Homework Three.

In the introduction of the book "Someplace Like America" by Dale Maharidge, the subjects of recessions and depressions are raised. I grew up in a very poor household, and so my family has always been in a recession. As the economy has tanked, the difficulties of life only were exacerbated, food became hard to afford, gas was almost out of the question. Only buying enough to get us to town and back became the norm, I think our vehicles, all at least 10 years old and used when we got them, had to learn to run on gas fumes. It really makes me annoyed when people who make 6 figures complain about having to buy generic or store brand foods, and having to shop at wal-mart for clothing, how they feel demeaned in some way by this activity which is below them, that is nothing compared to barely being able to afford things from dollar stores, scouring yard sales for $.50 cent used shirts and $2 shoes. I was never mortified and embaressed by my status, I was just thankful I could have food and clothes, sure, I got picked on, and it hurt. It hurt so much I made no friends in school. But today I just pity those people who tormented me, because they're all shallow individuals who would never be able to make it how I had to make it.

Homework Two.

Humane Meat? No such thing.

Kristy Watkins

English 2 MoWe

8/23/11

                In this overly industrialized high-tech world, there’s one thing that most people don’t realize has been streamlined, almost to the point of becoming what should technically be called the world’s most streamlined killing machine.  Literally billions of animals are slaughtered for food products every year.  The animals are born into slavery, raised on the cheapest food, packing on pounds at astonishing and unnatural rate. Chickens which should take about 18 weeks to become large enough to eat are now being fed up to market weight as young as 7 weeks of age.  ¹

America is one of the most carnivorous countries on the planet, with meat centered meals all day every day.  This country’s average person eats an estimated 215 pounds of meat per year. ²  Most of these people blissfully put it out of their heads the atrocities perpetrated on animals by the meat industry. The cramped, filthy conditions, the diseases that are either ignored or treated with mega-doses of antibiotics, the abuse by workers who are frustrated by dealing with thousands of animals who are confused, sick, and injured. These nightmares of life are placed firmly out of mind while the average American bites into a burger or chicken ‘finger’.

In the article I chose, “Humane Meat? No Such Thing,” the idea was raised that it is better for the animals to be raised more humanely, the way that would be envisioned if one thought of “Old MacDonald’s Farm”. They would be treated better, allowed to be free roaming, to grow at a more natural rate, fed better food, and then killed in a more humane method, if there is such a thing. The idea is, of course that this is better for the animals and more ethical.

Part of the problem with this method is that at the rate that Americans eat meat, there is no way to give all the animals we eat the adequate room to be considered humane. For instance, humane standards would require each chicken gets 5 square feet of space³, but common factory farm practices give them a mere 130 square inches⁴. That’s less than one foot by slightly more than one foot, only enough room for the animal to stand up, sit down, and turn around if its neighbor will move a little. The majority of Americans would have to commit to becoming a vegan so that some others could enjoy humanely raised animals on their plate because otherwise there would not be enough room for them all.

Another problem is that no matter how well the animal is treated, being robbed of its life is never humane, it is always depriving an animal of something that is so basic, and it is astonishing that we would even think to take it from the animal. This animal is so simple and innocent; they only want one real thing, to live free and happy. They perpetrate no crimes against man but are habitually given the death sentence, often in the most brutal ways possible.  How is it fair of us to determine whether a living being deserves to live or not? I don’t believe it is.

When I hear the words “humane killing” I feel like it’s one of the most disgusting oxymorons, it evokes a sense of self righteousness and a sense of entitlement to people, they think because the animal dies in a way that a human deems “okay” that it is what the animal would have wanted. Or perhaps they don’t even care what the animal would want. I don’t think it is necessary or good for anyone involved to continue to eat meat at the pace with which America does. In the end, I don’t think there is such a thing as “humane meat”.

Citations:

Article of Choice:  Humane Meat? No Such Thing

http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/can-animals-save-us/humane-meat-no-such-thing?b_start:int=1&-C=

1.       Factory farming facts; http://www.animalsuffering.com/resources/facts/factory-farming.php

2.       A look at the average American meat consumption; http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-11-14-3913750537_x.htm

3.       How much space does a chicken need?; http://www.citygirlfarming.com/Chickens/HowMuchSpaceDoesAChickenTake.html

4.       Chickens on the factory farm; http://www.mspca.org/programs/animal-protection-legislation/animal-welfare/farm-animal-welfare/factory-farming/chicken/chickens-on-the-factory-farm.html

My "Political Compass" Apparently I'm a lefty libertarian. ;P

Nookstudy.

Something that is increasingly annoying me in the recent weeks is the lack of use that can be derived, by myself, from the program called "Nook Study". I have a nook color, I paid for it, it should theoretically support nook study, it can support magazines after all, with full color photos and charts, however, the makers claim that it can't support text books. Malarky. I am only able to use it on my laptop, which is large and heavy, and one of the reasons I got a nook. I can take notes on my nook, read books and magazines with it, but I have to bring a heavy laptop to look at my text books... Whatever. Useless garbage.

Exploration

I'm not a blogger. I just can't keep up with this stuff, but for the requirements of a certain professor, Professor X, I guess I'll have to try my hand at this.

Some things about me.

Where are you from?

Well, I am from some very conservative, pseudo-christian, hypocritical backgrounds, deep in the black hole of the south. My parents (mother and stepfather) are both disabled, and my father is a jerk whom I haven't willingly seen in about 7 years. We had lots of pets. There was alcohol, fights, medical scares, etc. That's pretty much it. I doubt anyone seriously cares.

What is your experience with writing?

I love to write, it's my passion, along with art and animals, I use writing to express myself, to keep a log of the things I think, dream, love, and feel. At times during my childhood I dreamed of being and author.

What do you care about?

I care about animals and the injustices done to them, the thing that makes me most furious is the fur trade and the shark finning trade, as I feel the animal's life was wasted more than even being killed for consumption. I also care about my health, and do a lot of reading about health and vitamins and supplements. I'm always looking for new ways to improve my overall health. I also care about creativity and my right to express my own. I do a lot of crafts, writing, drawing and the like. I wouldn't say that I'm some kind of a hippy, but I do think that the world needs to chill the hell out and get over itself and we'd all be a lot better off.

What kind of popculture do you consume?

I consume a lot of movies, movies of all kinds, from willy wonka and the chocolate factory to queen of the damned to rosemary's baby. I'm really an open minded individual about a lot of things like that, such as my taste in music, I know that it seems cliche at this point, but I literally will listen to anything besides screamo and bluegrass, and find something of merit therein.
I also comsume books, but mostly non-fiction, self improvement books, history, foreign culture, books about pet care and animal rights etc.

Why are you in college?

Because there's no where else for me to be, honestly, I can't get a job with the economy the way it is, and the only chance I have right now is to get a degree in something and hope that it helps me some how, at the very least it's giving me some temporary funds and something to do besides sit at my apartment and go crazy from boredom.