Anniversaries

As individuals and as a society, we recognize - and often celebrate - anniversaries. These dates help us remember important moments in our lives, and also mark the passage of time. By looking back, we can gauge progress or growth or accomplishments. 

One anniversary was two years ago this week when my op-ed about the stress farmers face, which can too often lead to family tensions, drug abuse, and even suicide, was published in the Des Moines Register. The reality of the dire situation of our farm economy had hit me so strong that I wrote this piece quickly, out of a sense of compassion and urgency. It was published to coincide with National Suicide Prevention Week.

It was this same week, in 2003, that a farmer from South Korea sacrificed his own life outside a meeting of the WTO (World Trade Organization) in Cancun, Mexico where thousands of farmers from around the world had gathered to protest free trade agreements. A banner around his neck read, “WTO Kills Farmers.”