not have initially understood the scope or stakes of a shutdown but they are very real. for 800,000 federal workers and their customers, that would be us, the taxpayers, beginning with our national treasures are normally pristine national parks. in the past they were closed during extended shutdowns but not this time. visitors are still allowed on park lands but 16,000 of the 19,000 park employees are no longer on their jobs along with all the others they have been deemed non-essential. that means roads are left unplowed, garbage left uncollected, bathrooms not maintained and trash is piling up and health hazards and park visitors in some places are taking care of business, shall we say, along pathways or in the woods. and while the parks are unattended at least three people have died inside our parks since the shut down began. then there are the farmers already under duress from the president's trade war with china.