The Farmer’s Field: Get Involved, Make a Difference
By: Ron Rabou
Confusion and deceit. The world is full of it. With the passing of every election cycle, it seems to me it continually worsens.
Rather than telling the truth and being forthright with the American people, candidates use fearmongering tactics and deception to create confusion.
Although trillions of bits of information are at our fingertips in modern society, it is increasingly difficult to disseminate the truth from the falsities and inaccuracies. There is so much misinformation, even when the rhetoric is completely and blatantly insensible, we begin to believe what we hear and read, as we are bombarded by the same stories, information and opinions every day.
We are so far removed from being able to rely on mainstream media for accurate and unbiased reporting, it is mind-blowing.
My intent this month is not to influence any of my readers to vote in the upcoming election for a particular candidate or political side of the fence. My intent, however, is to encourage readers to take a long, hard look at what kind of community, state and country they want to live in.
It is evident to me our society is unraveling, and the masses are feeding into the frenzy we should all be comfortable living in a society where anything goes – a society where there are no moral lines or standards; a society that teaches young children to embrace ideologies both emotionally and physically which will undeniably create massively harmful effects for them now and in the future; a society that accepts the premise uncontrollably spending trillions of dollars we don’t have will solve problems which have intentionally been indoctrinated into our culture; a society where selfishness is the coin of the realm and success is only correlated with monetary gain and influence; a society where its people are afraid to tell the truth and speak the truth, for fear of the repercussions on its families, businesses and social circles and a society so addicted to staring at social media, crude and ridiculous videos and the incessant desire for entertainment, it forgets how to genuinely connect with each other in a non-combative and meaningful way.
This is not the America I knew, and I cannot believe for one minute this is the America we truly want.
But this is what America is becoming.
Many Americans are part of the silent majority, and many of us may believe – or hope – if we can just elect the right people to office, they will fix our problems. While this may be ideal, I do not believe it is practical.
Do we need to elect good, honest, upright people to office who stand firm with moral and ethical convictions and who will courageously act and interact with their counterparts and constituents to uphold the rights of the American people? Absolutely.
I believe there are very good, well-intentioned politicians who hold the best interests of our country and its citizens as the center of their focus. We need them.
But, contrary to them, it is evident there are many politicians who fervently believe in ideologies which are skewed so far out of line from the foundations of our great country and the decency of our citizens, they will spare no lie, no amount of corruption, without regard for human life and dignity, to ensure their agenda is not only part of our society, but embraced by it.
They are wolves lying in sheep’s clothing, and some are so brazen, they have even removed their disguise. The tragedy is segments of our society are so confused and so deceived, they no longer recognize a ravaging wolf when they see one.
While your vote this November is massively important from the local level all the way through the federal level, there is more we must do.
It is imperative we all become more involved outside of election season. We all must engage every day, and we can’t rely on others to do it for us.
As Americans, we must face today’s issues with a ferocity of conviction, backed with moral courage and integrity, proactively engaging, unafraid and unapologetically as we stand for the biblical principles which have forged the greatest country the world has ever known.
As I write this today, I gaze at a plaque on the wall inscribed with a quote from German Pastor Martin Niemoller which states, “First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Get out and vote, but more importantly get involved. It’s up to each one of us, every day, to make a difference.
Ron Rabou is president of Rabou Farms, Inc. in southeastern Wyoming; a nationally recognized author and speaker and co-host of the nationally syndicated podcast AgInspo. For more information, visit raboufarms.com.
