Something to Think About

My sister surprised me a couple of days ago while I was hanging out with her and a couple of her friends. Somehow the topic of the HSUS came up, and she said "I've told you how she and my dad feel about those types of groups." Looking back on it, it makes me smile to know that my sister knows my views and has her own. (Actually, there are very few things that my Lil' Sis doesn't have opinions about).

So back to the topic of the HSUS. The Humane Society of the United States is a group that is focused on abolishing animal agriculture in the United States by using its huge support base to lobby in Washington D.C. and other major agriculture states.

Let's get two things straight: the HSUS has no affiliation with your local Humane Society animal shelter and the money that is sent to the HSUS helps this multimillion dollar organization with its payroll, advertisements, and lobbying efforts. In fact, less than 1% of every one dollar donated actually goes to animals that are in need of immediate assistance. I'm treading on thin ice even by saying that, because HSUS supporters will say that they are supporting government bills that will help all those animals.

As people begin to take sides, it is highly possible, probable actually, that there will be extremists and fighting will break out. It is inevitable when you have passionate people on both sides of the topic. However, when fighting breaks out, people become unreasonable and blind to the other side of the story.

My challenge to anyone who takes a side (which I believe should happen) is to stay reasonable and keep your head on straight. Take a stand but be quick to listen (and I mean ACTUALLY listen and be willing to think in their frame of mind) and be slow to anger. Remember that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.

Random Fact: There are about 3 cows to every person in South Dakota. With 75,884.64 square miles in South Dakota, that makes 9.9 people per square mile with around 29.7 cows per square mile.

**Apology for the strange background color. I don't really know what's going on and how to fix it.

A Little Too Quickly

This past week has been great! I finished my first year of college and had an awesome time at my roommate's house. Yes, we accomplished our goal and took two lambs to her house (around 500 miles from school, I think). 

Along with trekking halfway across the country with two lambs and a U-Haul trailer, we had a lot of fun doing lots of different activities. I was introduced to the world of the FFA organization and to the college town where my roommate will be living next year. I helped plant corn and I learned how to build a "satisfactory" barbed wire fence. There was also AI breeding going on, which I was able to observe. According to Elisa, I'm an official farm girl now : )

Life in her world is a little different than the life that I've lived. It was truly an eye-opening experience and I'm thankful that we had the time we had. One thing that I believe that everyone should have in life is a friend with different opinions than your own with whom you can agree to disagree but be willing to share your opinions in discussions. That's what Elisa and I shared. We spent a good two and a half hour drive discussing different things, including our opinions on Christianity. We come from two different denominations but our core values are the same: we are saved by Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross for us. By grace alone. 

Now that the trip is done, it's time to look ahead. The rest of May will be a busy one, including a family trip to the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, work at the daycare starting, and my sister's graduation tomorrow. On top of all of this, I hope that I can make trips out to my grandparent's house/dairy farm to ride my horse. I'm also going to be starting the Rosetta Stone program in hopes of honing my Spanish. Four years of Spanish in high school is not going to go to waste. I am planning on raising goats this summer, too, as extra money for college. I'll let you know how that all goes.

I want to draw attention to something that is going on in my gorgeous state right now. There are rumors (and it has been proven that they are only rumors) that a billboard was going to be put up by PETA claiming that beef is just as bad for a person as marijuana is. (SD Corn Blog - PETA Billboard) People in agriculture need to speak up for what they do, because if we don't others will speak for us and not how we want them to.   They don't always realize what they are saying because they haven't heard our side. That is happening way too much, but there are people out there who are doing something about it. Check out the links on the side of the page for their take on agriculture.

It's Wrapping Up...Let the Adventure Begin!

Some say that college is an adventure, and while I agree with that, I think that this next week will be an adventure like none other. Right now I'm in the middle of packing my dorm room up and attempting to study for my last exam at the same time. It'll be sad to say goodbye to all of my friends here, but at the same time I think I'm ready for some home time.
So tomorrow night I'll be packing my vehicle up and my parents will be down to pick it up. Then I'll be helping my roommate pack her U-Haul trailer up. That's right, she rented a U-Haul. All her stuff is going in it, including a couch, so I guess it's justified. It'll be just the two of us driving nine-ish hours to her house...with two lambs in the back of the Escape. Yes, you just read that correctly, we are traveling with three week old lambs in the back of an Escape. I'll let you know how that goes.
Well, this is just a study break for me, so that's all I had. Everyone should check out the blog "Promoting Animal Agriculture to the Misinformed." There's a link for it on this page. It's pretty great.