I hear the voices this morning of the proud men and women who stood up and held their ground yesterday at that raw milk hearing. To a person, the remarks were consistently respectful and controlled, even though the passion behind the comments was obvious. And, interestingly, everywhere I looked, there were children. As one man said:
My wife and I brought our four children with us because we wanted them to see this process. Because we believe in We the People.
And so, today, I come before you in the dark of early morning, the sorghum in my garden rooted solid, shoulder to shoulder, and reaching for the sky, and I wonder what I stand for and if I stand alone or have support. And I wonder how strong I would be in front of a tense crowd, a microphone in my hand, my voice shaking. And I wonder if I possess the restraint of the good people of Georgia that I saw yesterday to stick with principles, not personalities, and to state my opinion with kindness as well as conviction.
I learned things yesterday. As one older man stated, "Thomas Jefferson said that the small landholder is the basis of our republic." But I also learned, by witnessing the process of We the People, that respect for others, even if their opinions differ from ours, even if we find their logic faulty or motives unclear, may be the basis of a sane society.
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1 comments:
I like this, "stick with principles, not personalities." It's a good one to think about.
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