Election Jitters

By Dennis Sun

As I write this column on Election Day, I’m relieved it is finally here as we have all had our patience wear thin. Freedom has taken a hard turn in the last 10 months. Coupled with the pandemic, we have faced some hard days.

The good news is, I’ve heard people across the nation are voting in numbers we haven’t seen in years.

We all have to agree this has been a rough election season. Slinging dirt has been the normal. However, looking back, history shows there have been some pretty rough elections throughout the years.

One of the most hard-fought elections was when Abraham Lincoln was elected. Lincoln didn’t have a pandemic to deal with, but a civil war was on everyone’s mind.

 In a four-way election in 1860, the Republican Party ticket of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin won. The eastern states thought Lincoln was a hick from the Midwest, and they ridiculed him for not being able to govern. 

After the election, southern states started to secede from the Union and plan for a civil war. The South wanted to gain control of western gold fields to pay for the war, but luckily, they were defeated in New Mexico. Politics were not nice in those days.

I understand the presidential elections of Alexander Hamilton and Andrew Jackson were wicked, too. 

Andrew Jackson stopped the English in Louisiana after they were whipped in Boston and New York. The English figured if they took New Orleans and controlled the Mississippi River, they could control the West. 

Andrew Jackson stopped them, and his toughness stayed with him throughout his presidency. He was most likely the only president to serve with two rifle balls lodged in his body. Dueling was his way of settling a fight. 

See, we have come quite a way from the old days. But, now if someone doesn’t agree, they take a brick and throw it through a store window. We still have a ways to go. However, better days are always ahead.

Despite some commodity prices, agriculture does have some bright sides. Although it is sometimes easy to only see negatives, there are always positives.

Despite the pandemic, the demand for meat at the retail counter is good. Consumers are realizing beef, lamb and pork are quick to prepare, nutritious for their families, and they enjoy the taste. They now realize there are other cuts besides hamburger to cook at home.

The surprise cuts out there are lamb. The latest retail data shows pounds of all lamb sold at multi-outlet supermarkets in the U.S. in the 13-week period from April 20 through July 12, 2020, compared to the same time period in 2019, increased 8.6 percent or 16.3 million pounds. This equates to $137.8 million in sales for the second quarter. 

California showed the most growth, so we need to cut them some slack, not much, but a little. Somehow we need to curb the imports of lamb. Hopefully, the quality of American lamb will help with this.  

We need to give a pat on the back to the beef, lamb and pork checkoffs, they have really helped with sales of those meats.

Thanks for voting.