Act' that will have men participating in women's sports, causing a big disadvantage to the women and many other terrible happenings in this 'Equality Act'. Biden will take away your gun rights that are guaranteed to us in The 2nd Amendment Rights in our Constitution, to defend ourselves against any threats. Biden is destroying our US military by having taxpayers pay for surgery to change a man into a woman and a woman into a man and also have a man go into a woman's bathroom and barracks and also cutting cost on our military budget to defend our USA. Biden is responsible for the terrible illegal people, drugs, guns, etc. now entering our country. The 'Stimulus' money that most of us have received has money paying, sadly for baby killing abortions here and in many countries around the world. The people now and into the next generations will have a big tax increase. Did you notice that practically no people are at any Biden-Harris events anywhere to greet them? Because maybe they are now sorry that they voted for Biden-Harris!
You should have voted for President Trump again, to keep our USA great!
Sincerely,
Bruce Moorhead, Susquehanna, PA