Thursday, November 14, 2013

What happened to Our Home

I saw today an investment that I really liked and then I realized the reason I like it is the same reason I am frustrated all the time with our political system.  In my home, The Osage, it was so wonderful and free of government intervention.  People were proud and people did not care who was rich or poor, or at least I never noticed.  People cared for each other and if someone had a need they did something about it.  No complaining or pointing or telling others to do it but just plain old Osage Do It Now kind of do-en.

The only complaint I ever heard was my Dad saying if the government would stay out of farming then he could make a living.  Now you may not know much about farming but the government has been involved for years.  As far as I know it started back during the dust bowl when the federal government helped folks to plant trees along their fields to stop erosion due to the drought.  This is one time I am sure it made some sense but I would have to say I was not there either.  The government then started paying farmers to not plant crops and it made sense (CRP) so all land would not be converted to planting wheat and create the dust bowls again.  The government then started limiting production of milk because there was an oversupply and then the government started paying peanut farmers (not in the Osage) to not plant and then limiting the amount of peanuts that could be planted.  This was the beginning as far as I know of the politicians killing free enterprise.  I will not attempt to go into the details of these programs but there are probably hundreds.  But what started out to be a good thing has now turned into a system where farmers are dependent on government programs.  The government has insurance to protect a farmer against crop failures and quit frankly I would have to say I agree with this one.  But I don't agree that the farmer who doesn't purchase the insurance should get bailed out by the tax payer.

Another injustice happened to a fellow Osage person who lost their house in a tornado.  They had insurance and when they showed up at the FEMA office they told him and her they could not help them because they had INSURANCE.   ARE YOU KIDDING ME!  What happened to responsibility of buying insurance?  Why  buy insurance if the government (make no mistake here and assume the government is paying because it is the tax payers not the government) is going bail out those who do not take responsibility.  I thought FEMA  was to help folks get back on their feet and have always been a supporter until I heard this story.  If you own a business and you take the risk you lose it unless the government (tax payers) bail you out like GM, CITIbank and AGI.    Where did we go wrong?  What did I do or not do that allowed free enterprise to start a slow death?

Bad things do happen to good people but why is MY HOME / YOUR HOME / OUR HOME seem so different today?  Change is good and you can ask my mom and she will tell you the "good old days" were pretty rough and she is glad they are gone.  But what happened to pride?  What happened to caring?  I remember it never took a committee to figure out if something needed fixed at the old Grainola Methodist Church.  If something needed fixed you just fix it and NOW.  It was the same way at home.  If something needed paint we painted and we did not wait nor procrastinate.  I think that is my Mom and Dad's strongest attribute, they did things NOW.

I remember when I was a kid, if a neighbors yard needed mowed (neighbor was measured in miles) we loaded up and got it done.  My sister cleaned and cooked for every old person in Grainola for years without being paid or asked to help.  She did it because it was the right thing to do.

I was just telling my nephew, Richard Crow of Groundzero fame, that I want more every day to be like my dad and that is to be a friend to everyone and help folks when they needed help.    

Well I guess I should stop but I am not perfect and not even close but I would like to experience some of that Osage Pride but most of all that Osage Do It Now stuff.

Thanks for listening,
gary@thepioneerman.com
                                

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