Thesis: An individual striving to live a morally cogent life must act contrary to the common practices of our culture, which encompass nightmarish industrial atrocities.
Major Argument #1: The dominant food practices of our culture are harmful to our present and future world, and thus should be avoided by individuals who wish to exercise morality.
Supporting Claim #1: Our culture’s dominant food customs entail hurtful practices.
Evidence: Annually (because of foodborne illnesses), 76 million Americans are sickened, 325,000 Americans are hospitalized, and 5,000 Americans die. (see hyperlink #1)
Evidence: One third of children and adolescents are obese or overweight. (see hyperlink #1).
Evidence: Factory farming and industrial agriculture is popular, but inhumane, dangerous to workers and consumers, pollutant, and environmentally hurtful. (See hyperlink #1).
Evidence: Genetic Engineering decreases the health of food and tampers with evolution’s logic (see hyperlink #1).
Evidence: Dominant discourses involve cruelty to animals, and it is worth noting when corporations strive to exercise passion (see hyperlink #6)
Supporting Claim #2: One can exercise morality by considerately and respectfully exercising alternatives to the atrocious practices of our culture.
Evidence: Organic, sustainably grown produce is available at local Farmer’s Markets, farms and natural food stores, and more. (See hyperlink #1)
Evidence: Organic, sustainably grown produce is available at local Farmer’s Markets, farms and natural food stores, and more. (See hyperlink #1)
Evidence: It is possible to grow your own food, to an extent
Evidence: You can protest the lack of a healthful and humane agricultural system (see hyperlink #2, #12)
Evidence: We can vote for better food by pressuring our Department of Education (see hyperlink #3 and #5)
Evidence: We can request nutrition facts/labeling on food so that we know what we are eating (see hyperlink #4)
Evidence: Food Corporations respond to the demands of consumers (see hyperlink #6, #11)
Evidence: People are followers; be a leader (see hyperlink #7)
Evidence: The notion that food is dangerous has been acknowledged by many (see hyperlink #8, #11, #12)
Evidence: Current foodborne illnesses can often be reversed (see hyperlink #9)
Alternate Supporting Claim #2: The dominantly accepted practices of our culture are worsening; ergo following our culture's common practices will hurt the world’s future.
Evidence: Our practices are worsening in that other cultures are becoming westernized, thereby globalizing disease and other food-related issues. (see hyperlink #9, #11).
Evidence: We are devolving (see hyperlink #9, #11).
Evidence: Stereotypical views of agriculture are no longer existent; they have become gruesomely worse over the past 50 years. (See hyperlink #10, #11)
Works Cited:
10) http://www.themeatrix.com/
11) http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/jun/10/food-movement-rising/?pagination=false
12) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html?pagewanted=2
11) http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/jun/10/food-movement-rising/?pagination=false
12) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html?pagewanted=2
much improved - looks like the train is staying on the track.
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