Category Archives: Golden Rule

Weve heard all about it repeatedly: our current society thrives on incivility. The public opinion du jour seems to be that the more extreme the speech, the more likely our message will be noticed. And if we disagree with one persons or groups opinion, the only way our opinion or message will be heard is to attack, vilify or silence that person or group.

Is this really what our society has come to? I personally have much greater faith in humanity than to believe incivility is the norm. We can all be an influence for good, and perhaps a groundswell of civility and kindness in our part of the world can influence others to follow suit. At the very core of our interactions with others, whether in person or in other formats, we can simply follow the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. So, how do we apply this age-old axiom when we come across a message we disagree with?

Resist the urge to silence an opposing view.

Have you ever felt like your opinion was dismissed or ignored, perhaps because others disagreed with you? At a meeting I recently attended, I heard some people voice concerns about the negative impact social media has had on our societys incivility. Some blamed the anonymity and distance of these mass media forums, and others spoke of biased reporting in the media and the need to control these venues more.

Media is not the enemy. These mass media venues are merely a place for messages to be disseminated. In a day when more people have a voice, more people can have an audience. This opportunity to be heard is used by people of all views and beliefs. Stifling various views is not only ineffective; it goes against the Golden Rule. No one likes to be silenced, and if we allow opposing views to be expressed, we are more likely to have our own views heard.

Work to understand the other perspective.

As we work to allow all voices to be heard, its important to treat differing opinions with respect. Quentin Cook said, How we disagree is a real measure of who we are and whether we truly follow the Savior. It is appropriate to disagree, but it is not appropriate to be disagreeable.

Its easy to have civil conversations with those who have similar views as our own, but the true test of the Golden Rule comes when we are faced with an opposing view. Just as we want our views to be respected and understood, we must respect and try to understand the views of others.

Counter ignorance and fear with knowledge and compassion.

Sometimes incivility towards a view or group comes from ignorance. Perhaps a group acts or believes differently than those we normally associate with. Or perhaps we have no experience with a specific group. Its easier to understand when we know more about who they are and their perspectives. As we seek to know more, civility and compassion automatically follow.

Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsberg were excellent examples of this. Despite being on opposite ends of the political spectrum, they were close friends whose families spent holidays together and traveled together. They never let their differing views get in the way of that friendship.

Ultimately, when we seek civility in our discourse and interactions with others, we can never go wrong when we follow the Golden Rule. It will lead to greater understanding, compassion, and perhaps even friendship.

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Civil discourse and the Golden Rule - Casper Star-Tribune Online

The leader of a Texas civil-liberties organization formed to counter the Religious Right speculated in a radio interview May 27 that the states child welfare crisis helped boost a controversial bill headed to the governors desk allowing state-funded providers of child welfare to refuse service if it violates the agencys religious beliefs.

Kathy Miller

Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, criticized the Freedom to Serve Children Act passed by both the House and Senate as part of a piecemeal agenda this legislative session. Its aim is to radically redefine our centuries old understanding of religious freedom and allow it to mean that religion can be used to harm people and be used as an excuse for discrimination.

The Golden Rule has been thrown out the window, Miller said. Shedescribed the new plan to use religion to discriminate in an interview with host Welton Gaddy on State of Belief Radio.

Because Texas does have a child welfare crisis, I think that that crisis kind of pushed people to swallow using religion as a license to discriminate, said Miller, head of the Austin-based organization which supports issues including religious freedom, individual liberties and public education while monitoring the Religious Right.

Miller said the measure sets terrible precedent for other states and encouraged citizens across the country to take note of more than two dozen pieces of legislation introduced this term trying to roll back gains for LGBT persons living in Texas.

Miller said in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states there has been a kind of fevered pitch from the far right to take away any sense of equality that LGBT Texans might have, to almost make the marriage equality as meaningless as possible.

[Its] almost to say, We may have to give you a marriage license, but we dont have to recognize your marriage in all of these other ways. We need the nation to speak up, and we need people of faith to speak up and to really say thats not what my faith taught me.

The Freedom to Serve Children Act would allow child welfare providers receiving taxpayer funds to be exempted from any negative actions by the state if they refuse to provide services.

That means a license for an adoption agency cant be rescinded, Miller said. It means that children cant be taken from a foster home. It means that they can do nothing to intervene if a child welfare provider says that what they are doing is acting on their sincerely held religious beliefs.

That includes refusing to allow same-sex couples to be part of their adoption process [or] to become foster families, she said. It also includes foster families that refuse hormone therapy for a transgender child or birth control or even emergency contraception for a child in their care.

Its quite bad. It covers virtually every aspect of child welfare.

While the legislations primary aim is to prevent faith-based adoption and foster-care agencies from being sued if they turn away same-sex couples, Miller said potential harms run the gamut from discrimination based on religion.

A Christian organization can refuse to allow a Jewish couple to participate or a Muslim family to participate. It can be based on sex, so you can discriminate against girls. It runs the gamut, and the harms are real and theyre tragic, because the kids in child welfare are already in incredibly vulnerable situations.

The bill authored by State Rep. James Frank (R-Wichita Falls), a deacon at First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas, is designed to avoid situations faced in other states where groups like Catholic Charities stopped adoption services entirely instead of allowing adoptions to gay couples.

Both the Baptist General Convention of Texas Convention Christian Life Commission and Southern Baptists of Texas Convention backed the measure.

Randy Daniels, a vice president at Buckner International, told lawmakers during hearings on the bill that trustees of the Baptist-affiliated agency had placed a moratorium on expansion of foster care and adoption, and in the future might move our resources into other kinds of ministries without protections offered in the law.

Gus Reyes, head of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission, responded to the license to discriminate charge by calling the measure a license to participate for faith-based agencies that account for 25 percent of the child-placing capacity in Texas.

We believe it is possible to respect sincerely held religious beliefs and work for the best interest of the child, Reyes said during the hearing in March.

The Texas Freedom Network was founded in 1995 by Cecile Richards, now president of Planned Parenthood and daughter of former Gov. Ann Richards.

Miller, who has led the organization since 2009, said infusing religion into to the child-welfare debate makes it even more troubling.

We spend a lot of time talking about how awful this is as public policy, but I also think its really damaging for faith to have people asserting in the name of religion and in this case its almost always in the name of Christianity that discrimination is a goal, she said. I think that harms peoples understanding that faith is about bringing communities together, not dividing us.

Gaddy, an ordained Baptist minister and former Interfaith Alliance head who recently retired as pastor of Northminster Church in Monroe, La., said recent actions including a proposed bathroom bill by the Texas state legislature threaten LGBT families to a degree we havent seen elsewhere.

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and I guess that goes for attacks on minority communities, too, said Gaddy, who served in Texas as pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth from 1977 to 1984.

Previous stories:

Baptist pastor says faith-based adoption agencies shouldnt discriminate against gays

Orphan care takes center stage in LGBT/religious liberty debate

Continued here:

Texas Freedom Network head says using religion to discriminate violates the Golden Rule - Baptist News Global

General Election 2017: Polls may be wrong but 'golden rule' always applies

BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

The polls are wrong! The polls are always wrong! You hear this all the time and yes the polling industry has had a rough few years since the polling miss of the UK general election 2015.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2017/general-election-2017-polls-may-be-wrong-but-golden-rule-always-applies-35770290.html

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/article35770608.ece/ff81d/AUTOCROP/h342/election-debates-may-corbyn.jpg

The polls are wrong! The polls are always wrong! You hear this all the time and yes the polling industry has had a rough few years since the polling miss of the UK general election 2015.

However, changes have been made to polling methods since 2015, and this lead to the accuracy of the polls for the EU Referendum with 17 of the last 22 polls predicting a narrow Brexit win, with the other five polls predicting Remain on no more than 52%. So overall the polling said the EU Referendum was going to be a close result either way and it was.

So what about this upcoming Westminster election? What are the key trends and poll questions to watch and track?

LucidTalk has always said that polls are never wrong if you follow the correct poll questions and trends. With UK Westminster elections - there are two key 'Golden Rule' questions to track:

(a) Which party leader will make the best Prime Minister?

(b) Which political party would be best for the economy?

Remember no political party has ever won a UK election - since polling began in 1945 - with both these questions running against them and that includes both 1992 and 2015. In 2015 David Cameron was always ahead of Ed Miliband as 'best PM', and the Conservatives were always ahead of Labour on the economy - so the signs were there, and there was no need for any surprise at the result.

In the current results for these two 'Golden Rule' poll questions Theresa May and the Conservatives are currently comfortably ahead with both questions. However, its interesting to note that there is a relatively high number of 'don't knows' with both questions.

Plus, Theresa May and the Conservatives are comfortably ahead on both the golden rule poll questions, but with neither question do they score over 50%.

That maybe should be a bit concerning for the Conservatives, perhaps showing that they are probably on their way to a win, but perhaps not with the majority that they were hoping for.

So as we enter the last days of the campaign and the amount of polling data and results increase - yes, to even more than we are getting now - keep an eye out for the two golden rule poll questions. Follow them and you wont go far wrong.

QUIZ QUESTION

In every UK election since 1945 the winning party and leader has had both the Golden Rule poll questions favourable to them approaching the election. That is both leadership and party-on-the-economy poll questions.

That is except for one election when the party/leader won with ONLY ONE of these questions favourable to them and the other against.

What election was it?

Answers to LucidTalk Facebook or Twitter, or email info@lucidtalk.co.uk The winner will be presented with a bottle of wine at LucidTalks pre-election polling event on Monday June 5 at the Dark Horse in Belfast from 6.15pm.

Bill White, is Managing Director of Belfast based LucidTalk Polling and Market Research. You can follow LucidTalk on Twitter at @LucidTalk.

Online Editors

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General Election 2017: Polls may be wrong but 'golden rule' always applies - Belfast Telegraph

Call, dont click and be nice. Photograph: andresr/Getty Images

Gordon Ramsay has a new TV show to promote, so hes effing and blinding and pronouncing like his career depends on it (and maybe it does, because Big Sweary, as this papers Marina OLoughlin calls him, is no longer flavour of the month).

On Monday we learned his rules for eating out: never order the specials, haggle over wine and be wary of the waiters boasts, such as our famous lasagne. He also asks for a table for three when there are only two dining or does he mean two people and one big ego?

Its not new, of course. Gonzo US chef Anthony Bourdain was doing this stuff nearly 20 years ago in the ace book Kitchen Confidential (his rules were: never order fish on a Monday, or your steak well done, or brunch, or vegetarian food).

The hospitality business is run on very tight margins, so of course restaurateurs are going to be creative with their produce and pricing, but also, on the whole, they want happy customers.

Ive been on both sides of this game as a restaurant critic for the best part of a decade and as a chef-in-training, doing work experience everywhere from pubs to Michelin-starred places but mostly Im just a greedy person who likes eating out. These are the rules that work for me.

Call, dont click: places that show as no tables available may have something, if you take the trouble to telephone. They will know about cancellations straight away, and if you engage with the person at the restaurant, you might get a note on the booking that means youll get a nicer table.

Look at the loos: like Bourdain, I wouldnt eat somewhere that doesnt maintain basic levels of hygiene (and the range of establishments that dont is amazing).

Eat before you go out: I know, sounds daft, right? But a judicious snack an hour before setting off means you wont fall on the bread like a starving woman and then push your main course round the plate, feeling bloated.

Have lunch, not dinner: this rule applies to the swanky places that offer an often brilliant-value fixed-price menu. It is a wonderful way to experience a starry chefs food and you wont feel compelled to order a pricey bottle at lunch. Well, not always.

Ask the expert: while were on the subject of wine, unless hes a cad, the sommelier relishes the challenge of finding something interesting to pair with your food that is less than, say, 40. (On this, grudgingly, I agree with Ramsay, but Id stop short of haggling.)

Complain, complain, complain: nobody wants to leave dinner with a sour taste in their mouth If the food is lousy or the table judders in time with the dishwasher, tell them. A restaurateur would rather fix it then and there (with a free dessert, or some wine, or money off) than have someone smile, pay the bill and then go home and savage them on TripAdvisor.

Go here to read the rest:

Check the loos and snack beforehand: golden rules of restaurant dining - The Guardian

Joan M. Rice

The recent controversy surrounding the alleged behavior of Washington High School basketball coach Kevin Brown has raised more questions than answers.

Heavy-handed tactics that skirt the borders of acceptable social behavior send a message that such conduct is acceptable. His actions call to mind an especially abhorrent behavior: bullying. Is this a message we want our youth to accept and model?

Schools at all levels work hard to stem the verbal abuse that often transitions into bullying. It's even more difficult to justify when it comes from within the institution itself.

Very troubling, if true, was Coach Brown's reported disparagement of his players' abilities by saying they had just gotten "off of the short bus. In so doing he offended an entire population: those born with special needs. A public apology would be appropriate, along with a pledge to set a better example.

May I take a moment to place a new page in Coach Browns playbook? If he had done his due diligence perhaps by employing a student with special needs as team manager he would be impressed that this segment works twice as hard as those termed abled. Those with special needs often display negligible absenteeism rates. Studies by DuPont disclose that people with disabilities have better attendance rates than nondisabled workers. Additionally, many of these students graduate and further their education through the community college system and four-year institutions. When included in regular division classrooms, they raise the test scores of not only themselves but of nondisabled students, according to research by Kathleen Whitbread, PhD, as recently published in Wrightslaw.com.

These students graduate, hold down jobs, vote and pay taxes. If Coach Brown were to examine the issue more closely, he may even see those with disabilities executing complicated dance and ballet movements, walking door to door to collect for St. Jude, or swimming the butterfly at the Special Olympics. Those with special needs may be reading scripture in front of large congregations, or volunteering in hospitals and nursing homes.

Hubris traps many coaches who rack up winning seasons and records, only to lose it all to the cavernous flaws of their own humanity. Conversely, many students experience rapid maturity from freshman through senior years and become that shining light that make parents teary-eyed on graduation day.

The Washington School Board has given Coach Brown a second chance to relearn the gold standard of any kindergarten classroom: Treat others how you wish to be treated.

Joan M. Rice is a board member of the Peoria Regional Human Rights Authority. She lives in Morton.

Read the original here:

Spotlight: Coach should learn the Golden Rule - Peoria Journal Star

The Golden Rule has been chucked into a Dumpster in favor of aggressive and abominable words and deeds.

The past week has seen an avalanche of awful behavior go viral online, and it leaves me to wonder how much is happening that doesnt gain traction in news feeds and on social media.

A 22-year-old man in West Chester, Pa. faces a charge of simple assault. He is accused of punching a man with cerebral palsy square in the face after the suspect was seen mocking the way the victim walked. The whole episode was captured on surveillance cameras at the convenience store where the incident took place.

The video is a jarring display of senseless violence. After the victim comes out of the store, the suspect walks past the victim, turns abruptly then pounds the victim with a straight right to the face. Its truly awful.

In a couple of other incidents, teachers embarrassed their students and themselves at end-of-the-year awards ceremonies. In Texas, as reported by the Washington Post, a student who has been in the honors program for two years and has never been a discipline problem was given a Most Likely to Become a Terrorist award. Lizeth Villanueva, 13, said her teacher just laughed when she signed and handed her the certificate, just one day after the Manchester arena terrorist attack in Britain, the Post reported. Other awards the teachers gave out: most likely to cry for every little thing and most likely to become homeless.

At a Georgia middle school, two teachers will not be returning to their district after they gave a student with ADHD a most likely to not pay attention trophy, as reported by WSVN-TV. The students mother told the TV station that the award originally read most likely to ask a question that has already been answered, but was changed to something equally awful. This was presented to the student during a school assembly.

Then there is the case of the politician who body-slammed a reporter who asked him a relevant question about a campaign issue. The New York Times reported: After Greg Gianforte, the Republican House candidate in Montana, was charged with assaulting a reporter for The Guardian on the eve of Thursdays special election, public reaction ranged from rank disgust on the left to mild chastening, and amused mockery, from many on the right. Conservative commentators Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham piled onto the reporter, Ben Jacobs, with Limbaugh calling Jacobs insolent and disrespectful.

Thankfully, the Times did find a public official voice of reason in Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., who told the paper that he sees a correlation between the Montana incident and what Sanford called an erosion of American civic life.

Some demons have been unleashed, Sanford told the Times, which I think are threatening to those who believe in free speech and free governance.

Assaulting people with disabilities. Mocking students in front of their peers in lame attempts at humor. Physically attacking media members for asking questions about an issue of concern for voters. We can and should demand better of ourselves, our community members and our elected officials. It starts with sneering dismissal of those on the other side of the political aisle from you as snowflakes because they dare to question your sides motives, and escalates to public humiliation and physical altercations because your self-worth is tied up too much in feeling superior to others.

We are better than this. We need to be so much better than this. Treat others as you would have them treat you. The Golden Rule its a simple solution for a too-caustic world.

Bob Satnan is the communications director for Sedalia School District 200.

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Read the original post:

Golden Rule could cure a lot that ails US - Sedalia Democrat

May 24, 2017

Golden Rule & unintended consequences

I certainly support the Golden Rule, but if we open our doors to unlimited immigration, which would do the most good for the most people, how would we care for the millions who would want to come, including criminals and extremists?

In an ideal, sinless world, we could do that, but I think not in today's sinful, selfish, greedy, grasping, mostly evil "get all you can for yourself" world.

Our immigration system is a mess. Surely, we ought to spend more effort on making legal immigration possible.

David King

Marshall

Leaving church

It is understandable that a few people, though not abandoning their faith, will leave the church in their declining years. Old age induces many structural changes. Better to lament that others do not evaluate and vacate. Their failure to do so means that churches are enclaves of those who:

Are content with easy ignoranceto be taught the Bible, but never taught about the Bible. Undernourished on a preacher pabulum of doctrinal repetition, denominational dogma, retold tales and speculation. But no scholarshipsources, dates, exaggerations, myths, symbolism, the lack of archaeological evidence. Critical analysis is hard.

Tolerate unsophisticated pastors who disdain science and demand literal belief. Lexus lives entrusted to the tinkerings of spiritual shade-tree mechanics.

Prefer circuses to services; do not expect spirituality to be a church distinctive. Require inside church to be the same as outside church.

Overlook contradictions: Be the light of the world, but stay out of the world; give generously, but do not chase the almighty dollar; wait for Jesus to direct your life, but accept your responsibilities as an intelligent being.

Submit to the pastors ployspromises of blessings, and threats of wrath to consummate whatever God has laid on his heart for a given Sunday. It is more about money and his resum; less about pleasing God with practical religion.

Baptist churches have become mere social clubs for insiders; affiliations unattractive to outsiders. Those who stay are more to be condemned than those who leave.

John V. Rutledge

Colorado Springs, Colo.

See original here:

Golden Rule, leaving church - Baptist Standard

Over the course of Traton Homes 46-year history it has weathered a number of tough periods for the home building industry. Its leaders credit the companys judicious management and a strong belief in the golden rule for its success.

This has always been a family-run business, and we treat our home buyers, our employees, and our suppliers like family the way we want to be treated, said Milburn Poston, who co-founded Traton Homes with his brother Bill Poston in 1971, in a release.

The Atlanta-area builder celebrated its 46th anniversary earlier this month to reflect on its past success and where the companys heading in the years to come.

We built just five homes in our first year when we started Traton Homes almost half a century ago, said Bill Poston. Since then, we have completed nearly ten thousand single-family homes and townhomes, mainly throughout the greater Atlanta area.

The company ranked No. 182 on the 2016 BUILDER 100 list with 179 closings.

From a management point of view, our companys hallmark is its relative conservatism, noted Bill. Our risk tolerance level ensured we carefully managed our growth, which allowed us to navigate through the tough times. Thanks to our outstanding team of long-term employees, and thanks to our loyal and continuously growing family of homeowners, we continue to be very optimistic about Tratons future.

Tratons business model has evolved over the years. In addition to building homes, Traton also develops parcels throughout a number of metro Atlanta counties. Traton plans to open three additional communities this year in its home county of Cobb including a new townhome community near Marietta Square.

Traton offers homes ranging from the $290,000s to the $800,000s and is currently building in Cobb, Cherokee, North Fulton, and South Forsyth counties

Each Traton home exemplifies our legacy of sound construction, superior service and outstanding value, says Clif Poston, Tratons executive vice president. While we are focusing a bright future, that legacy is one thing that will not change. That is our promise, now and when our company meets the half-century mark.

Go here to see the original:

Traton Homes Credits 'Golden Rule' For Reaching 46th Year - Builder Magazine

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Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Seppala 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM Morality is a highly subjective concept that has its roots in a variety of sources.

Some derive their sense of morality from their religious convictions, while others tend to draw on their cultural roots.

Sgt. 1st Class Timothy F. Seppala

The truth is, morality can come from almost anywhere, and it is unique to each individual.

As you can imagine, having so many sources of morality leads to different views on what is right and wrong. Of course, some moral issues are almost universally accepted. Most people would agree that murder, rape and theft are morally reprehensible. However, it is those issues that most people do not agree on that cause them to protest and riot on the streets of the United States.

Abortion, gay marriage, capital punishment, transgender bathroom choice, or even less controversial issues such as alcohol use, pornography, divorce and premarital sex can all have a dividing effect on society.

Although not as prevalent or vocal, this societal divide does extend into the military, particularly when policies run contrary to the moral system of some of the Soldiers and leaders of our units.

Unlike our civilian counterparts, those of us in uniform are not allowed to speak out against policies that we find run contrary to our moral beliefs. The question then becomes How do we reconcile our morality with a policy that violates our sense of right and wrong?

The answer lies in the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.

It is OK for Soldiers and leaders to hold onto their belief systems. The Army wants leaders with conviction; after all, a person with a grasp of right and wrong is far better than one who has no moral compass to follow. Just dont let your views of morality prevent you from treating everyone with the respect and dignity they deserve as fellow Soldiers and human beings.

If you find yourself struggling with a moral dilemma in either your work or personal life, you are encouraged to find a member of the Chaplain Corps. The Chaplain Corps is able to offer you a safe, confidential environment where you can discuss your thoughts and work through your problems without fear of judgment or reprisal.

Chaplains and religious affairs specialists are assigned to every battalion and higher-level unit in the Army, and they are ready to stand by you as you face all of lifes pitfalls.

(Editors note: Seppala is a senior religious affairs noncommissioned officer.)

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Tags: 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, chaplains, ethics

Category: News

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SFC lets the 'Golden Rule' be his guide to moral dilemmas - Hawaii Army Weekly

For 38 years, I have lived in rural Alachua County, enjoying the minimal traffic and homespun goodness of my agricultural community. One of my closest neighbors is the University of Floridas Hague Dairy Research Institute. UFs Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has a 500-cow Holstein dairy that provides innovative research in animal husbandry and milk production.

Recently, the UF dairy installed two large Floridan Aquifer center pivot systems along NW 156th Avenue to irrigate silage for their hungry Holsteins. Recently I watched as one of those center pivots sprayed groundwater onto the paved road. According to the courteous farm manager, this is a startup issue that will be corrected. But, when I asked why those gigantic sprinklers are necessary now and were not needed in the previous 40-plus years of active milk production, the answer was that the research farms water use permit from the Suwannee River Water Management District was not being fully utilized. To save taxpayer money,UF/IFAS management decided to clear cut and sell virgin timber to pay for the pivots and allow additional area for growing forage crops for the cows.

A neighbor whose house is next door to the irrigatedUF/IFAS dairy has recently found that his private well is sucking air. Big wells have regional consequences. They draw down the level of the aquifer in a classic cone of depression. Nearby private wells may stop producing water when the water table is lowered.

Perhaps the best guidance available to humans living together in this finite world is the proverbial Golden Rule that states: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. One of the most important functions of government is to enforce this fundamental tenet of amiable human society. But when your well dries up because your neighbor is pumping too much groundwater; or your drinking water is polluted by excessive nitrate; or your favorite springs, rivers and coastal estuaries are full of noxious algae; or saltwater intrudes further and further upstream due to declining spring flows; you are being injured. Your government is failing to do its job.

Bob Palmers April 23 opinion piece in The Sun describing the lengths to which local agriculture has inadvertently infringed on its neighbors fundamental rights of safety, health and welfare exemplifies the failure of Floridas government to enforce the Golden Rule. Think of the billions of dollars being spent on Lake Okeechobees pollution of the coastal estuaries and the hundreds of millions currently estimated to undo the years of excessive fertilizer loads on thousands of acres of farmland in North Florida.

Many who have small agricultural businesses can justifiably claim that they are doing what the state told them it was OK to do. They are in the business of using fertilizer and groundwater to maximize crop yields and profits. Best management practices that do not require any reduction in profit margins and state-sponsored signs that say This Farm Cares were invented by Floridas government to allow farming as usual, despite the drastic decline in the quality and quantity of the regions groundwater and springs.

I am confident that managers and owners of corporate farms who are buying up and harmfully cultivating the poorest soils in North Florida are fully aware of the bad will created by their excessive fertilization and irrigation practices. These businesses hire attorneys and lobbyists to pass the laws that immunize their clients from annoying neighbors who believe in the Golden Rule. The Right to Farm Act allows Florida farmers to follow practices with impunity that contaminate and deplete wells next door and in surrounding counties. These mega-farmers support politicians who head up the Florida Department of Agriculture, as well as the governor and legislators who pass and sign such harmful laws.

Whether you live in the country or in the city, it is time to examine your personal footprint on the Floridan Aquifer and the springs it feeds. Assess your use of groundwater and your nitrogen contribution to the aquifer and springs. If your actions are excessively encroaching on the rights of others, then accept your personal responsibility, reduce your aquifer footprint and live more sustainably.

Here in rural Alachua County, the Golden Rule might be rephrased as follows: Agricultures rights end where mine begin. As a showcase for the wise management of Floridas groundwater, I am hoping theUF/IFAS dairy will set a better example and return to their reliance on rain to water their crops.

Robert Knight is author of "Silenced Springs Moving from Tragedy to Hope" and director of the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute, which is based out of the North Florida Springs Environmental Center in downtown High Springs.

Excerpt from:

Robert Knight: Good neighbors and the Golden Rule - Gainesville Sun