Lindsay's Lessons

Unless you just crawled out from under the nearest rock, chances are you’ve seen the headlines that read, “Big Brother is Watching You – the President is Listening.” Yes, President Bush and his team of national security advisors have decided that when terrorists have telephone conversations, it’s OK to listen in. And half of the population is screaming that their privacy is being violated. Well, if you’re like most of us and your primary use of the phone is to catch up with friends and order the occasional pizza, I think you’ll be OK. Worst-case scenario, the Commander in Chief learns you don’t like anchovies.

The United States has always prided itself in being the Melting Pot. A place where we roll out the welcome mats for everyone. But now we have a situation on our hands. We have thousands of people walking around our cities and living in our neighborhoods that are completely undocumented. No records of who they are, where they live or what they’re up to. Now I don’t know about you, but that’s the point where I start to grow concerned.

Let me be clear, I am not saying that illegal immigrants are dangerous. But I am saying that sticking your head in the sand and pretending we don’t have a problem could be hazardous to your health.

Let me take you back in time just a moment to a day that we’ll all remember for the rest of our lives, September 12, 2001. Just one day after the United States fell victim to a terrorist attack that left thousands mourning for their loved ones and the question on everyone’s mind was, “How did this happen?” That question was followed by intense criticism of the government for not doing more to protect our citizens and prevent this tragedy.

Fast-forward to the present – the government says that when they have reason to suspect terrorist activity, they want to monitor those phone calls in an effort to keep the citizens of our country safe. And people are balking at the idea. When you think about it like that, it makes their logic seem---well, a little less logical.

I guess I look at this a little differently than they do because I say if it’s going to keep my loved ones safe, then I’m all for it. After all, if I’m sharing stories that are that personal over the phone, then chances are I should probably be keeping them to myself anyway. And besides, I don’t think listening to my mother and I talk about figure skating is the type of conversation that’s going to draw a lot of attention from the so-called “Big Brother” (unless, of course, he’s a big Brian Boitano fan.)

The bottom line is that we’ve got to figure out who’s who in this country. And that means cracking down on illegal immigration. Because while the majority of immigrants who have come to this country are just good, hard-working people in search of a better life, among them are a few exceptions; a few folks who managed to sneak in with a much different intent. And the sad truth is, not only do what not know what they’re up to, but we don’t even know they’re here.

As Americans we have a responsibility to help our government help our people. And while I’ll be the first to admit, that there are many times our policies and our politicians take action that leaves us scratching our heads or sometimes even clinching our fists, we can’t let that cloud our judgment when it comes to issues of great importance such as this.

Let’s get behind the government on this one for a change. It’s time to take roll call in America and make sure that everyone who is present is accounted for.

Do you remember when it was customary for people to do what they said they would do? I don’t consider myself to be that old, but apparently I’m old enough to know that things have changed.

The most recent example involved a men’s clothing store in Columbus. My husband purchased three pairs of trousers from the store and left them there for alterations. We also paid to have them shipped to us when they were finished to save us a trip back to the store. The trousers were to be shipped in one week.

Two weeks later, my husband was still wearing his old dress clothes. He called the store and the manager said, “Oh yes. I have them right here, I’ll send them out right away.” No apology and no acknowledgment of an oversight.

A few days later the package arrived (marked OVERNIGHT because the manager must have again forgotten to send the shipment). My husband opened the box with some hesitation because it seemed impossible that three pairs of trousers could fit into a box this small.

At this point we’re two weeks past the expected arrival date, and still down one pair of pants. Another phone call to the store and guess what, “Oh yes, I have the other pair right here. I’ll send them out right away.” No apology and no acknowledgment of an oversight.

I bring this up because right now the beef industry is struggling with Japan to get them to re-open their borders for the import of U.S. beef. I’m sure you’re wondering how cattle relate to my husband’s pants, so let me explain.

You see, Japanese consumers aren’t unlike us and the clothing store. They have some doubts and concerns, and rightfully so. Japanese officials have an obligation to protect the citizens of their country, just as we expect no less from our U.S. officials.

However, just because one clothing retailer failed to deliver, I haven’t lost faith in all of the clothing retailers. I know that each store must be judged on its own merits. And Japan needs to approach this beef import issue in a similar fashion.

They should be cautious, ask questions and most importantly, keep an open-mind. No cattle producer ever started out with the intention of wreaking havoc on the food supply. They started out with the same intention that all farmers do and that’s to produce healthy, quality food for our consumers and to make a living while doing it.

The fact is, Japanese officials have no sound reason to believe that re-opening the border will result in any BSE infected food products making it across the pond. All they know is that just like humans, sometimes even in the best of care animals get sick.

What should overshadow the headlines is not BSE found IN THE U.S. Rather that BSE was FOUND in the U.S. Yes, ladies and gentleman, the system worked! The infected cows never made it into the food supply, proving that our testing procedures were effective. Guess what Japan…that means we’re working for you. We care about your citizens just as we do our own and we are firm in our commitment to provide you with safe and healthy products.

Japanese officials owe it to their people to help them see this. After all, when consumer confidence drops in the beef market, producers nowhere are exempt from the repercussions. This isn’t just about inspiring confidence in U.S. beef, it’s about instilling confidence in consumers about the beef industry as a whole.

For our part, cattle producers (and all farmers for that matter) need to exercise extreme caution and sound responsibility in their farming practices. Farms that are poorly managed start a ripple effect creating problems for everyone, not just themselves. We all know that farming is a risky business. The uncertainty of farming makes Celebrity Poker look like a game of Monopoly. But, with consumer confidence on the line, the stakes are even higher.

Just as we are still communicating with the men’s clothing store to try and get those trousers, ongoing communication will be the only effective way get the borders open. Trying to convince people to see things from your point of view can be a tough sell.

What Japanese officials need to keep in mind is that they’re not just hurting farmers in the U.S. by holding out. They are hurting farmers in their own country as well, meaning that the longer those borders are closed, the tougher the sell they will face with consumers for their own products.