Eating Animals

“We can't plead ignorance, only indifference. Those alive today are the generations that came to know better. We have the burden and the opportunity of living in the moment when the critique of factory farming broke into the popular consciousness. We are the ones of whom it will be fairly asked, What did you do when you learned the truth about eating animals?” 

I felt duped as I plunged into another of Jonathan Safran Foer’s books. His third book, “Eating Animals,” is not a brilliant work of fiction, but an exposé of factory farming.

As usual, his writing is brilliant, and with this tool he tries to justify his vegetarianism, and convince others to follow in his footsteps. He brings in a number of perspectives, from factory farm workers, to family farm owners, to PETA activists. He explores what he is willing to give up, and is fairly thorough. He explains the evils of the fishing industry, of the poultry farms (both for meat and eggs), but when he gets to cattle, his chapter is sorely lacking. He explains that this is the least cruel, in the sense that they live a fairly decent life, and concludes by describing tortuous murders of these animals. I also noted that he did not describe the life of cows who produce our milk- is it possible that he is not willing to give that up, so he will not divulge? Or is it not gruesome enough to waste words on describing?

His argument is that we have the ability to eat other foods, so we should not support industries that have such terrible work ethic. There is no flaw there. The problem is that he is unclear as to whether or not he believes that one can eat solely family farm meat and be morally in the right.

I spoke to a rabbi over the weekend regarding this. Am I responsible to make sure that I do not buy from products that support things I do not believe in? (i.e., terrorism), and he readily said yes. Then I asked him about buying eggs. According to the Jewish tradition, hurting animals is absolutely forbidden, so am I responsible to ensure that I am not supporting an industry that locks birds up into small boxes to create as many eggs as possible. This method is not a secret; there are many books and video exposés on this topic. His response is that there is no way America would allow such a practice. He cannot believe this. I was told to rely on the government to regulate the laws, so no, I do not have to do research. If I know as a fact that this is happening, though, I should buy eggs (or whatever else) from a place without such practices.

This is the attitude I have been seeing lately. No one wants to know where their food comes from, and no one wants to believe that our government can be so corrupt in its dealings with corporations. Well, I have no such naïveté.

I do believe humans are omnivores, I do not see it any more wrong for me to eat chicken, then for an owl to eat a mouse. This is how the world works. I do have a problem in the unhealthy and cruel methods of many of these factories. I have a problem in people pretending that they do not exist.

Mr. Foer: Even though I was hoping for one of your thought provoking novels, you gave me another thing for me to think about. 

Larsson's Three Book Letter to the Govornment

“Dear Government... I'm going to have a serious talk with you if I ever find anyone to talk to.”

Turning pages Saturday night, I was unable to put my book down until the last page was read. For the last two weeks I have been reading through “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series, and have enjoyed it thoroughly.

The translation from Swedish to English was well done, so much so that many who I have spoken to did not believe me.  Steig Larsson brilliantly wove together many storylines to create this thrill ride. There is action, retribution, murder, mystery.

The first book, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” is by far the best. The overarching plot is a 40-year-old mystery. I do feel obligated to warn readers that it is not for the sensitive at heart. The book is full of intrigues, but also contains very violent scenes including rape.

The next two books are more about the social injustices committed against Lisbeth Salander, the most fascinating character I have met as of yet. These are much less sexually graphic, although the plot revolves around the Swedish sex trade.

The ideas that Larsson brings up are regarding political honesty, and how many individuals are forced to suffer due to the lack of justice. Americans can relate to this. The poor condition of our child services leaves much to be desired. There is often no retribution for victims of sexual abuse due to the statute of limitations in many states. Police often abuse their power. Many who try to defend themselves are found guilty of assault and battery. 

There is something very appealing about the way Lisbeth Salander defends herself and does what she thinks is right despite the legal system. 

The Hunger Games

“But they teach them about them at school, and the girl knows we played a role in them

My children who don’t know they play in a graveyard.

But one day I’ll have to explain about my nightmares. Why they came. Why they won’t ever really go away”

Having just finished the trilogy of Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, devouring each word within a weekend, I am glad to finally have fallen back in love with reading. I decided to pick it up because I overheard a conversation between a couple of my seventh graders regarding the book. One girl was explaining to the other that she wished she had waited a couple years before reading it, and that it was really “intense.” After reading it myself, I readily agree.

Hunger Games is no more violent then The Inheritance Series by Christopher Paolini or the seventh Harry Potter book. It is the premise. The premise is what makes a preteen admit to needing a few more years before facing the horrors of this trilogy. The book is a post apocalyptic novel, in which the President forces each district to give two children a year to participate in a tournament. Only one child in 24 is meant to survive. Much of the final book Mockingjay is reminiscent of the holocaust, and of the PTSD, which afflicted many survivors.

This book is geared to preteens and teens (12-17), but I would bump that up a bit, probably ages 16+ due to the premise. I don’t think that most kids under 16 are able to handle graphic holocaust novels, and this seems to fictionally slip into that category. A few seemingly minor details make this easier to read for the young reader. The fact that it is in first person narrative gives away the fact that the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen , survives the trilogy. The tame romance (no more than kissing) spurs the reader on for a bittersweet ending (I don’t want to give it away, but the love triangle is compelling).

The themes in the trilogy are interesting to think about (even as an adult). 

Is Collins warning the reader against Big Government? Is she warning about the inherent corruptness of Socialism? Are we sacrificing our children for peace now, even though no one really wins? Is war any better then murder? Is Katniss Everdeen less of a pawn when she is a soldier than a player in the Games? What do you think Collins is saying about our current social position? Is there a purpose of calling the radical leader a “President” or is that a coincidence? What do you think?