Editorials - July 28, 2023
Everyone needs it
A recent CBC News article highlights the critical need for high-speed internet in rural Ontario and confirmed that the recent provincial government announcement of another $1.4 million for the SWIFT (Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology) project in Huron County is an investment in the agricultural economy in the area.
Technology and data management are becoming integral to modern agriculture and helping farmers to maximize yields to meet the demands of growing populations while also stewarding the environment.
High-speed internet might have seemed like a luxury item even a decade ago, but now, with remote-controlled tractors that use GPS to sow seeds and spread fertilizer and cows that wear Fitbit-like devices to monitor health, access to computer power and connectivity is becoming a basic need for today’s farmer.
Ethan Wallace, a local farmer who serves as the Huron director for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, was interviewed for the article and compared the need for the government to invest in high-speed internet to the priority to bring electricity to rural Ontario a century ago.
We can no longer think of farming as a bucolic way of life stuck in another era. Agriculture is a high-tech business and requires investment in infrastructure in order to produce more on less land. – DS
Looking ahead
We here in Huron County stand on the precipice of a very exciting time for this community and there is plenty to look forward to.
Last week, The Citizen detailed the last weeks of preparation as this year’s Huron County Plowing Match approaches. Pete and Leisa Albers will be hosting this year’s match just northeast of Brussels. The well-known local family was supposed to host in 2020, the year that nothing went ahead as planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This annual celebration of all things rural and Huron County marks the unofficial beginning of a special season here. Soon after, the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association will take over Blyth, celebrating the past and the future of agriculture.
Then, once the steam engines have quieted for another year and the fiddle music has died down, it will be fall fair season. Brussels, Seaforth and others will welcome people to the community to celebrate the harvest season. Crops, livestock and more will be on display, showing off all of the hard work locals have put in throughout the year.
It’s a special time for a region such as ours. So many have worked so hard, battling the elements and working day and night when the time was right and now it will soon be time for us all to come together again. Through the pandemic, some organizations went virtual, while others hosted modified events. They all struggled to retain volunteers while some moved on and others aged out of their positions. This fall should be a celebration not just of community, but of perseverance. – SL
Don’t speak for everyone
Whether you reside in the bustling heart of a cosmopolitan city or the quiet solitude of a remote rural village, there’s an undeniable truth: some people are jerks. This reality becomes evident when examining the actions of American country musician, resident of the city of Nashville, and aspiring right-wing troll Jason Aldean. Aldean recently made headlines with the release of a controversial song titled “Try That in a Small Town,” accompanied by a problematic video.
Critics have pointed out that Aldean’s song appears to glorify violence and advocate for vigilantism. The lyrics adopt a threatening tone, ostensibly contrasting chaos resulting from social unrest in city centres with what Aldean postulates to be a willingness among small-town inhabitants to take preemptive and unsanctioned measures to protect their communities. Adding to the controversy are allegations of racism. Some of the video’s imagery was recorded at a location with a dark history, including a lynching in 1927 and a race riot in 1946. The incorporation of this footage alongside scenes recorded at Black Lives Matter protests across the U.S. has intensified the accusations.
The underlying view perpetuated by the song insinuates that cities are intrinsically violent and chaotic, while small towns are unwelcoming to outsiders and also intrinsically violent. Such generalizations are deeply insulting to both sides of the urban-rural divide, oversimplifying the complexities and nuances of diverse communities.
Ironically, Aldean’s personal experience as a survivor of the tragic violence at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Music Festival should have perhaps inspired a different message. Instead of implying that violence is a solution to violence, he could use his platform to discourage its perpetuation and advocate for peaceful alternatives.
At best, this controversy could be attributed to careless songwriting, lacking thoughtful consideration of the potential impact. However, at its worst, it raises concerns about the song’s potential role as a violent and racist dog whistle. – SBS