Different geographic areas have
different symbols—images that on their own represent the emotional, and maybe
even the spiritual essence of the place it represents, both to its inhabitants,
and to the world at large.
For my country, Canada, it’s
the maple leaf. Although there are maple trees in so many different locations
throughout North America, the maple tree and its distinctive leaf are special
here, north of the 49th parallel. And while it means many different
things to individual Canadians, you can be certain that to each of us there is
an almost visceral connection to the image of it, when it appears before
us.
Of course, symbols aren’t just
nation-wide. Sometimes they’re province wide or—in the case of my neighbors to
the South, state-wide. For Nova Scotia, for example, the symbol most often
associated with that Atlantic province is a picture of the light house at
Peggy’s Cove; for Alberta it’s Banff National Park, with Lake Louise prominent;
for Ontario, it’s the C. N. Tower in Toronto.
This isn’t only, as I’ve
already pointed out, a Canadian phenomenon. In the United States, geographic
areas have their symbols as well. Of course the first image Americans hold dear
is their flag. Americans have a stronger emotional connection with the Stars and
Stripes than we Canadians do with our own flag. That’s completely understandable
since the red and white Maple Leaf has only been our flag since 1965.
There’s the Liberty Bell, the
image of which makes us think of Pennsylvania. I’ve spoken to Pennsylvanians who
have a distinctive emotional, pride-filled reaction to seeing that symbol. Other
areas as well have their “symbols” – pictures that once seen, stir the heart and
the spirit and engender pride and love. For Michigan it’s the Great Lake that
bears its name; for California it’s the Golden Gate bridge; and for Texas? Texas
has two great symbols as is befitting that state—The Alamo, and a container of
Blue Bell ice cream.
April 20th of this
year was a dark day for my Texan friends. You see, on that day Blue Bell
announced a recall of all of its products, and that production of its ice
cream had been suspended due to a Listeria outbreak. This total recall is the
final stage in a process that began last month with a limited recall, the very
first one in the family-owned business’s 108 year history.
Listeria can cause serious and
sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly, and any whose immune
system is weak. According to the Center for Disease Control, in the United
States an estimated 1,600 people become seriously ill with Listeria each year,
and about 16% of these become fatalities.
Clearly, a total recall until
the source of the contamination is found, and the problem fixed, is the right
thing to do. Personally I applaud the company for doing the right thing. What
has to happen is that all of the manufacturing equipment has to be taken apart
and thoroughly cleaned, as this bacterium is stubborn and can live for a very
long time.
The CEO and President of the
company, Paul Kruse, has promised to make sure all products are safe before they
go back on sale. This is a very good thing. In an age when we often feel that
greed steers the ship of commerce, this is a very good thing indeed. Blue
Bell has put the welfare of their customers ahead of profits. This is more than
commendable. This justifies the importance of Blue Bell as a symbol of the Great
State of Texas.
It is, however, a devastating
situation for many Texans. After reading the reports and observing the
discussion in social media, I have come to appreciate just how emotionally
attached some are to their Blue Bell ice cream, and what a deep and meaningful
symbol it is to many Texans.
A lot of grocery stores don’t
have shelves of different kinds of ice cream for consumption the way they do up
here. They have two freezers for Blue Bell, and a tiny token space for all the
other brands, combined. As one person said, “Blue Bell isn’t just an ice cream
it is the only ice cream. If there’s no Blue Bell, there’s no ice cream,
period. We might just as well cancel summer.”
To my friends who are
suffering, I urge them to take heart. Doing the right thing is always the right
thing. The ice cream will flow again, and all will be well.
It’s simply a matter of
time.
Love,
Morgan
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