Prompt #10: Recognizing the Truth

Abbie W.

            In the agricultural field there are many misinterpretations, especially when it comes to livestock. There are so many animal rights organizations that continue to try and get farmers shut down from producing livestock. Everyday they find new ways to cause people to think these farm animals are abused and not taken care of properly. When in fact the livestock are these farmers’ livelihood. If they do not properly care for them then they will not produce quality grade products, which will cause loss of income for the farmer. Therefore, it is in their best interest to care for the livestock in the best way possible. In the wild they would not have as much access to grains and fresh water, along with being protected from animals that prey on them. Therefore, they are given a better life in captivity. In addition, livestock are not meant to be pets, they are meant to be used for protein and used as shelter or clothing. Not everyone agrees with this but if livestock were left in the wild they would be slaughtered in much worse and inhumane ways.

One visual aid that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals use is of this “sheered” lamb. This lamb is bloodied and appears to have not made it. It gives the reader the impression that the lamb is killed so that it can produce wool for you. This inaccurate as a lamb is sheered for its own benefit during the warm months to stay cool. They can be sheered continuously, usually about twice a year as the wool grows back just like hair on our heads. When not sheered their wool can be deadly to them. For example, Shrek the sheep who escaped his New Zealand farm and was not sheered for six years. Enough wool was removed from Shrek to produce 20 suits, about 50 pounds. The wool covered his eyes so he could hardly see, and if he were to have fallen on his side he would not have been able to get up.

            The more accurate picture is what an actual sheered lamb looks like. The truth is some animals are abused and neglected. However, that is a very small percentage of people who do not help the agricultural community. Those people are the ones who are punished but they should not be  

the ones who are a reflection of the agriculture industry. Animal rights activists, make life hard for those working continuously to put food on our table.








Pictures from: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/67710374/Petas-mutilated-lamb-campaign-sparks-backlash-graphic-content
http://www.ujssa.org/RESULTS/naile/2012/jr/ssjrewelamb2-1-wilinski.JPG
http://www.wideopencountry.com/this-sheep-avoided-shearing-for-6-years-gets-the-haircut-of-a-lifetime/

Prompt Post: Observing Community

By Micalah B

http://www.agrtau.com/site/albums/35865/assets/302277

Alpha Gamma Rho, or AGR,  is a farm fraternity found at many different universities all throughout the United States. Auburn, Penn State, Cornell, and many more collegiate campuses are home to this special kind of Greek life, leaving us with no surprise that Michigan State University is in on the fun, as well.

Michigan State's AGR fraternity is located on the northwest side of campus, where a group of about 40 young men share their passion for agriculture. AGR states a purpose to "make better men...and better agriculture"through different community and campus agriculture events, therefore, as an agriculture major at MSU myself, AGR perked my interests.

Of course, as a woman, I am not eligible to join the AGR fraternity myself. With this being said, AGR is constantly putting on community events where any and all people are welcome to come check things out. With a passion for agriculture, these events are nothing shy of pure excitement for me, and with a friend in the frat to keep me updated of the latest events, you could say I have it made.

As previously stated, I indeed have a burning passion for agriculture that sparks my interests like nothing else quite does. More specifically, however, I have a passion for cattle. And by passion, I mean I am a die-hard cattle fanatic. Therefore, when I was informed that AGR was assisting in running a cattle show out in Mason, MI, a small town about 20 minutes off campus, the excitement I felt was near equivalent to that of Christmas morning at 6 years old. Oh yes, I was excited.

Let me explain:

A cattle show consists of farmers from all around, of all ages, gathering in a single location, bringing along their cattle to be judged. Judges look for things such as size, cleanliness, and cooperation as they judge these cows, picking a first place, a last place, and all places in between.

So, where does AGR come into all of this?

AGR was fortunate enough to be a part of this show, helping to keep things running s smoothly as possibly. They kept spaces clean and workable, led those showing their cattle where they needed to be, gathered scores, directed onlookers watching the show, and much more. Along with this, they were able to make some vital, and important connections, meeting people such as the judges, farm managers of large cooperations, agri-business company leaders, and many other important agriculture figures.

http://www.agrtau.com/home

With this being said, how these young men conducted themselves at the show was key. First impressions are an underrated, yet extremely important thing that we tend to blow right through each and every day as we meet new people. At the cow show, the men of AGR were urged to keep this in mind as they not only represented themselves, but the entire Alpha Gamma Rho community, and ultimately, Michigan State University. Hands were shaken, ball caps were removed out of respect, and focus was kept at an ultimate high as these young men tried to make a good name for themselves in front of such important people in the local agriculture world.

Although attending the cow show was meant to be all fun and games for me, a chance to watch in on one of my favorite pastime events, it proved to be quite the learning experience as well. How we conduct ourselves in front of those who we already know to be important figures is, of course, an extremely important thing. However, what about how we conduct ourselves in a room full of people we do not know? A room full of potential co-workers, employers, employees, or even just friends. It's important to remember that, unlike the AGR cattle showing event, where the young men were aware of who they must be on their best behavior for, we may not always know the important faces in the room. With that, out of respect for those around you and respect for yourself, I encourage a best-behavior sort of attitude. An attitude that doesn't know who it will be trying to impress today, but will always try to impress anyways.

Sources:
"Alpha Gamma Rho." About Us. Celect 2016, 2016. Web. 7 Feb. 2016. <http://www.agrtau.com/home>. Alpha Gamma Rho Homepage

The National Park Service

By Emily T

One of the most common employers of those involved in outdoor recreation is the United States Government. A major government system that is popular among those in the Sustainable Parks, Recreation, and Tourism major, and really anyone who loves the outdoors at all, is the National Park Service.

Watch this video to learn more about the ideas and mission of the National Park Service:

As you may have noticed from the video, the National Park Service sends a message to embrace the ever-changing and growing nation that is the United States, and they have made it their mission to help their system become enjoyable to all.

The National Parks Service protects and embraces the beautiful land of our nation, and much of our history.They run programs in parks, memorials, and other historical landmarks. Some of the most famous places run by the National Parks Service are Grand Canyon National Park, the battlefields at Gettysburg, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. There are a total of 58 National Parks in the United States alone.

America’s first national park, and probably the most famous, is Yellowstone National Park, located in Wyoming. The entrance to the park is a large arch, with the words “For the benefit and enjoyment of the people” engraved on it. These were the words President Theodore Roosevelt said when the park opened in 1872. With its mountains, wildlife, and majority of the world’s geysers, including Old Faithful, this wonderland was so beautiful that it had to be preserved “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people”. Since then, multiple locations, everywhere from Crater Lake in Oregon to The Everglades in Florida to the Volcanoes in Hawaii to the forts at San Juan have been preserved so that citizens of the United States, and those from around the world, can enjoy and learn about the history and land of our country.

Historian and American novelist Wallace Stegner called the national parks “America’s Best Idea”. The initial purpose of the parks, which continues today, is that every United States citizen, no matter where they are from, owns some of these beautiful and historic locations. These parks and lands have been around for many years, providing us with the benefit of enjoying the beautiful, unique places of the United States.

I had the wonderful privilege of growing up and hiking in the national parks. From the canyons in Arizona to the rain forests in Washington, to the mountains in Montana, the wildlife, landscape, and amazing views never ceased to take my breath away. There truly is nothing like them, and once you have seen the beauty of them, you are never the same.

Sources:

http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

United States. National Park Service. "National Park Service." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 05 Feb. 2016. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.

Images:

http://www.carolinaoutdoorsguide.com/NationalParks.html

http://www.yellowstonepark.com/roosevelt-arch/

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/national-parks/best-parks.html

The Impact on Agriculture to Society

-Abbie W.

            About 2 million years ago, humans and animals developed a way to cohabitate. Humans then soon become omnivores, eating both meat and plants. Over time we began to domesticate different species of livestock. This domestication brought so much progress into our human population to expand and make developments. We would begin to make incredible discoveries, from fire to language.

            Human life was almost completely transformed, with harvest time and bulk consumption decreasing by two-thirds. “The use of agriculture established human societies (live science).”  As a need for communication was needed in trading commodities, a language was established. Early humans found a way to use every last part of the animal. The hide would be turned into shelter for the settlers. While other parts were soon used for clothing to help keep those in the north warm during the bitter winters. Only about 500 thousand years ago was fire founded. This brought along food safety to allow for cooking meat. Fire also created a pathway to heat, light and cooking more flavorful healthy foods.

            Domesticated animals also offered protection from predators. They also allowed for the progress in agriculture and plowing, with large animals such as donkeys, horses and oxen. This brought settlement as humans could grow their own food. They did not have to constantly relocate to find food, now. Animals provided more abundance of nutrients to the humans. Much more salt intake, protein from meats along with calcium from milk of cows. These nutrients increased population and the age of which people lived. With more nutrients being provided humans were healthier and able for longevity.

Powers, Simon. "How Despots Arose with Agriculture (Op-Ed)." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 2014. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.

Should Juveniles Be Charged As Adults?

By:Janae S.

        In recent years their were growing numbers of juvenile criminals were being tired as adults, before they opened the first world’s juvenile court in 1899 in Chicago. The courts felt that juveniles lacked the maturity to take responsibility for their actions the way adults could. Juveniles characters are not fully developed yet, they can be rehabilitated more successfully than adults could. 

Here’s the story:

Well, this is 15 year old Jacob Ind, On December 17 1992, he brutally killed his parents in their woodland park home in southern Colorado with a help of friend. He shot his parents first in their bed then he began to stab his parents with a knife, to finish them off he decided to shot them with his stepdads gun. The DA of the case  tried the to teens as adults, they were both sentenced to life without parole. Jacob kept quiet about the sexual abuse that he suffered with his father. He acted in self defense in killing his parents his parents to put a stop to years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

Back in the 1990s courts didn't think sending juveniles under the age of 18 years old to juvenile court to get a juvenile sentence where they would be out within a couple of years for a murder case wasn't really an option.Studies have shown that trying juveniles in adult settings may be making them worse. This could be true because juveniles that serve time with adults tend to relapse while in the adult setting. Jacob is a minor, which means he has not reached the legal, but society considers him an adult. The juvenile justice system would handle a 15 year old more differently than someone over 18.

Some people would argue that kids should be charged as an adult no matter the nature of the crime or their age. Others may argue saying all people should be treated fairly. Also just because someone else did not value another human life we as society should not follow their lead and treat them the same as they acted against that person .You cannot safe guard society, you cant rehabilitate, and you cannot protect human worth if you instantly just throw them in jail. Kids are not fully developed mentally and are prone to poor impulse control.

Sources:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/whenkidsgetlife/five/ind.html

indp.jpg

http://www.teenink.com/opinion/social_issues_civics/article/160859/Kids-Should-Not-Be-Tried-As-Adults/