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SW “Ohia” | briggsfm,
I recently graduated from a non-Ag college and encountered this kind of thinking pretty often. If it was relevant to a discussion class, I would mention farming. I was always amazed at how many other young people had never met somebody who farmed before. I mean literally had never talked to someone who raised crops or had livestock. This meant they had never heard anything outside the evening news or some post on the Internet. Some of them immediately brought up animal welfare and poor cropping practices. I was usually able to explain how things actually worked and most wanted to learn more.
Some got really fired up about things though, just all on their own. Maybe they like to get angry? I had a couple girls in one class get really into banning all antibiotic use in livestock. I explained withdrawal time, residue inspection, new regulations, etc. Didn't get anywhere. I asked if they had ever stood next to a sick cow, one with pneumonia, and listened to them struggle for every breath; strain to just get a little air in and out. That silenced them.
My last ditch argument was simple but rarely had to be used. If someone is a bad pet owner, the public wants to punish that person, not regulate people from having pets. Most pet owners are good, right? If someone is a bad farmer, people immediately blame all farmers and think they all act the same way. See how this is a double standard?
That typically got through to everyone.
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"hardest people to love"
