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.
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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.
Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity.
What we have now is doctors who are actually better technically at what they're doing in their specialty than 30 or 40 years ago, but we lost the relationship, when the doctor would look people in the eye and say, 'I care about you. We can do this together.'
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With age comes the understanding and appreciation of your most important asset, your health.
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The steep price tag of cancer treatment needs to continue to be a part of the national conversation, not just the patient-doctor one.
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