Goat Whisperer
Well-Known Member
So I tried my speech out at a tourney, after listening to judges advice, and of course all the editing I did before the speech (that was never posted) I came up with this. Tell me if you like it or not, all I know, is it's TONS better then the original!
An unborn goat kid, was presenting incorrectly. He was turned in the wrong direction to be born and was making it impossible; endangering his and his mothers, Kadabra's, life. When Kadabra started hemorrhaging, I knew the only chance of her surviving was if I saved her. But was that something I was capable of doing? In my vet class, we had talked about what to do in a situation like this, but like most of the class, I thought it sounded kind of scary and awful: I would have to put my hand inside and physically turn the unborn kid in order for it to come into the world alive, as well as to save the mother's life.-- and it was daunting, I was terrified, but I had been taught it was Kadabra's only chance I knew what to do, but did I really think I could do it? No. I never did. I never had. Until I was put into the situation—and then I didn't hesitate. It was the thought “An animal is dying, my animal is dying, Kadabra is dying” There was nothing else I could do, but try. My love for animals pushed me to do it, and my love for agriculture taught me to do it, and then I did it. I saved her and her unborn kids life.
Whenever I tell people this story, the reaction is the same “You put your hand inside of a goat!?” this has made me realize how far Americans have come from their agricultural roots: what used to be common knowledge across our country, learning how to breed, raise and care for animals; is a rarely learned life lesson in our country today. As Americans have moved into the cities and away from the agricultural life, we have lost our respect for our world, for our environment, for the very things which help us to survive. Not understanding agriculture or the environment has led to a disconnect between the two groups. Creating two distinct groups one interested solely in agriculture and the other only in the environment. And now they see themselves in total opposition.
Martin Luther King Junior once said “We must learn to live together, as brothers or perish together as fools.” Living together, working together, being united, all things we can do without agreeing, completely, with one another. Just because we have a few odd differences, in opinion, or the way we do things, it certainly doesn’t mean we have to be enemies. If we look back through history, to events such as the Great Compromise or the Revolutionary War, we quickly realize that if we had always been this way, in total opposition, America would have never been founded. And now it is tearing us apart.
I own six goats, five chickens, and a pig. I also founded a non-profit organization to conserve the environment. At times it feels as if I am a walking contradiction: Loving both the environment and agriculture, and trying to learn all I can about both; but this has led me to believe that the two groups must work side by side, hand in hand, to make this world a better, more balanced place to live. My love for agriculture and my love for the environment, has given me a unique perspective on both. A perspective that is fair to both sides. Agriculture is something that can and does work with the environment, misconceptions need to be stopped because they are causing so many conflicts, and agriculturalists and environmentalists need to put aside their differences and work together.
I have lifetime friends, ones that love agriculture, and ones that love the environment, but both hate one another. My agriculturalist friends hate environmentalists, and my environmental friends hate agriculturalists. Neither of them understand that they are both trying to accomplish the same thing; a better world—because they refuse to communicate. Many misconceptions have been created against both the environment and agriculture. Some of the most common ones in agriculture are that agriculturalists don’t care about the environment and ranchers and farmers abuse animals. While the most prevalent one against environmentalists is that they are all activists who throw blood on fur coats.
Agriculture cares for the environment—and it certainly is not against it. Agriculture depends on the well being of the earth. If the soils erode and deplete, agriculture will suffer along with everything else—if not worse. And if we destroy the environment, the farmers kids will have a future that as just as dim as everyone else's. We're all on the same side of the fence here. We all want a better future and a healthier environment.
Animal abuse in agriculture is very rare, because many agriculturalists are like me—they love animals. Not only that, but it is against regulations and it has a negative impact on our own production rates. When an animal is stressed, it produces less meat or milk. I have noticed with my own dairy producing goats, that if I walk them every day and let them roam freely on a pasture, they will produce up to three times more milk then usual. We have no reason to harm our own animals. We love animals-- otherwise we wouldn't have chosen to work with them every day. Farmers and ranchers maintain high standards of animal welfare not only because it ensures a good quality product at market but also because it is the right thing to do.
Many environmentalists have been labeled with PETA activism and illegal or even sometimes violent protesting. I call my self an avid environmentalist—and yet I have never been to one single protest. In fact, I own a fur coat. A fur coat, that Polar Bear’s International, one of the most well known environmental and conservational groups in the world, gave to me. Last year, I visited Churchill, Canada; the polar bear capitol of the world, to learn about polar bears and the effect climate change is having on the environment. While there, I was given the chance to talk to native trappers.
I learned so much that day; but most importantly I learned that hunters and trappers, as long as they are regulated, or as the natives do, regulate themselves, can do wonders for the environment. And not only that, but by stopping support of fur, especially fur that has been produced by natives, we are forcing them out of wild lands they have cultivated for hundreds of years, and into cities.
Agriculture and the environment are just an example, of something we are all facing in our day to day lives. You all have someone or something with think you are opposed of—but are you really? Have you ever taken the time of day, to truly listen to them, or what they have to say? And even then, even if you still can not agree, does that mean you have to be enemies who can not work together? No. It doesn’t. Because the world can not afford it.
The world is in trouble. We all know this. We could be attacked any moment by terrorists; this has been proven by 9-11. Slowly, as gas prices continue to rise, we have come to realize, that oil will eventually run out. War is raging around the world, people, our own women and men, are dying in Afghanistan—and the ones who come back, are often more dead then the ones who were left behind. My own brother is being shipped to Kuwait in the spring. All around the world, even in our own country, people go to bed hungry at night. Children, even today, continue to starve to death.
I am an environmentalist, not because I think we are destroying the world, eventually, after we are gone, the world will go back to normal. Thousands, maybe even millions of years from now, but it will. But right now, I am here. My one year old niece is here. My friends, neighbors, and family are here. And I am working to save them, and I know that we can. But only if we stop fighting and arguing over stupid things, and stop being selfish. The human race is capable of doing anything, but only if we work together.
We all need to start working together. Not only to make the world a better place—but to save it; climate change, pollution, war, disease, terrorist attacks; all things that right now, are threatening our very lives. Why do we care so much about vegetarianism or fur, when our children’s futures are at stake? We all need to push aside our differences and work together, now, or face the consequences soon in the future; we can no longer say or believe lies that are created for selfish reasons; and all of us, from CEO’s to small time family business owners; can and must stand together as one. Otherwise, as Martin Luther King so wisely said “If we don’t learn to live together as brothers we will surely perish together as fools.”
An unborn goat kid, was presenting incorrectly. He was turned in the wrong direction to be born and was making it impossible; endangering his and his mothers, Kadabra's, life. When Kadabra started hemorrhaging, I knew the only chance of her surviving was if I saved her. But was that something I was capable of doing? In my vet class, we had talked about what to do in a situation like this, but like most of the class, I thought it sounded kind of scary and awful: I would have to put my hand inside and physically turn the unborn kid in order for it to come into the world alive, as well as to save the mother's life.-- and it was daunting, I was terrified, but I had been taught it was Kadabra's only chance I knew what to do, but did I really think I could do it? No. I never did. I never had. Until I was put into the situation—and then I didn't hesitate. It was the thought “An animal is dying, my animal is dying, Kadabra is dying” There was nothing else I could do, but try. My love for animals pushed me to do it, and my love for agriculture taught me to do it, and then I did it. I saved her and her unborn kids life.
Whenever I tell people this story, the reaction is the same “You put your hand inside of a goat!?” this has made me realize how far Americans have come from their agricultural roots: what used to be common knowledge across our country, learning how to breed, raise and care for animals; is a rarely learned life lesson in our country today. As Americans have moved into the cities and away from the agricultural life, we have lost our respect for our world, for our environment, for the very things which help us to survive. Not understanding agriculture or the environment has led to a disconnect between the two groups. Creating two distinct groups one interested solely in agriculture and the other only in the environment. And now they see themselves in total opposition.
Martin Luther King Junior once said “We must learn to live together, as brothers or perish together as fools.” Living together, working together, being united, all things we can do without agreeing, completely, with one another. Just because we have a few odd differences, in opinion, or the way we do things, it certainly doesn’t mean we have to be enemies. If we look back through history, to events such as the Great Compromise or the Revolutionary War, we quickly realize that if we had always been this way, in total opposition, America would have never been founded. And now it is tearing us apart.
I own six goats, five chickens, and a pig. I also founded a non-profit organization to conserve the environment. At times it feels as if I am a walking contradiction: Loving both the environment and agriculture, and trying to learn all I can about both; but this has led me to believe that the two groups must work side by side, hand in hand, to make this world a better, more balanced place to live. My love for agriculture and my love for the environment, has given me a unique perspective on both. A perspective that is fair to both sides. Agriculture is something that can and does work with the environment, misconceptions need to be stopped because they are causing so many conflicts, and agriculturalists and environmentalists need to put aside their differences and work together.
I have lifetime friends, ones that love agriculture, and ones that love the environment, but both hate one another. My agriculturalist friends hate environmentalists, and my environmental friends hate agriculturalists. Neither of them understand that they are both trying to accomplish the same thing; a better world—because they refuse to communicate. Many misconceptions have been created against both the environment and agriculture. Some of the most common ones in agriculture are that agriculturalists don’t care about the environment and ranchers and farmers abuse animals. While the most prevalent one against environmentalists is that they are all activists who throw blood on fur coats.
Agriculture cares for the environment—and it certainly is not against it. Agriculture depends on the well being of the earth. If the soils erode and deplete, agriculture will suffer along with everything else—if not worse. And if we destroy the environment, the farmers kids will have a future that as just as dim as everyone else's. We're all on the same side of the fence here. We all want a better future and a healthier environment.
Animal abuse in agriculture is very rare, because many agriculturalists are like me—they love animals. Not only that, but it is against regulations and it has a negative impact on our own production rates. When an animal is stressed, it produces less meat or milk. I have noticed with my own dairy producing goats, that if I walk them every day and let them roam freely on a pasture, they will produce up to three times more milk then usual. We have no reason to harm our own animals. We love animals-- otherwise we wouldn't have chosen to work with them every day. Farmers and ranchers maintain high standards of animal welfare not only because it ensures a good quality product at market but also because it is the right thing to do.
Many environmentalists have been labeled with PETA activism and illegal or even sometimes violent protesting. I call my self an avid environmentalist—and yet I have never been to one single protest. In fact, I own a fur coat. A fur coat, that Polar Bear’s International, one of the most well known environmental and conservational groups in the world, gave to me. Last year, I visited Churchill, Canada; the polar bear capitol of the world, to learn about polar bears and the effect climate change is having on the environment. While there, I was given the chance to talk to native trappers.
I learned so much that day; but most importantly I learned that hunters and trappers, as long as they are regulated, or as the natives do, regulate themselves, can do wonders for the environment. And not only that, but by stopping support of fur, especially fur that has been produced by natives, we are forcing them out of wild lands they have cultivated for hundreds of years, and into cities.
Agriculture and the environment are just an example, of something we are all facing in our day to day lives. You all have someone or something with think you are opposed of—but are you really? Have you ever taken the time of day, to truly listen to them, or what they have to say? And even then, even if you still can not agree, does that mean you have to be enemies who can not work together? No. It doesn’t. Because the world can not afford it.
The world is in trouble. We all know this. We could be attacked any moment by terrorists; this has been proven by 9-11. Slowly, as gas prices continue to rise, we have come to realize, that oil will eventually run out. War is raging around the world, people, our own women and men, are dying in Afghanistan—and the ones who come back, are often more dead then the ones who were left behind. My own brother is being shipped to Kuwait in the spring. All around the world, even in our own country, people go to bed hungry at night. Children, even today, continue to starve to death.
I am an environmentalist, not because I think we are destroying the world, eventually, after we are gone, the world will go back to normal. Thousands, maybe even millions of years from now, but it will. But right now, I am here. My one year old niece is here. My friends, neighbors, and family are here. And I am working to save them, and I know that we can. But only if we stop fighting and arguing over stupid things, and stop being selfish. The human race is capable of doing anything, but only if we work together.
We all need to start working together. Not only to make the world a better place—but to save it; climate change, pollution, war, disease, terrorist attacks; all things that right now, are threatening our very lives. Why do we care so much about vegetarianism or fur, when our children’s futures are at stake? We all need to push aside our differences and work together, now, or face the consequences soon in the future; we can no longer say or believe lies that are created for selfish reasons; and all of us, from CEO’s to small time family business owners; can and must stand together as one. Otherwise, as Martin Luther King so wisely said “If we don’t learn to live together as brothers we will surely perish together as fools.”
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