Tune Out the Political Noise

Word of Wisdom From Coach Carole: You never look good trying to make someone else look bad.

Losing one cow is devastating, and losing a herd to a disaster is a farmer's ultimate nightmare. I can hardly see the words I'm typing through the tears. As I searched the internet for information on relief efforts for Hurricane Helene, I was encouraged by the herculean effort that the federal government is making for the hurricane victims, including farmers.

I'm not surprised. The U.S. Department of Agriculture was there for me during the 2020 pandemic when it gave farmers like me funds to help feed our cattle and funding when my husband Bruce and I got COVID-19 and couldn't keep our store open. The USDA helped me repair fences destroyed during a micro-burst thunderstorm in 2018. Now, the USDA is assisting hurricane-stricken farmers by covering the expense of transporting water and feed to stranded livestock, providing funds to farmers whose cattle have died, helping remove downed trees, repairing destroyed roads, and fixing fences, just like they did for me. The Emergency Relief Program, which helped me during the pandemic, provides financial help for farmers harmed by natural disasters. Hurray for the USDA!

Not so encouraging was the fountain of lies and rumors designed to make us lose faith in our federal government. Here is some of the garbage being pumped out by the rumor mill:

• The government created the hurricane.
• All of FEMA's money is going to Ukraine or to coddle immigrants.
• FEMA is no longer accepting applications for housing assistance.
• The federal government won't help victims in areas that voted against the Biden administration.

This disinformation, in addition to serving a destructive political purpose, tends to keep hurricane victims from seeking government help. But none of this stuff is true; consider the source.

Here's another source: the FEMA website, which says, "FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is leading one of the largest mobilizations of federal personnel, partners, and resources in recent history to heed the call of helping survivors and bolstering efforts across all levels of government. The agency is actively working alongside state, local, and tribal partners to assess damage and support those affected by the disaster."

If you don't believe FEMA, believe Republican governors Brian Kemp (Georgia) and Glenn Youngkin (Virginia), who say the federal government is providing the help they need. No one should have to suffer through a disaster like Helene's. Still, we can be grateful that the federal government is fully functional and making an enormous effort to help farmers and other citizens. Spreading rumors doesn't help anyone. America is better than that.

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Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, where she raises and sells beef, pork, eggs, and other local products. She can be reached at carole@soulecoaching.com. Carole is also now a certified Life Coach who helps humans and K-9s achieve the impossible a little at a time.