National Master Addresses 148th Delegate Body
During his sixth address to the members and public, National Master Ed Luttrell on Tuesday directly after the opening of the 148th Annual National Grange Convention focused heavily on overreach by government, such as unnecessary and often detrimental regulations as well as threats to personal freedoms. He also discussed challenges to the agriculture industry and systemic global issues, calling on the federal government to reevaluated programs aiding foreign nations.
Luttrell’s internal and external addresses lasted about 35 minutes each.
During that time, he told the group that improvements in agricultural science and technology are necessities for farmers who must assume these critical leadership roles thought out the world.
“Science, not fear, nostalgia, or politics must be the cornerstone of the future,” he said related to the Grange’s continued support of genetic modification, new chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Also a hinderance to the agriculture community is overregulation such as the Waters of the U.S. and EPA regulations related to coal-fired power plants, according to Luttrell.
“The Grange calls upon our elected officials at all levels to begin reducing the flood of government regulation before it drowns American entrepreneurs and business owners,” Luttrell said.
Infringements on personal rights and liberties also drew empassioned discussion from Luttrell who said free speech, public displays of religion and the rights of citizens to bear arms shouldn’t be questioned thanks to our founding document, the Constitution.
“We must not stray, as this grand document gives every American the right to follow their own dreams, seek their fortune and live their life by the principles of their individual faith,” Luttrell said.
Later in the speech, Luttrell spoke of continuous threats to America and the many challenges of the modern world. When speaking of the re-evaluation of aid to foreign nations, he said, “We must ensure that we help the people, not empower and enrich the dictators and warlords. We must demonstrate and teach the power of liberty to enable their people, not tell them what to do.”
Luttrell, for the past several years, has also focused heavily on the Grange’s interest in public education, especially that related to agriculture and STEM fields.
“The Grange urges educators at the primary, secondary and undergraduate levels to include basic knowledge of agriculture in their curriculum,” Luttrell said. “Every American needs to understand that nature’s laws are constant and immutable. The lesson that there is no free lunch, but there are limitless opportunities, must be part of education in today’s world.”
During his internal address, he talked about trademark issues and how we are dealing with the California situation and how these affect our budget. He urged every member to read the Declaration of Purposes and then reflect upon the principles that are enshrined in that document.
Luttrell pointed out the every member should be proud of the rich history of the Grange as we are only two years away from the 150th Session of the National Grange to be held in the D.C. area in 2016. He challenged every member to not only celebrate our history, but face the challenges of today with an understanding of the legacy passed to us.
“We must always look forward into the future while remembering the lessons of the past,” Luttrell said.
