Someplace Like America

Response 3

08/31/2011

Someplace Like America

                All Americans have a different perception on the values they hold in their own home country.  Is our government really corrupt?  Is the food industry really poisoning us?  Are the homeless and needy really that way because they have no choice, or because they feel sorry for themselves?  We all have tough questions that we want answered, but unfortunately there are no cut and dry answers.  There are professionals on either side of the coin that will argue their own point-of-view.  I would like to discuss some statistics that will show that we are upon difficult times in our society.

                There are more people homeless in our home country than most of us choose to acknowledge.  We have grown deaf or numb to the astonishing statistics, either way we find it bliss to live without fully comprehending others struggles.  In 2010 the New York Times produced an article about homelessness and one part reads, “The Bloomberg administration said Friday that the number of people living on New York’s streets and subways soared 34 percent in a year”.  Think about this for a minute, it doesn’t say New York is 34% homeless, but rather the homeless people rose by 34%.  In any case these statistics are incredible.

                Are people really going hungry in our country?  How can this be true when we produce more food for cheaper than any other country in the world?  According to Worldhunger.org, “In 2008, 17 million households, 14.6 percent of households (approximately one in seven), were food insecure, the highest number ever recorded in the United States.”  This doesn’t make sense.  If I go and sit at the park with my kids I can be sure that one out of every ten people I see enjoying their afternoon are going home hungry.  This is phenomenal! 

                Of these people that are hungry without enough food to eat, how many are also stricken with food poisoning on top of it?  Our government isn’t observing our food production as much as they should be.  We like to think that just because it is FDA approved that its safe, but really the FDA is in bed with companies like Monsanto and Con Agra.  This is for a whole other paper, but for now I’d like to share one more statistic with you.   The New York Times in published an article in 2010 stating, “According to the new estimate, about 48 million people get sick and more than 3,000 die each year from food poisoning in the United States.”

Just in this little paper we have outrageous statistics on homelessness, hunger and food poisoning.  Yes people it is true our country is falling apart.  One single person can’t change the world, but we can change how we do things in our own home, influence others, and become a shining beacon to those in distress.

Bosman, Julie. "Number of People Living on New York Streets Soars." The New York Times. N.p., 19 Mar. 2010. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/nyregion/20homeless.html?ref=homelesspersons>.

"Food Safety." The New York Times. N.p., 20 Dec. 2010. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/food_safety/index.html>.

"Hunger in America: 2011 United States Hunger and Poverty Facts ." World Hunger.org. N.p., 2011. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. <http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/us_hunger_facts.htm>.

Five Questions about me asked by professor in English 102

1)      Where do you come from?

a.       Born in Corona California, raised in Las Vegas Nevada taught me much about city living.  I’ve been on the east coast for about a decade now through marriage.  I miss the city life a lot, things being open 24 hours, awesome buffets and eateries, things to do all year round.  I currently live in Richmond, Kentucky and hoping to move to Lexington before this semester is over.

2)      What is my experience with writing.

a.       Attempting to write different things has occurred many times through my life.  When I was in grade school I use to try to write short stories.  During my mid-twenties I attempted my own life story.  Currently I write a very extensive Bible Study that I attend to at least once every other day. 

3)      What is seriously important to my beliefs?

a.       About a year and a half ago I was one of the many people that turned off cable and subscribed to Netflix.   I quickly realized that they didn’t really hold much in the way of current movies, but they had an awesome selection of documentaries.  I never considered myself a documentary buff, but it was something to pass the time.  I stumbled upon one called Food Inc. and my whole life changed.  I capitalized on Food Inc. with others such as Earthlings and King Corn.  These documentaries opened my eyes to the food industry.  I think us Americans are brainwashed and stupefied when it comes to our main existence and that is food.  I quickly gained momentum in learning all I could in the food industry and the use of GMO’s in plants and ingredients in animal feed.

4)      Why the hell am I in college?

a.       Being green conscience has always been an interest of mine.  I started and ran a very successful and reputable metal recycling business in Fort Wayne, Indiana for about 5 years till the market crashed, then relocated to Kentucky.  One year I invested in a pair front loader washer and dryer unit because they used less energy and water to wash clothes.  A year and a half ago I became aware of the food industry and their lack of concern for the environment and human health.  Once I realized what they were doing with our meat, I went vegetarian for about four months till I found organic meat readily available.  I have since realized the importance of organic fruits and vegetables as well without all that GMO crap in them.

b.      There is only so much I can do in my own home with food, florescent lights, going 65 mph on the interstate rather than 70 to capitalize my mpg, energy efficient appliances, etc.  It is time for me to get a full education so I can assist in informing people about the environment and what they are putting into their bodies every meal of every day.

5)      What culture do I consume?

a.       Whenever I ask people if they have a hobby, they either say no or yes – television or video games.   I subscribe to many hobbies such as camping, swimming, writing my own bible study, cross-stitching and lots of research into food and the environment.  I believe people that don’t have hobbies get themselves in a rut that either causes depression or they have so much time on their hands they find themselves in trouble with the law or within their families.

Response 2 - Why being a foodie isn’t ‘elitist’

Why being a foodie isn’t ‘elitist’

            This article really hit it on the nail.  I started watching documentaries in the summer of 2010 through Netflix.  I never imagined I would stumble upon food production documentaries.  The first one I watched was “food Inc.”  I soon became “born again”, in the realm of food.  Food Inc. was the first in a very long ongoing study for me, ranging from, vegetarians, vegans, organic eaters, activists, vitamin nutrition etc. 

            Many people dread taking a nutrition course in high school or college and cringe when our parents recommend that we “eat our vegetables”.  If a neighbor offers a dish and says its healthy for you, secretly we just throw it away when they aren’t looking, feed it to our kids, or even just give it to the dog.  Why do we act this way towards healthy foods or the idea of eating and staying healthy?  I am no expert, but I think I’m a novice in information almost two years after my desire to learn more about what I am putting into my body.  People are brainwashed through commercials and false advertising.  When something says “natural” on the label it has most likely still been genetically modified, had pesticides added, or cloned.

            The food industry is extremely sad to say the least.  Through documentaries and much research the visualization on the treating of animals by feeding them corn (when they should be grazing), making them stand in thigh deep bowel movements all their life, beating them, crating them, slaughter techniques and the list goes on, is enough to make most go vegan (those that don’t eat or wear anything containing any animal product).  I personally did go vegetarian for about four months after watching a documentary called “Earthlings”.  This is just talking about animals in particular.

            For vegetation in general – vegetables and fruits – most Americans eat food that has been genetically modified to grow faster, thicker and bigger.  Most have a pesticide built right into the gene molecule before that plant has even sprouted.  Unless you are a full blown organic eater chances are you are eating these things every meal of every day.  Why don’t we know this as common knowledge?  Our government has done its best to make unaware of the food we eat.  One of the most common biggest corporations that deal in all this is Monsantos.  Their employees frequently switch from working at Monsantos, then working a government job such as senator, governor, or even the FDA, and then they go back to working at Monsantos.  Yes the government is fully in bed with the making of these products.  Americans are nothing more than guinea pigs.  Our health problems have escalated, obesity is more common than anyone ever imagined it would get and these health issues are related to the food we eat.

            One more topic I’d like to mention is the farmers.  Most farmers have been pushed out of business if they don’t’ succumb to government standards and produce genetically modified yields.  Even those that do can’t support themselves, without government help.  We like to envision farmers like “little house on the prairie”, but in fact – using corn as a prime example – the farmers corn is completely inedible until it has been sent off to be processed first.

            I could make a book out of this topic but we are required to make it short, so I’d just like to end with please do a little bit of research.  If nothing else at least take the time to watch “Food Inc.” and “Earthlings”.  Become educated.  Many say organic is just too expensive, but if you don’t eat properly you will have outrageous medical bills sooner or later.  So why not pay a couple extra dollars a grocery bill to keep your body healthy.

My Political Compass