What has happened to our government?  I have always been somewhat of a political junkie.  I proudly tell interested(?) listeners that my first vote for a President was for James Earl (Jimmy) Carter, Jr.

I actually believed what I was taught in school about the American form of government.  I have always been proud of my country - even when I did not agree with its actions.

Almost everything that I have seen, heard, and read, about my government since our current President came into office has concerned me.  And my concern has grown deeper with time, and especially since Democrats regained control of Congress. To paraphrase our former DCI G. John Tenet, "all of my systems have been blinking red."

This diary started as a reply to a comment in the recently recommended (and cleverly titled) diary by OrangeClouds115.  Unfortunately my reply became too long to post as a comment, so this becomes my first diary.

It is great to see the recent diaries about the farm bill.  It is time that more people paid attention to their food and considered where and how it was grown (or, in some cases, synthesized...), how it got to them, and what was done with/to it in between.

For some of you, agriculture might conjure images of family farmers: toiling to produce wholesome food, to earn enough to support their family, and to protect the land and natural resources that were likely passed down to them from previous generations.  However, as the priorities in the Farm Bill demonstrate, this image is, unfortunately, becoming like a Norman Rockwell painting of a previous, idyllic age.

For others, agriculture might conjure visions of the wholesale degradation and poisoning of the natural environment.  Many people project opinions of big-business agriculture onto their local farmer-neighbors.  Fortunately, in most cases, this image is misguided.

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