Oregon’s Statesman-Journal reports that farmers opposed to the state’s ballot question Measure 92 have been the recipients of hate mail and harassment on social networks for appearing on the opposition campaign’s television commercials. Had the ballot initiative passed it would have required all genetically modified foods sold state-wide to be labeled. The Statesman-Journal says the people in the commercials are:

Molly Pearmine McCargar, who grows vegetables in Gervais; Katie Fast, who grows wheat in Amity; and Brenda and Matt Frketich, who grow grass seed, hazelnuts, clover and peas in St. Paul.

The four farmers were honored for their efforts at an annual meeting of the Oregon Farm Bureau who spearheaded the opposition to Measure 92. It really really says something about the state of our society when people are so uncouth as to disrespect someone for speaking out on a particular issue they supported or opposed. I would remind such people who would be so uncouth as to publicly scorn others whose views they disagree with of what Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson said:

My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular.