W
ORDS HAVE THE POWER TO EVOKE EMOTIONAL RE- sponses. While beautiful and desirable in literature, these emotional responses create
problems in logical arguments and discussions. One of the main roles for anyone who wishes to make a sound, logical statement in defense or opposition to a topic is to remove those emotional responses. In my experience as an advocate for agriculture,
I have encountered times where those who oppose me fi nd their best arguments with these emotionally charged words. I prefer to use words to describe the same thing, without biasing an audience with emotions. Through my youth advocacy experience, I have
encountered groups and individuals who oppose in- dustries I support. One organization that I have come against, whether
researching to advance my knowledge of or actively advocating for agricultural industries, is the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). This group supports the belief that “provocative and controversial campaigns make the difference between allowing im- portant yet depressing subjects to remain invisible and exposing them to the public.” However, this means that the logical, sound argu-
ments made in the media by those supporting an in- dustry are often overlooked, because the sensational methods of PETA are much more widely covered. I have been fortunate to be involved in programs
that encourage advocacy and help teach youth how to speak out for what they believe in, without following
in the sensational footsteps of the campaigns of ani- mal rights groups. One such program is the Ranch Brigade summer
program. While at this camp, we cadets were taught to deal with groups like PETA through media training sessions. I participated in a mock interview against a proponent of animal rights. In this simulation, I was asked questions aimed to
encourage answers that either were emotional reactions or could be interpreted as such. When I began the in- terview, I was responding in exactly the wrong way by reacting emotionally rather than responding logically. With assistance from the instructors, by the end of
the session I was able to respond calmly and concisely. This training allows me to deliver my viewpoints in a non-confrontational manner, which I believe prevents mixed signals. I am also active in 4-H, which, to groups like PETA,
is a green, clover-shaped target on the backs of the youth who willingly participate in the projects. PETA sees 4-H as being “hellish for animals, haz-
ardous to the environment, heart attack-inducing and hypocritical for teaching kids to care only about certain animals and to disregard others.” Traveling to a wide variety of events to exhibit 4-H
animals, advocate for agriculture, or learn how to bet- ter support agriculture, I have encountered individuals who think my view is wrong and who attempt to sway me to their side. As a 3rd grader in my fi rst year in 4-H, I was con-
Cadets at each of the 6 Texas Brigades learn valuable skills on an individual basis. However, they also learn the value of team- work and cooperation, shown by these fun group endeavors.
tscra.org December 2015 The Cattleman 101
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124