Farm Crisis of the 1980's: Words From a Survivor

Being four I don't remember much of the controversies to fight for our home. The first memory involves meeting Rev. Jesse Jackson. We attended a Farmer's Rights Rally. I wore a banner that was as big as myself. Jesse Jackson saw us in the crowd and invited me to have my banner signed. I climbed on top of the tractor that he stood to give us all a speech I don't remember, but the surrounding farmers screamed and cheered him on. The one thing that I do remember is since we all wore brown paper bags on top of our heads, he said he was glad that it wasn't white sheets. I didn't understand a word of that when I was only 4 years of age.

This experience would not only gain me a peck on the cheek for Jesse Jackson, but inspiration to keep going as I was now understanding what was going on. We might lose our home and it was the United States Government's fault. My small mind held the fear and I cried constantly when I was trying to get ready for bed every night, would that bed be there tomorrow. Or would I be sleeping in the living room of some of the other strangers that we'd spent the night with when it was too far to go home that late at night.

Meetings, people, tears, discussions that scared me even more to my very pit of the bottom of my heart. What would happen to all these people that were experiencing the historic Farm Crisis? Would Jane have a home tomorrow, we'd go outside, to make it easier on us kids. We had our own support group outside, I know because I started it. Jane would tell me that her Dad was really upset with her one night, and slapped her. This was normal story that came from all of our mouths our parents were under a lot of stress, their daily lives were being taken away from them.

A man named John, went nuts one late night as we children sat cuddled on our mother's laps. He stood up and screamed, "I can't take it anymore! We are going home I am ending it all." The next time it came for meeting night, Jane wasn't there, her Dad John wasn't there. Someone was late and they came into the hall that was used for a meeting place once a week in hysterics. A newspaper was slapped down on the large, long table, and the adults grabbed it and read it to themselves as they instructed us children to go outside to yet again go play.

We all wanted to know what happened. I of course was a child that didn't always listen, especially if I wanted to know something and I knew how to know what I shouldn't know. I went back in with the idea to get a piece of gum from my mom. I over heard my explanation obtained my gum and delivered the message to the support group.

Jane's Dad killed her, her mom, their cat, their dog, all their cattle, burned down the house, the sheds, the garage, and shot himself in the head. It was shocking to hear it come out of my own mouth. Jane was dead! Why would a parent ever do such a thing to their family. I never thought I'd say that I understood why, but it was to protect them in his own thoughts, his own feelings of worthlessness, and ungracefulness to support his family as he felt they should live. They were going to lose their home on the very day we all stood with shock of the news of their deaths.

When someone involved in the Farm Crisis lost their homes, it wasn't your typical eviction, or foreclosure. I know as I went to many of those auctions as the friends of the support group tried to scrape up enough money to buy these people's personal belongings back. They sold everything, the pictures for the frames, their clothes, their food, some left with simply the clothes off their back on foot as they sold their vehicle as well.

Unbelievable you say? Not unbelievable at all. I lived it, I saw it, how I was raised. I lived it every day sat in meetings, law libraries, attorney offices, state representatives met and made friends with, sat in court, and learned every law in my state. The Constitution, Bill of Rights, all of them.

You know right to representation? When these people had lawyers they were threatened to be killed, disbarred and more.

What protected these government officials to do the dirty tricks they did to these people Soveirgn Ammunity, look it up if you don't believe me.

Why am I all fired up again? Foreclosures are at an all time high again. Think history repeats itself, watch out, cause it does. I am now living my fear, I am homeless. I can't fight. I can't tell you anymore secrets, I already said too much. There is a darker story to everything.