Doran: Facts over fiction

We live in a strange world, full of irony, parallel universes, hypocrisy and make-it-up-as-we-go tendencies where facts seem a thing of the past at times.

Agriculture at times is the punching bag in our “Twilight Zone” world we live in where folks who have absolutely no clue about the realities of the industry give their views in social media hell and through other avenues.

One example was during the Academy Awards on Sunday evening.

After Joaquin Phoenix received his best actor Oscar for his outstanding performance in “Joker,” his acceptance speech started out about inequality and the fight against injustice. They were great points, but then it turned.

“We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal,” Phoenix said.

Wait… what?

First of all, I don’t use cream in my coffee, but by golly I need some on my shredded wheat. It’s pretty hard to choke down without milk.

Second, has he ever been to a family dairy farm, or any livestock farm for that matter, to see what really happens? Perhaps he has, but I doubt it after that comment.

He spoke “of these distressing issues we’ve been facing collectively.”

That should include collectively finding facts first.