As I write this, our nation is in distress — and that’s probably an understatement.
 
No matter how the dust settles as the final vote is counted and certified in each state, it’s safe to say that most Americans — no matter their political affiliation — are feeling a bit disenfranchised, discounted and extremly frustrated.

Do our votes really matter? Do we really have a voice? Are we really free in this country?

Elections must be fair and conducted with integrity and the upmost respect for the citizens as they cast their votes, and any shadow of doubt creates a lack of confidence in the integrity and honesty of the next election.

The tension is palpable. The division is real. The anger is building. The despair is mounting. The mainstream news is pouring gas to the flames with their dramatic reporting, and we as a society are lapping it up.

And meanwhile, whether you work in technology, oil, education, health, farming, ranching, etc., we as a nation are set on pause in so many ways, just waiting to see how this thing will swing.

It feels wrong to try to tackle a beef industry topic today, so I won’t even attempt it. Instead, I’ll leave you with several quotes from our Founding Fathers that I have been sharing on my personal social media pages in the last week. May we learn from history and pray like hell we don’t repeat it. I’m not naive to think every BEEF reader agrees with me on politics or which candidate I think would be the best moving forward for American agriculture, but I would hope we could come together as citizens and realize that a nation divided will not stand.

Related:Which America will you vote for?

Red vs. Blue.

Left vs. Right.

Elephant vs. Donkey.

Instead of focusing on our differences, let’s focus on our shared values — our love of this country, our love of our families, our need to be safe and secure and our agreement that the loss of our fundamental freedoms would be an absolutely crushing devastation to the most beautiful, prosperous and free country on the planet.
And because their words are so much better than what I could pen into words, I leave you with these quotes to reflect on:

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” - Abraham Lincoln

“Our unalterable resolution should be to be free.” - Sam Adams

“You will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make a good use of it.” - John Adams

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.” - Patrick Henry

Related:One more roundup before the election

“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” - Thomas Jefferson

“Those that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Benjamin Franklin

“Let us dare to read, think, speak and write.” - John Adams

“I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” - Thomas Jefferson

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Farm Progress.