A good man died too soon yesterday - I want people to notice -

[hedgehog]

His name was Danny Dunsmoor. He was a 58 Year old onion farmer here in Oswego County. If you google him, you might come across the story about his big poker win at the Turning Stone Casino last Spring. Or you might see his name mentioned in a story about a round-up of undocumented farm workers. Like most farmers here, he looked at people's papers, but not too hard. Danny paid his workers what he could, tried to give them a decent place to stay and tried to help when the Immigration people showed up. He was a middle man in our Great American Mess of demanding cheap food and blaming the producers when wages in agriculture and food processing are kept low.

Danny was comfortable. He and his extended family had turned a barn on a pond into a family retreat, a place in the shady woods to go and have a game of cards or a get-together in the hot summer or cold winter. He wasn't a rich man though, and worked hard on his farm. That's how he died yesterday. He was out alone on his tractor mowing along a drainage ditch and the tractor rolled.

Danny's death got about 45 seconds on a local tv news report.

So, take a moment from all the arguing and bickering here and remember Danny. He probably voted for John McCain, but he tried to be fair with the people around him. You would have disagreed with Danny on a lot of things, but would you have thought or done any differently in his place? I'm a Democrat because I want to make this a better country for everyone, even the Republicans. When we make people like Danny the enemy instead of potential allies, we've lost. We're no longer making America a better place, we're just playing a game of us vs them.

Take a minute today, too, and hug someone near to you. You never know if it will be your last chance to do so.

[H2O Man]

1. Recommended.

Thank you for this.

[MadMaddie]

2. hedgehog thank-you for sharing Danny with us

I think there are many good Americans out there trying to do the right thing, taking care of others and taking care of their families. He sounds like he was a really great guy.

RIP Danny!

[peace13]

3. Love and energy to Danny's family. n/t

[hedgehog]

4. His family is really hurting right now - they need all the good vibes they can get.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

5. K&R. The political labels...

...Republican vs Democrat, liberal vs conservative, and right vs left, more than anything else, serve the purpose of division and distraction -- just the way the PTB likes it. To the degree that we begin to recognize this, as you seem to, we will also begin paving the way for coming together and actually solving our problems.

Condolences to Mr. Dunsmoor's family.

[Gormy Cuss]

15. I really hate the way we defined by our political affiliation these days.

There was a time, not that long ago, when our deeds mattered more.




eta: condolences to Danny's family.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

17. Agreed -- it would sure be nice to somehow return to that time...

...when deeds mattered more.

[malaise]

6. RIP Danny

Well done.

[JNelson6563]

7. A beautiful post Hedgehog.

My heart aches for those of you who knew and loved Danny. The world is richer for having had him among us for a time.

:hug:

Julie

[LiberalVoice]

8. Thank you.

Your post reminds us all of what's important in life.

[MissDeeds]

9. Wonderful tribute to a good man

Because of a you, hedgehog, many more people will feel his loss.

Peace and sympathy to his family and friends.

:grouphug:

K&R

[BlancheSplanchnik]

10. We're in Ontario County -- we know a lot of people like Danny.

Most of them good good people.

Very sad, thanks for the reminder.

[OneGrassRoot]

11. Thank you. K&R n/t

[hedgehog]

12. Thank you all for paying attention.

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

[OneGrassRoot]

13. ....

Just made me cry...:cry:

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[sabrina 1]

14. Very sad. Thank you for bringing Danny to our attention.

My heart goes out to his family. He sounds like a good man who will be sorely missed.

Sudden death is the hardest on loved ones as you are not prepared. I am sure they are hurting and in shock so I will send them caring thoughts even though I do not know them.

[AnArmyVeteran]

16. Thank you for that nice tribute to Danny.

I lost a friend called Danny 13 months ago. He died young too. He had a great sense of humor and loved to dance with women.

[RagAss]

18. Rest in peace, Danny.

[Kurovski]

19. K&R

Bless the farmers always. Rest in peace.

[laughingliberal]

20. Kick nt

[harmonicon]

21. sounds like a lot of people in my family

The family-run farm is sadly disappearing. My uncles, now in their 60's, will be the last generation to farm in my family. Thank god they've gotten this far without suffering any such accident as this man, despite financial hardship.

[SwampG8r]

22. best post ever

and i mean that
time to put on our big boy pants america and get the job done
all of us

[elocs]

23. Too often here at DU I read of Republicans who are disparaged, belittled, or treated like scum.

These people with whom we disagree are our mothers and fathers, our brothers and sisters, our loved ones, our friends. Most of them want what is best for America and sincerely believe what they believe. This does not make them the enemy or idiots, but simply those who have not yet become Democrats or have seen our point of view. Most of them never will, but it would be nice if we could treat them as we want to be treated rather than how the worst of them treat us and our beliefs.

Most of the Republican little people are like us--simply living their lives of quiet and sometimes not so quiet desperation. Their beliefs are formed by their lives' experiences, but probably most often by those of their parents like many of us. A good many of them are Dannys.

[yankeepants]

24. I read his obit this morning

He sounds like an amazing guy. I know how hard he had to work to keep his farm going in this part of the country.

Hedgehog is right about the news coverage of his death. I completely missed it and had to search the archives to find any information.

My heart goes out to his family and friends. Our lives are so fragile.

[hedgehog]

26. Here's the obit:

http://obits.syracuse.com/obituaries/syracuse/obituary.aspx?n=danny-c-dunsmoor&pid=144817182

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Oswego County Opportunities, M.R.D.D. Program, 239 Oneida St., Fulton, NY 13069 or to the Oswego County Vegetable Grower's Assoc., 150 E. 1st. St., Apt. 908, Oswego, NY 13126. Online condolences can be made at: nelson-funeralhome.com


Mentally Retarded/Developmentally Disabled Program

The OCO MR/DD Program provides services to adults with a developmental disability in a variety of residential settings. OCO provides 24 hour a day, 7 day a week support and supervision to these individuals.

The MR/DD Program encompasses Residential Facilities including:

Independent Residential Alternatives (IRA's)

The (Supportive) Apartment Program

Respite Program

as well as:

Medicaid Service Coordination

Day Habilitation

http://www.oco.org/Mental%20Hygiene/MRDDProgram.htm

[UpInArms]

25. I'm so sorry for your community's loss, hedgehog

:grouphug:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. I read the news, it was short on details.

I didn't see if he had been wearing a seat belt. Wear the seat belt, people. Even if it's not a car.

[Gormy Cuss]

30. When a tractor rolls over on you a seat belt isn't helpful.

What IS helpful is having someone nearby when it happens.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

31. Modern tractors should have ROPS.

ROPS + seat belts = lives saved.

[Gormy Cuss]

32. True, but they don't (at least the ones I've seen don't) and a seat belt won't help in their absence

[hedgehog]

33. Farmers tend to be the last to adopt safety equipment-

partially because they don't take orders well, partly because of lack of time and money, partly because they don't get the word. New York State does have a program to assist farmers in retrofitting tractors.

http://www.nycamh.com/news/entry_detail.asp?article=139

In this case, the rollover may have followed a heart attack.

[Bluerthanblue]

28. what a beautiful tribute

to this man.

thank you for posting this- for saying what we ALL need to hear and remember.

:grouphug:

Wish I could rec this thread-

[blm]

29. Kind of you to remember and share his spirit here, h_hog. Thankyou.

.