Cesar’s Last Fast

Cesar’s Last Fast

        Cesar Chavez was a union leader and labor organizer who focused on the poor working conditions and the conditions of our countries farming. His mission was to make working conditions better for all farmers and to do this he decided to go on a 36 day fast to raise awareness about the dangerous pesticides being used on farms.

        The title of the film we watched was called “Cesar’s Last Fast” and it is significant because this would be the last protest that Chavez would take place in during the duration of his lifetime. It shows how passionate he was to put his own life on the line to save the lives of so many others.

        Cesar Chavez shares many similarities with Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. They were all very passionate about their religion and it played an important role in each of there every day lives. They all three also journeyed and protested by using acts of non-violence. They lived by these values and sacrificed their own lives to fight for what they believed in.

        It is important for everyone in America to know about Chavez’s journey because without it a lot of things would be different in our country today. It opens our eyes to the things that go on behind the scenes that we would never know about without the protests and help of people like Cesar Chavez. He showed us how poorly our farmers were being treated and knew we had to do something about it. Instead of just saying something needed to be done, he made something be done. He showed society what it is like to take action and fight for what you believe in and I think that’s a very brave and bold thing to do.

        Before watching the film on Cesar Chavez’s life I didn’t know much about farming or the farming industry. Through the film I learned a lot about how poorly workers were treated and the awful ways in which farms across the country were being run. One of the biggest things that stood out to me was the use of pesticides on our crops. These pesticides not only were getting on the foods which we would be ingesting but were also getting in the lungs of many children and workers on the farms. It was causing cancer and illness to these workers and still no one did anything about it. I think this is so important because it shows us that not everyone knows what is going on in different parts of the country. If it weren’t for Cesar Chavez raising awareness some of these awful conditions could still be taking place today. This could be relevant to life in North Carolina because of the amount of farming industries we house within the state. We want to be able to provide a safe work environment for everyone and we also want to make sure that everything being used on our crops is safe and not going to harm anyone in any way.

        When Cesar Chavez says “our nation shall fulfill its creed-and that fulfillment shall enrich us” I think he is talking about our religious and moral beliefs. He is saying that when we figure them out as a nation we will learn a lot and be able to make better smarter decisions. I think that as a nation we have not fulfilled this creed because of the diversity and difference of opinions that our country has. It is hard for us to stick with one set guideline or rule and that is where our country struggles. I think that we have different groups of people that try to achieve this goal, but without everyone contributing the same sorts of things will continue to happen around the country.