What's Trust Got To Do With It? Quite A lot, Actually...
I was brought up in a home which placed trust above pretty much all other virtues. It is therefore extremely disconcerting to me that we are living in a reality where trust in our government, which we were raised to hold dear, is actively being undermined by the current administration and its enablers. Specifically, we were brought up to trust that our government would keep us safe (both geopolitically and physically); we were brought up to trust that Medicare and Social Security would be there for us when we got old; we were brought up to believe our elections would be fair and free. And yet, I have good reason not to trust that my social security will be there for me (I got a letter from the government saying to expect a decrease in my planned amount come 2030); I have good reason not to trust that our food supply is being safeguarded; and I certainly have reason not to trust that our upcoming elections will be fair and free. While there are so many examples of broken trusts I can name right now (that was just a small sample), it's the lack of trust in a safe food supply and the lack of trust in our elections which I'm writing about today. And I'll keep this short.
How to ensure your food is safe these days: source local!
In the past several months, there has been an alarming number of common grocery store items which have been recalled. And so, for good reason, Americans have become skeptical about what foods they are willing to buy and trust. Off the top of my head, I am talking about lettuce, jalapeños, alfalfa sprouts, eggs, frozen berries, and beef. The US has experienced its largest ever recorded Cyclospora outbreak as well as hundreds of salmonella cases, and other health-related food safety issues as well.
For a myriad of reasons (including these), I have increased my reliance on locally-sourced everything: eggs, fruits & veggies, meats, fish, etc. And while this has cost me more time & money than it used to, and while it has meant that I am not necessarily enjoying my favorite types of certain things, I must say that I do not worry at all about the food I purchase, prepare, and eat. Plus, I like the fact that I am helping support my local economy (which is being hit especially hard by the crazy trade war with Canada). I also find myself purchasing imported food more than large-scale American factory farming foods simply because the food safety guidelines abroad are often stricter than they are here -- especially now that there are far fewer inspections.
I realize that not everyone is in a position to seek out locally-sourced food -- due to location, time, and/or budget. But if you can, get to a farmer's market or a food co-op. And if you can't do that, be sure to check the origin of the fresh foods you purchase at your local supermarket and choose wisely (and/ or forego some items).
How to cope with the prospect of an unfair election: vote early & avoid mail-in voting
The midterm elections in the US are coming up (November 3) and their importance cannot be overstated. Everyone needs to vote, folks, and there is enough concern about the highly motivated electorate looking for change that the current administration is doing everything it can -- legal or not -- to ensure a NON free and fair election. And one of the primary levers they are trying to control is the legitimacy and counting of mailed-in ballots. In fact, the status of mail-in voting remains uncertain as further litigation is expected after a recent Supreme Court ruling seemed to allow for mail-in voting restrictions.
To be on the safe side, everyone able to get to a ballot box or polling place to vote in person should do so as soon as possible. Here are the dates that early voting starts in each state:
Now, I fully understand there are a slew of Americans who absolutely cannot vote in-person or drop off their ballots in-person. And for those folks, I can only say to get those ballots in the mail as soon as you possibly can. And for everyone who can and plans to vote in person, I implore you to check the voter rolls in your municipality now, as many states have been expunging names in an effort to suppress votes.
If you arrive at your polling station and your name isn't on the list, don't assume you're not eligible to vote. Make sure to ask why -- you should be able to vote provisionally before leaving, you may need to go to your correct polling place, or you may just need to update some information. (Since a provisional ballot is not the same as a regular ballot, be sure to ask exactly what follow-up or documentation is required and save everything you get as some states let you track whether the ballot was counted or whether additional documents are required.)
There is so so much going on these days politically in the US and I don't think most readers want to hear me rail on about it (again and more) right now, so I'll just leave you with this. Take care of yourself and your loved ones and absolutely make sure you and everyone you know gets to the polls this election (and support Canada in any way you possibly can). I don't want to write another "I told you so" post again.
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