Today I have followed the release of the damaging video footage that documented abuse of dairy calves and heifers at Conklin Dairy Farm in Plain City, Ohio. Like many of you, I watched the savage abuse against defenseless calves, heifers and cows in horror.
First, the footage brought tears to my eyes. Then a pit deep to my stomach. But then it began to make me mad as hell. First, I am angry at the young man shown in the video. The actions against the animals that are documented as his in this video are inexcusable and demonstrate a lack of compassion for life of any form. No matter what the Union County justice system decides is his punishment, I fully believe the Creator will have a final judgment for him one day.
Second, I am angry for the erroneous message this video sends, that wrongly implies those who work in agriculture in our state, and especially in animal husbandry, are callous, disregarding of animal welfare and abusive, when nothing could be further from the truth. The farmers of our state care deeply for the creatures they tend. They worry at each new birth, each sign of poor health and they sweat the details that are required to improve the nutrition, care and management of their animals. They love the animals they tend - or they would certainly not be in business very long.
In the dairy industry, farmers strive for less stress to their cows, which helps them improve milk production. In today's dairy industry, milk producers are already hanging by a thread, so they are doing all they can to help increase their milk production and retain what little profit they can. That is why you may have seen studies that showed cows that were able to stand on modified waterbed mattresses were more comfortable and produced more milk.
Cows that are afraid, stressed or injured will produce less milk.
Cows that are injured cannot be sold for a profit.
To abuse these animals is to sabotage your very livelihood as a dairy farmer.
To abuse these animals makes no logical sense, and to imply that this is routine animal husbandry is absolutely asinine. To suggest that we should abolish the dairy industry because of the actions of one individual is like saying we should close all churches because there are abusive priests, or to close all schools because a teacher had an affair with a student.
But the biggest reason that I'm mad as hell is that common sense did not intervene regarding the horrific actions the video depicted. How can a human being watch these unspeakable abuses go on for more than a month and not turn them directly in to authorities? Why release the video publicly without working to stop the abuse first? By not going directly to authorities, the videographer is in essence an accessory to the crime, an enabler for the crimes to continue unhindered for more than a month. In my mind, that lack of action shows the video maker's real motive - and it is not the welfare of these animals.
I hope you're as mad as hell too. It's about time for someone to stand up for the animals. But I'm here to tell you, that someone is not those who want you to become a vegetarian and shut down dairy farms. As this video shows, many of those individuals are more concerned with promoting their agendas than with the welfare of animals. Please keep this in mind as you watch the development of the Ohio Livestock Care Board. The board should be allowed to develop its policies using the process that the good citizens of this state approved last year - not coerced into the political agendas of organizations outside our state.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
In Search of Role Models
With the recent fall from grace of Tiger Woods, we once again see that the public image may not always be the reality of the situation.
Tiger serves as a reminder that when you are a superstar in any sport, people look up to you. Whether you realize it or not, you do become a role model. And with that title comes responsibility for your actions.
Most professional horse trainers probably do not see themselves as role models, yet to thousands of youth, amateurs and owners who participate in the equine industry, these professionals take on rock star status. People all over the world watch and emulate their practices - both in the arena and in their personal lives.
Do we expect too much of them? Perhaps. Humans are imperfect by nature, and holding them up to a perfect standard may be too high of a measure.
But we should be able to expect humane, respectful treatment of our animals, respect for their fellow competitors and an unselfish desire to better our breeds, our disciplines and our industry in general. When one of those three areas is breached, it is usually because of self interest.
When a trainer really looks at the best interest of the animal, the mental and physical health of the horse remains the paramount concern. There is no "winning at all costs" attitude. It takes courage and conviction to follow this honest and ethical route.
Competitors make us all better at our craft. We can all learn from each others' triumphs as well as their mistakes. Degrading another professional decreases public confidence in professional horsemen and hurts the industry. It makes me think of the old George Strait song "Every Time You Throw Dirt On Me, You Lose A Little Ground."
Giving back to the industry is also not an easy task. The hours of meetings that take professional horsemen and horse owners away from their livelihoods, costing a great deal of time and money. Yet many gladly make such sacrifices to improve rules, develop new programs and generate interest in the horse industry. Kudos to all those brave souls who lead, meet and continue to build a better mousetrap!
As professional horsemen go about their work, I hope that they will remember their impact as role models in our industry. By following humane treatment of the horses, respecting fellow professionals, and working for the betterment of the industry, professional horsemen will go a long way in fulfilling a positive public image.
Tiger serves as a reminder that when you are a superstar in any sport, people look up to you. Whether you realize it or not, you do become a role model. And with that title comes responsibility for your actions.
Most professional horse trainers probably do not see themselves as role models, yet to thousands of youth, amateurs and owners who participate in the equine industry, these professionals take on rock star status. People all over the world watch and emulate their practices - both in the arena and in their personal lives.
Do we expect too much of them? Perhaps. Humans are imperfect by nature, and holding them up to a perfect standard may be too high of a measure.
But we should be able to expect humane, respectful treatment of our animals, respect for their fellow competitors and an unselfish desire to better our breeds, our disciplines and our industry in general. When one of those three areas is breached, it is usually because of self interest.
When a trainer really looks at the best interest of the animal, the mental and physical health of the horse remains the paramount concern. There is no "winning at all costs" attitude. It takes courage and conviction to follow this honest and ethical route.
Competitors make us all better at our craft. We can all learn from each others' triumphs as well as their mistakes. Degrading another professional decreases public confidence in professional horsemen and hurts the industry. It makes me think of the old George Strait song "Every Time You Throw Dirt On Me, You Lose A Little Ground."
Giving back to the industry is also not an easy task. The hours of meetings that take professional horsemen and horse owners away from their livelihoods, costing a great deal of time and money. Yet many gladly make such sacrifices to improve rules, develop new programs and generate interest in the horse industry. Kudos to all those brave souls who lead, meet and continue to build a better mousetrap!
As professional horsemen go about their work, I hope that they will remember their impact as role models in our industry. By following humane treatment of the horses, respecting fellow professionals, and working for the betterment of the industry, professional horsemen will go a long way in fulfilling a positive public image.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Thoughts on Graduating from Leadership Tuscarawas
Leo Tolstoy once said "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves." I'm really glad that the Leadership Tuscarawas board believes the opposite - they help us change ourselves so that we can go out and change the world.
Our class of 2009 is an example of change. Since we sent in our applications last July, three members of our class have changed jobs. At least four babies have been born, with one more on the way. Even Leadership Tuscarawas received a new executive director since this time last year. However, as a class, I believe we've changed the most through the knowledge we've gained over the past nine months.
I grew up about seven miles from here, but am returning after living away for many years. This class confirmed what I have always known - that Tuscarawas County is the greatest place on earth as far as I am concerned! (But I'm not biased!)
The most important lesson I've learned from the past nine months is that the greatest resource in our county is its people. Month after month, I've witnessed individuals who have a passion, not only for this county, but also for their chosen cause. They've shared their knowledge freely and have worked hard to inspire us. From our elected officials, to our court system, to law enforcement, to education, to healthcare and community services, to the arts, to dealing with death, we've been fortunate to view our county from many perspectives.
And I also give Leadership Tuscarawas credit for exposing us to the underbelly of our county - from those recovering from domestic violence at Harbor House, to the inmates at the county jail, to frank discussions about the drug and alcohol abuse issues in our county, to poverty to a tour of the Kimble Landfill. It would be very easy to sweep these problems under the rug and ignore them, but we cannot begin to address the problems that face our communities until we've seen and understand them.
Our program days have also included progressive, cutting-edge educational topics such as emotional intelligence, affirmative inquiry, personality testing and management and conflict resolution. I commend the program committee for the great job they did in providing us with such a well-rounded curriculum.
The members of the class of 2009 have been inspired to do things I don't think any of us could have imagined last July. And I couldn't have gone through this experience with a greater group of beautiful, talented and caring people. I consider you all my friends and it's going to be weird not to see you once a month!
To the families, friends, bosses and coworkers of our class members, I say a sincere thank you for your support and patience with us as we traveled this journey. I know my own boss, Katie, enthusiastically offered ideas and brainstormed with me as we worked on our class project and the different issues each month, and I greatly appreciated her help.
I'd also like to thank the Leadership Tuscarawas board of directors for their foresight in starting this program, and also congratulate them on their ongoing work and continued enthusiasm for this organization. It's one thing to start a cause, but it can be another thing altogether to put the time and hard work into keeping it going seven years later. Here is a quote I felt appropriate to address to the board and alumni of Leadership Tuscarawas:
"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." Greek Philosopher Pericles
Our programs talked a lot about managing people, and that is the toughest part of becoming a leader, I think - learning to lead people, to mange them and learning to embrace the gifts they have to offer. It takes hard work to do that. It's easy to form opinions about the people you work with - good or bad, especially if you work with them for any length of time. There is one lesson I learned from one of my mentors that I would like to share with you. It is that you need to separate the messenger from the message. As my mentor, Denny Hales, would say, the WHAT is much more important than the WHO. Anyone can have a good idea.
With that thought in mind, I'd like to share the following quote with all of you, but especially my classmates.
"Don't get to comfortable with who you are at any given time -
you may miss the opportunity to become who you want to be."
I've given you the WHAT, now here is the WHO - this quote is from Jon Bon Jovi. Even a rock star can say something profound!
So continue to change. Continue to learn. Set your sites high. Follow your passion. And take the opportunity to become who you want to be.
Our class of 2009 is an example of change. Since we sent in our applications last July, three members of our class have changed jobs. At least four babies have been born, with one more on the way. Even Leadership Tuscarawas received a new executive director since this time last year. However, as a class, I believe we've changed the most through the knowledge we've gained over the past nine months.
I grew up about seven miles from here, but am returning after living away for many years. This class confirmed what I have always known - that Tuscarawas County is the greatest place on earth as far as I am concerned! (But I'm not biased!)
The most important lesson I've learned from the past nine months is that the greatest resource in our county is its people. Month after month, I've witnessed individuals who have a passion, not only for this county, but also for their chosen cause. They've shared their knowledge freely and have worked hard to inspire us. From our elected officials, to our court system, to law enforcement, to education, to healthcare and community services, to the arts, to dealing with death, we've been fortunate to view our county from many perspectives.
And I also give Leadership Tuscarawas credit for exposing us to the underbelly of our county - from those recovering from domestic violence at Harbor House, to the inmates at the county jail, to frank discussions about the drug and alcohol abuse issues in our county, to poverty to a tour of the Kimble Landfill. It would be very easy to sweep these problems under the rug and ignore them, but we cannot begin to address the problems that face our communities until we've seen and understand them.
Our program days have also included progressive, cutting-edge educational topics such as emotional intelligence, affirmative inquiry, personality testing and management and conflict resolution. I commend the program committee for the great job they did in providing us with such a well-rounded curriculum.
The members of the class of 2009 have been inspired to do things I don't think any of us could have imagined last July. And I couldn't have gone through this experience with a greater group of beautiful, talented and caring people. I consider you all my friends and it's going to be weird not to see you once a month!
To the families, friends, bosses and coworkers of our class members, I say a sincere thank you for your support and patience with us as we traveled this journey. I know my own boss, Katie, enthusiastically offered ideas and brainstormed with me as we worked on our class project and the different issues each month, and I greatly appreciated her help.
I'd also like to thank the Leadership Tuscarawas board of directors for their foresight in starting this program, and also congratulate them on their ongoing work and continued enthusiasm for this organization. It's one thing to start a cause, but it can be another thing altogether to put the time and hard work into keeping it going seven years later. Here is a quote I felt appropriate to address to the board and alumni of Leadership Tuscarawas:
"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." Greek Philosopher Pericles
Our programs talked a lot about managing people, and that is the toughest part of becoming a leader, I think - learning to lead people, to mange them and learning to embrace the gifts they have to offer. It takes hard work to do that. It's easy to form opinions about the people you work with - good or bad, especially if you work with them for any length of time. There is one lesson I learned from one of my mentors that I would like to share with you. It is that you need to separate the messenger from the message. As my mentor, Denny Hales, would say, the WHAT is much more important than the WHO. Anyone can have a good idea.
With that thought in mind, I'd like to share the following quote with all of you, but especially my classmates.
"Don't get to comfortable with who you are at any given time -
you may miss the opportunity to become who you want to be."
I've given you the WHAT, now here is the WHO - this quote is from Jon Bon Jovi. Even a rock star can say something profound!
So continue to change. Continue to learn. Set your sites high. Follow your passion. And take the opportunity to become who you want to be.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
What I Learned From My Boss
At his funeral, this song kept playing in my head.
"There's a hole in the world tonight,
there's a cloud of pain and sorrow.
There's a hole in the world tonight,
don't let there be a hole in the world tomorrow."
(courtesy of The Eagles)
That pretty much summed up how I felt to lose a mentor and a great friend that I worked with for nearly 25 years. So perhaps the best tribute I can make to the late Denny Hales is to share some of what I learned from him.
1. You, too, can make it through eight weeks of 18+ hour autumn days at the Ohio Expo Center - if you have liberal amounts of Crown Royal and cola.
2. It's not who you include, but who you leave out - when planning an event, an award or something in writing - that will get you into trouble.
3. Keep the big picture, and your mission, in your mind at all times.
4. Try to build consensus when you can, but don't be afraid to use your clout if you have to.
5. No matter what you are doing, have fun - or it's not worth doing.
6. Separate the message from the messenger - the WHAT is more important than the WHO.
7. Don't be afraid to be innovative. Or to steal good ideas. Learn from your mistakes.
8. You can get a lot of work done when you work without a name tag.
9. There are times when the best solution is to walk away.
10. This too shall pass.
Rest in peace, Boss. I know you're up there having one heck of a party with the horsemen and women who went before you - people like Paul Wilt, Jim Wells, Shirley DeLorean and Jeanine Lutz. And I look forward someday to seeing that ultimate horse show all of you are working on now.
"There's a hole in the world tonight,
there's a cloud of pain and sorrow.
There's a hole in the world tonight,
don't let there be a hole in the world tomorrow."
(courtesy of The Eagles)
That pretty much summed up how I felt to lose a mentor and a great friend that I worked with for nearly 25 years. So perhaps the best tribute I can make to the late Denny Hales is to share some of what I learned from him.
1. You, too, can make it through eight weeks of 18+ hour autumn days at the Ohio Expo Center - if you have liberal amounts of Crown Royal and cola.
2. It's not who you include, but who you leave out - when planning an event, an award or something in writing - that will get you into trouble.
3. Keep the big picture, and your mission, in your mind at all times.
4. Try to build consensus when you can, but don't be afraid to use your clout if you have to.
5. No matter what you are doing, have fun - or it's not worth doing.
6. Separate the message from the messenger - the WHAT is more important than the WHO.
7. Don't be afraid to be innovative. Or to steal good ideas. Learn from your mistakes.
8. You can get a lot of work done when you work without a name tag.
9. There are times when the best solution is to walk away.
10. This too shall pass.
Rest in peace, Boss. I know you're up there having one heck of a party with the horsemen and women who went before you - people like Paul Wilt, Jim Wells, Shirley DeLorean and Jeanine Lutz. And I look forward someday to seeing that ultimate horse show all of you are working on now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)