Part Two

I felt my last blog needed a supplement.

My mention of the meat packing industry and it's unethical practices (towards humans in this case) warrants a more in-depth investigation.

For those of you who haven't seen the documentary film Food, Inc. GO SEE IT! It's a real eye opener to the corruption that surrounds the processes that delivers to you the food you eat every single meal. But that's another series of blogs i could write all in itself.

The movie mentions of the Smithfield slaughterhouse in North Carolina, the largest slaughterhouse in the United States. Amongst its resume of unethical practices regarding treatment of animals, it can add the unethical treatment and degradation of human beings as well.

Smithfield is the largest recruiter of illegal immigrants of all the food industries in the U.S. They bus people from Mexico, and those living in the deep south along the border, to their factory in North Carolina. Here, the workers live in small run down houses surrounding the factory. A bus comes very early in the morning to take them to work, where they are subjected to highly dangerous and unsanitary environments on the kill floor and along the 'assembly line'.

As you can probably guess, these workers are paid well below minimum wage. But here's the catch, Smithfield often gets free labor from these workers. The film also makes mention of a tactic that Smithfield uses on a routine basis. Some mornings, even earlier than the bus comes to cart them to work, Immigration Police come and raid around 15 of the houses, and deport the workers living in them back to Mexico, often before they receive a paycheck or make any notable about of money at all.

I know in my last blog i mentioned that a few of you readers may be skeptical about the applicability of the rights that the U.S. guarantees to individuals, to illegals. However, this is not just about rights specified in our Constitution or Declaration of Independence, it's about the rights every human being is entitled to, just by being a living being in this world.

Using these people for cheap to free labor, forcing them to work under miserable, infectious conditions, then sending them back to Mexico like used up rags, when you are finished with them, is unacceptable. How is this being allowed? Wouldn't Smithfield get in trouble for hiring illegals? Wouldn't the government find out since they call Immigration? What the hell is going on?

The food industry in our country is uncomfortably intertwined with our government and it's bureaucratic agencies. Often times the head of the bureaucracies that are supposed to regulate certain aspects of the food industry and enforce rules, were once the head of those very industries or companies. So while we are trusting in our government and its agencies to act in our best interest, they are fully aware of this blind trust, and instead, act in the best interest of their pocket books.

The USDA is conducting fewer and fewer health regulation checks each year, and for some reason do not have the authority to shut down a company or plant if they are found to be selling tainted meat. I'm not sure what their job is or who has the authority to do so, if they do not?

This blog may be a bit confusing as to what people I think have a right to file grievances over the injustices being done to them. To answer that flat out, it is everyone. The illegal immigrants working for the companies, and the people eating the food.

The illegal immigrants, for obvious reasons. But maybe less clear why I believe all of us have a right to revolt, and demand a change. By purchasing products from the companies who employ tactics of violating human rights, you are sending them money, in a sense telling them you support them, and you want to fund them to continue doing what they are doing. In reality you have to pay for the food, and really you're just saying 'hey, I like your food' but the impact of that purchase expands farther than we can actually see, or are exposed to.

These products are seemingly unavoidable, as unethical is an adjective that encompasses most of the major food companies, but if you so choose, there are ways to withdrawal your support.
 (Again I could write endlessly about this topic, so instead i'm just going to URGE you to watch the movie!! Food, Inc.)

Remember, even though changing your habits may be an inconvenience for you, it's a small, very small price to pay for the positive impact you are making in a step toward change.