Thanks for all the comments on yesterday’s “So God Made A Farmer” entry. It was a well done, artistic, and moving commercial.
In my book.
And in the books of those of you who commented here yesterday, as well.
As I read around the internet today, however, I was simply amazed at the opposite side. The vehement, disgusting, and snobbish comments that appeared on Facebook, Twitter, and articles posted to the net.
I quit reading.
Those kind of opinions pull me down. They attack and tear apart, rending a beautiful message into shreds. It becomes so easy to bully your position against *whatever*… when you don’t have to look a person in the face…
I could rant and rave myself.
I could defend the commercial.
But, I doubt I would change any minds… “Thumper’s Rule” works for me, if not for them.
That’s why I don’t *do* controversy on this blog. I’m that “mediator” kind of person… Why can’t we all just get along?
I don’t understand the anger, the “blame game”, any of it.
I should have watched the commercial and stayed away from the internet for the next week.
But I was proud.
For last evening I was proud.
Proud to be a rancher.
Proud to be part of American, flag-waving, God-respecting, apple pie eating, AGRICULTURE.
Proud that I married into a business, and it IS a small business, that has been around since 1891. 122 years my husband’s family has been ranching in the Ten Sleep area!
Proud to surround myself with people, Good People, that we could make our own Dodge commercial with our faces on the screen.
That lasted about 12 hours.
It was a very small window to open up a dialog where people could maybe learn and acknowledge each other’s viewpoints… but I didn’t see much of that… maybe Ryan did from his Agriculture Proud website, he’s out there, not spooked by controversy like me!
But for all the angst that I pulled upon myself by reading those unfavorable words… I’m sincerely thrilled that Dodge made that commercial. For two minutes of airtime, it has sparked a great deal of pride in the Agricultural Community. I think that’s something we needed desperately. It acknowledged hard work, dedication, honesty, sacrifice, love, selflessness, and family. It’s what we’re made of.
Not just *us*, either. Americans in general.
Did you see the final phrase?
“To the farmer in all of us.”
You go ahead, people… pull apart farmers… accuse us of *whatever* makes you happy.
We’ll stand here… ALL OF US… who believe in hard work, dedication, honesty, sacrifice, love, selflessness, and family… The accountant, the hockey mom, the Girl Scout leader, the mainstreet businessman, the guy next door.
And we’ll smile.
