AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 18, 2000
OPINION
Candidates Should Ignore Rural And
Farm Issues At Their Own Peril
Whichever way the extremely close presidential race goes, it is
clear that farm and rural votes proved critical in this razor-thin
election, said Truth About Trade and Technology, a nonpartisan,
pro-trade and technology farm group.
“We were saying ail along that farmers and rural voters in Amer
ica’s heartland would prove crucial in this election and this election
proved that every vote was critical,” said Dean Kleckner, chairman
of Truth About Trade and Technology and former head of the
American Farm Bureau. “If we need any evidence to prove the im
portance of these voters, we can just look at the fact that states like
lowa and Wisconsin, heavily populated with farmers and rural vot
ers, were still up for grabs very early into the morning hours.
“As we traveled to many heartland states during these past few
weeks, we told farmers that this was the most important election in
a generation,” Kleckner said. “We told them it was critical that they
get out and vote and that they pay careful attention to where the
candidates stand on the critical issues to America’s rural and farm
communities.
“On a whole slate of issues, the choices were clear to our commu
nities,” Kleckner said. “Will the farm economy be revitalized by ex
panded trade or stifled by fear and protectionism? Will sound sci
ence or scare tactics prevail in the debate to protect the
environment? The answers to these questions will determine the fate
of the farmer and the families of rural America. The razor-thin mar
gins in many of America’s heartland states must send a message
that candidates will ignore these issues and voters at their own
peril.”
Farmers are often told they have no political clout. But this elec
tion proves every vote counts.
To comprehend reality, just consider this: With millions of votes
cast, the next president of the United States will likely get into office
on the strength of several hundred votes.
Who says the farm vote doesn’t count?
Lancaster Holstein Club break
fast, Shady Maple Buffet, 9
a.m.
Susquehanna County Farm-
City Feast, Mountain View
Passing On The Farm Work
shop, Heritage House, Brook
Lancaster Chamber of Com
merce 24th Annual Ag-
Industry Banquet, Lancaster
Host Resort, 6:30 p.m.
Solanco Young Farmer meeting,
Farm Safety, Solanco High
School, 7 p.m.
Passing On The Farm Work
shop, Gospel Tabernacle
Church, Coudersport, 9:30
a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Ag Service School, Days Inn,
Meadville.
Happy Thanksgiving! Lancaster
Fannins office closed.
TStla^
ationai
Ga., thru Nov. 28.
Introduction to Windows and
Computers Workshop, Lan
caster Farm and Home
Center, Lancaster, 9:30 a.m.-3
p.m., and Nov. 28,9:30 a.m.-3
p.m.
NyFEA Ir i:i -" Wyoming,
institute,
thru Dec. 2.
Introduction to Computers
♦ Farm Calendar ♦
Using Windows, Adams
County Extension, thru Nov.
30.
Southeast Grape Industry Asso
ciation of Pa. Annual Meet-
ing, Lancaster Farm and
Home Center, Lancaster, 8:30
a.m.-4 p.m.
M' r vland D? : -v lndi> "'v Ass'-
»airy industry Asso-
Annual Meeting,
ary lam
elation
Westminster.
Greenhouse Food Production
Workshop, Terra Community
College, Fremont, thru Dec. 1.
Pre-Conference Dairy Work
shop On National Dairy Info
Base, Carroll Community
College Annex, Westminster,
Lebanon County Dairy Day,
Lebanon Valley Expo Center,
9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Mennonite Farming History In
Europe, Christian Aid Minis-
tries Warehouse, Ephrata, 7
p.m.
Futureof Our Food and Farms,
Radisson, Philadelphia, thru
Dec. 3
4-H Dairy Judging, John
George Farm, New York, 8:45
a.m.
lanta,
bEME
Pork 509: Meeting the Need For
High Quality, Consistent
Pork Products in Ohio,
Animal Sciences Building,
Ohio State University College
Campus, thru Dec. 5.
Ephrata Area Young Farmers
Christmas Event, Ephrata
' Middle School, 7:30 p.m.
First National Conference On
Grazing Lands, Bally’s Las
Vegas, Las Vegas, Nev., thru
Dec. 8.
To. Use Caution
When Cleaning Cabins
As people head out to deer canips
or cabins this fall, they will want to
take some precautions to safeguard
themselves against hantavirus,
according to Dr. Gary San Julian,
Penn State professor of wildlife re
sources.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
is a rare but potentially fatal lung
disease. There have been three cases,
of which two were fatal, in Pennsyl
vania since 1997. Thirty eight per
cent of the individuals reported to
have contracted the virus nationwide
have died.
There is cause to be careful, but do
not panic.
A BOX TO
PUT GOD IN
background Scripture:
1 Kings 5:1-8; 6:1-22, 37-38;
8:4 through 9:5.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 84:1-4.
If Solomon was known far and
wide, then and now, for his wis
dom, the second thing for which
he is best remembered was the
temple he built in Jerusalem.
When it was completed, it would
be known for all time as Solo
mon’s Temple.
We have previously seen that
God did not want David to build
him a temple. Now, however, So
lomon was not only permitted to
do so, he was encouraged to
begin this great project.
Why was David forbidden and
Solomon commanded to do so?
We do not know, but perhaps it
was because the people of Israel
erroneously thought of the tem
ple as the place where God
dwelled. So maybe the people
were ready to think of it not as a
place God lived, but where they
could come to worship the Lord.
We are told that the building
of the temple lasted seven years.
The number seven was sacred
among many of the Semitic peo
ples, as well as others. Although
originally four had been the fa
vorite holy number of Egypt,
seven gradually replaced it. In
Mesopotamia, seven was holy
from the earliest times.
Seven was even more impor
tant for the people of the Old
Testament: seven days was the
length of many of the festivals,
such as the Passover and Feast of
the Tabernacles; the Day of
Atonement, New Year, and Tab
ernacles all occur in the seventh
month; the Feast of Weeks was
based upon the square of seven
and seven days was the period of
ordination for priests and conse-
Public education has reduced the
number of reported cases. Several
species of wild rodents, such as the
deer mouse and the white-footed
mouse, have been linked to the virus.
You could be at risk when doing
anything that puts you in contact
with rodent droppings, urine, or
nesting materials. Because the virus
enters the lungs through contaminat
ed dust, you should avoid touching
rodent droppings and raising dust.
The symptoms of the disease are
nonspecific and include fever, fa
tigue, and muscle aches.
Patients also may experience
headaches, dizziness, chills, and ab
dominal problems. Symptoms may
begin one to five weeks after expo
sure.
If symptoms occur, check with
your physician and mention you
may have been exposed to rodent
contamination. In later stages, four
to 10 days later, patients experience
coughing and shortness of breath.
To Clean Hunting
Cabins Properly
The following recommendations
for prevention and control of hanta
virus are offered by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) when cleaning cabins and
deer camps.
• Keep rodents out of cabins and
camps by blocking holes and filling
cracks.
• Wash all dishes and utensils
with hot, soapy water.
• Store food in rodent-proof con
tainers.
• Air out buildings for at least 30
minutes before you start cleaning.
• Wear rubber gloves.
• Spray all materials and surfaces
cration of altars. In the Temple
there were seven altars and the
blood of sacrifice was sprinkled
seven times.
The seventh day was the com
pletion of creation and basis of
the Sabbath observance. Seven
branched candlesticks are men
tion in Revelations and also
seven stars and seven churches.
So the completion of the Tem
ple in seven years signifies the
tremendous importance it would
have in the life of the people.
Where Will
God Dwell?
When the Temple was conse
crated, in his prayer, Solomon
asks: “But will God indeed dwell
on the earth?” (8:27). Consid
ering that the Temple is now
completed, you may think that
Solomon waited pretty late to
raise this question.
I believe he raises it again for
the sake of the people, so that
they understand that no building
made by human hands can be
the dwelling place for the Lord
of the universe.
“Behold, heaven and the high
est heaven cannot contain thee;
how much less this house which
I have built.”
The Temple was a meeting
place with God, but not the
dwelling place of the Lord. God
cannot be contained within four
walls. The Lord is not restricted
by anything that human beings
can devise or build buildings,
churches, denominations, creeds,
rituals, and so on. We cannot
put God in a box of our making.
We may find him there, but we
cannot restrict him to it.
I cannot help but think of the
little boy who charged admission
to the children of his neighbor
hood to come into his backyard
to see the eclipse. Isn’t that our
mindset sometimes: come into
my denominational, confessional
or ritual backyard so that you
can find God?
We can find God or be
found by him in a holy place,
but he is not limited to it. The
holy place is designated, not for
God who doesn’t need it, but for
us. It is a place where God seems
more real, more present to us.
That may be your church or it
may be the Grand Canyon
(wet thoroughly) with a general-pur
pose disinfectant or detergent where
droppings and urine are suspected.
Most general-purpose cleaners will
do the job. For large areas, use a 10
percent household laundry bleach
solution (1.5 cups of bleach per gal
lon of water). Pick up the wet mater
ial with a damp towel, then mop or
wipe the area with disinfectant.
• When finished cleaning, bury or
burn materials if feasible. Disinfec
tant your gloves before removing
them. Then wash your hands with
soap and warm water.
To Segregate Grains
With the introduction of GMO
(genetically modified organism)
crops and the position some parts of
the world have taken on their use,
grain producers need to keep asking
themselves, “do I have grain that I
need to keep segregated?”
According to Shawn Shouse, lowa
State University, a combine even
after a thorough cleaning can con
tain 50 or more pounds of corn. In
order to segregate grain adequately
for world sales, producers need to
flush their combine with a minimum
of 60 to 70 bushels of grain in order
to reduce contamination levels to less
than one percent.
Contamination may come from
several sources, including cross-polli
nation, seed impurities, planting and
harvesting equipment, and transpor
tation and storage equipment. Farm
ers expecting to sell in the interna
tional market should check for the
latest requirements from the dealers
they are selling to.
Feather Props Footnote; “If you
are not selective, you are not effec
tive. ”
wherever God can break
through to us, that is a holy
place.
Holy Places
In taking people to the Holy
Land, I have frequently been
asked, did Jesus actually pray
there or is this really the place
where he experienced the Last
Supper?
Some of those holy places are
more likely than others, but I be
lieve others have been made
holy, not by what did or did not
happen there, but the devotion
with which Christians have re
sponded there.
I like to think that the Church
of the Nations in Gethsemane is
really the place Jesus prayed on
the night he was betrayed. But, if
it is not the exact place, it doesn’t
matter, for it is been made a holy
place for millions of Christians
who have felt his presence there.
The prayers of sincere Christians
help to sanctify many ‘holy
places.’
Another indication of Solo
mon’s superior wisdom was his
understanding of human nature.
At one point (8:46) he prays: “If
they sin against thee for there
is no man who does not 5in...,”
asking the Lord for forgiveness
for the people if they truly seek
it. This verse surprised me, be
cause I did not realize that some
one so early in the religion of Is
rael realized that “there is no
man who does not sin.”
In Jesus’ time there were those
who acted as if they were with
out sin. Since Jesus’ times Chris
tians have sometimes thought in
terms of those who sin and those
who do not. But Solomon knew
that neither God nor his children
can be put into little boxes.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
William J Burgess General Manager
Everett H Newswanger Editor
Copyright 2000 by Lancaster Farming