Farm workers are society's canaries. Farm workers - and their children - demonstrate the effects of pesticide poisoning before anyone else.
Interpretation
Farm workers are often the first to experience the health impacts of harmful chemicals used in agriculture.
Cesar Chavez is highlighting the vulnerability of farm workers to pesticide exposure, suggesting that their suffering serves as a warning for society about the dangers of chemical use in farming. This metaphor of farm workers as 'canaries' implies that just as canaries were used in mines to detect toxic gases, farm workers and their families are the early indicators of the harmful effects of pesticides, urging society to pay attention and act before more widespread harm occurs.
In practice
During a speech on agricultural reform, one might say, 'As Cesar Chavez reminded us, farm workers are society's canaries, urging us to rethink our pesticide policies.'
I became a vegetarian after realizing that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry and unhappy like we do. I feel very deeply about vegetarianism and the animal kingdom. It was my dog Boycott who led me to question the right of humans to eat other sentient beings.
I think one of the great, great problems...is confusing people to the point where they become immobile. In fact, the more things people can find out for themselves, the more vigor the organization is going to have.
In the final analysis it doesn't really matter what the political system is...We don't need perfect political systems; we need perfect participation.
There is enough love and good will in our movement to give energy to our struggle and still have plenty left over to break down and change the climate of hate and fear around us.
Our union represents a breaking away...represents sharing a power, represent questioning, represents a new force...however long it takes, we are geared for a struggle.
Every time we sit at a table at night or in the morning to enjoy the fruits and grain and vegetables from our good earth, remember that they come from the work of men and women and children who have been exploited for generations.
Everything you do in a patient's room, after he is 'put up' for the night, increases tenfold the risk of his having a bad night. But, if you rouse him up after he has fallen asleep, you do not risk - you secure him a bad night.
Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity.
It is easy to lay the blame on successive governments for failing to address health as a fundamental right for the Indian people. But the real tragedy is that we, the people of India, have not taken our government to task for this catastrophic failure.
You shouldn't been pressured into trying to be thin by the fashion industry, because they only want models that are like human mannequins. But you have to remember that it's not practical or possible for an everyday woman to look like that. Beinz size zero is a career in itself so we shouldn't try and be like them. It's not realistic and it's not healthy.
I'm in complete remission. I'm alive and well.
Nothing is more fatal to health than an over care of it.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.