Reflections on Having Your Rights Violated with Impunity

 

A couple days ago proof copies of my piece, a review of a new book published by the Cato Institute called Superabundance, arrived.  I left copies of both the book and the review with Melissa at the library, so anyone who wants to can read them. It’s a brave article and my hat’s off to Paul Fidalgo, the relatively new editor of Free Inquiry the Secular Humanists Magazine for running it. I deserve a pat on the back for writing it because the amount I was paid works out to about two cents an hour, but that is how America works: the news is primarily full of a lot of nonsense and politics. It is almost impossible to make a living wage reporting the truth about moneyed types, especially, if it runs counter to the economic interests. Why do you suppose we had another bank bail-out of banks last week?

The pix accompanying my article are a disaster because a guy either working for the pumping company

or the owners of the confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) chased me off demanding my phone, hollering that I was trespassing on private property.  How is somebody living in a big urban center looking at my photo can tell a honey wagon and a tractor are about as long as an 18-wheeler is beyond me. Righteous as Old Nick himself, the guy sticks his hand in front of my phone. Being seriously outnumbered, 77 years old, and unsure he wasn’t correct, I fled.  However, a little research proved it was my rights as a journalist were being violated. At least, according to Stephanie M. Rose, the Chief Justice of the Southern District Court, who may or may not realize how difficult it is to get a photo of a honey wagon that gives the authentic dimensions with some young guy menacing you.

Since it was my rights that were violated, I should be hauling McDermott (the pumping company, I think) or Hosch (CAFO owners?) into court, but that costs money, which a free-lance journalist, by design doesn’t have, so I am looking for a lawyer to file a pro bono suit. Fat chance I’ll find one, huh? The money is all in the farmer corner, but if you know a lawyer with a shred of social consciousness, get a hold of me.

Though I am not holding my breath.