-Eric was always afraid to go to the doctor or the dentist.
-It was a gift to see him sleeping properly on a bed as opposed to having pillows holding him up while he slept.
-If Eric wasn’t fighting he was stoic.
-The last 10 days before Eric’s death were the best 10 days of our 27 year marriage, because there was nothing else I needed to care about other than him.
-Society tends to keep death removed from the public, and tries to keep it tucked away in hospitals.
-Eric was presented as an artist instead of an individual who was sick
Beth told us that it was a gift to see her husband sleeping properly in his bed after his lungs were tapped. This made me realize that we take the most common aspects of our life for granted. When we witness or experience an abnormality that has to do with our bodies. we become aware of our bodily functions. We suddenly realize that we are alive; we become aware of our physicality when we are ill or approaching death. This is when we finally figure out what side effects we can have to an illness and how grateful we should be when there is not much wrong with our bodies. When our body is in a normal state, we never tend to question ourselves regarding our body disfunctioning. since there is nothing out of the ordinary. We become used to this fact after a while and slowly start to drift away from our physicality. But when we feel as if our body is experiencing something unusual, we finally start to realize our physicality. It is as if we are pushed back into reality.
Beth stated that if Eric wasn’t fighting after he was diagnosed with advanced metastatic kidney cancer, he was definitely stoic. I think that many individuals become stoic after they figure out that their days are literally numbered. I think this has to do with all of us being aware that we will all go through death sooner or later, one way or another. When the time of death approaches we have to accept it and keep living day after day waiting for our life to be taken away from us. The ones that are witnessing death approach an individual are the ones that seem to be the most affected by it. They are the ones that are saddened by the fact that they will witness death approach on an individual. We are the ones who take pity on the ill, and make them feel as if something is wrong with them; as if there is something out of the ordinary. The outsiders view the individual approach death, and feel bad for them for some reason I don’t really understand. Death will approach all of us some day, so why do we act to surprised and concerned when we see someone else experience it?
I think Beth’s presentation was a great way to have a new face to discuss with us about death and illness. I haven’t had anyone discuss a death about their loved one with me; in fact I haven’t really been exposed to many conversations that deal with death or illness. Towards the end of the discussion, Beth told us that she is still afraid of death. Many of us are fearful of death, yet it is a fact that we will face it once in our life. I don’t really understand why we are all afraid of death; I guess I am being hypocritical here because I as well am afraid of death. But I think this is very common amongst many of us. When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life? Why do we mourn and take pity of those who are approaching death? I guess this has to do with not knowing what happens after death. We choose to believe what we believe in about death since there is no factual evidence about the after life. There is no way we can experience the after life, and come back to tell the tale to others; what’s done is done.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Hwk 19
I discussed the topic of illness and dying with my mom. We talked about different aspects of this topic; we started off talking about different types of treatments out there. I asked my mom what type of doctor she would prefer seeing, one that prescribes scientific drugs or one that provides homeopathic cures. My mom said that she would prefer a doctor that refers to homeopathic cures when treating their patients because even though the results of these cures will take longer to occur, they have almost no harmful side effects compared to the scientific drugs prescribed by doctors. A patient that is curing their illness with homeopathy needs to be patient because the results usually take longer to occur. When using prescription drugs the patient usually experiences results in as little as a couple of minutes sometimes, but these drugs usually have side effects that can cause troubles later on. When choosing to be cured with the use of homeopathy, the individual needs to be aware that the results will be experienced in a longer period of time. I guess this is why many individuals have a harder time sticking with homeopathy because patience is the key, and we usually want to see results much faster especially when it considers our health.
While I was having this discussion with my mother I started to think about how my family deals with iillness. Usually when a family member or I get sick, my parents usually recommend bed rest. They try to keep away from the doctor unless the condition is serious and needs to be treated right away. My parents also try to keep away from prescription drugs. Usually when I get sick or have a headache, I am told to eat well and rest; if I have a fever then I am supposed to stay home from school. My parents rarely tell me to take prescription medicine. When I get a cold my mom makes me this herbal tea which helps me feel better within a few days. After taking some thought into this I realized that my parents go for the natural remedies to cure sickness. For example if I have a cough my mom would tell me to gargle with warm salt water, or eat a tablespoon of honey. When I have a fever or a cold I am told to dress warmer. My mom makes sure I am dressed according to the weather. When it's cold out I will expect my mom to shout: "Amber! Did you take your hat? your scarf? and your gloves?"..."Yes mom!" I would reply while getting into the crowded elevator. From what I can recall I have never been to the doctor for a fever. The only time I make an emergency visit to the doctor is when it is something out of the ordinary. I asked my mother why she tries to avoid giving me prescription or over the counter drugs to relieve my pain or ache. She said that it's because she wants my body to stay independent. If I were to take a pain reliever every time I were to get a headache, my body would become dependent on it. Soon enough I would not be able to go through a headache without swallowing an advil.
Our discussion shifted to when my mom was younger and how her parents carried on with illness in the family. I asked her about how her parents were on this idea when she was a young child. She said that their ideas were pretty much the same on this topic. If my mom or someone else in her family were sick, my grandparents would usually try to wait out a couple of days to see if his/her health was getting any better. If it was not changing for the better within a few days, they would take him/her to doctor. Then they would follow the doctor's order and take the drug that was prescribed to them. When my mom was a young child living in Pakistan, she didn’t have regular doctor appointments. She would only make a trip to the doctor if there were something serious that needed to be taken care of right then and there. One specific time would be when my mom had unbearable pain in her ear. After some time she couldn’t take it any longer, which caused my grandfather to rush her to the hospital in the early morning hours. They found out that an ant had crawled into her ear...ouch!
Later on our conversation transitioned into the topic of death in the society we currently live in and how it compares to the approach of death back in Pakistan. My mother isn’t much aware about how this society deals with death, but she is aware about the procedure such as the coffin prepared for the body and the funeral that is held. Here it is common for both males and females to attend the funeral and mourn together; inn Pakistan this is different. Males have a grieving period together at the Mosque and at the grave site while the females gather at home. In Islam the mourning period lasts for a total of forty days. It starts at the day of the death of the individual and carries on for forty days. In the grieving period men and women gather separately to recite the Quran, and offer prayers and blessings. Seeds(tamarind or date seeds) are collected or borrowed from the local Mosque to keep count for the number of times a certain a’yat or surah is recited from the Quran. Each surah or a’yat is usually recited separately, as many as 125,000 (or more) times amongst a group of men or women. They also arrange food to be given to the needy in the name of the individual that has recently passed away.
My mom and I are not fully aware of the customs that this society follows for a death. We are aware of the general idea, but we don’t know much in depth about the process that follows after a death We (my mother and i ) have never attended a funeral, and don't plan on doing so in our life. This is mostly because of our religious practices, but I feel that there is another reason as well. I think it has to do with not having interest in the idea of death; we always wish for a healthy, safe and long life. My mom is much aware about the customs in Pakistan since she was raised there as a child and this is what she witnessed when her father passed away.
Back in Pakistan, after a death occurs the body is washed, scented, then wrapped up with a white cloth. The body is then taken with the males to a graveyard. The only thing that the body takes to the graveyard is the white cloth that covers it; nothing else because there is no need of anything else. The common necessities of this world will be of no use after ones death. The wrapped up body is placed directly in the earth and buried with moist soil. The caretakers of the graveyard are told to keep the soil moist. I asked my mom why? She wasn’t really sure about this concept either, but she thought it had something to do with keeping the body cool. After the body is buried into the earth a tombstone will be placed, and only males are allowed to visit the grave site. Islam does not allow women to go to the grave site.
While I was having this discussion with my mother I started to think about how my family deals with iillness. Usually when a family member or I get sick, my parents usually recommend bed rest. They try to keep away from the doctor unless the condition is serious and needs to be treated right away. My parents also try to keep away from prescription drugs. Usually when I get sick or have a headache, I am told to eat well and rest; if I have a fever then I am supposed to stay home from school. My parents rarely tell me to take prescription medicine. When I get a cold my mom makes me this herbal tea which helps me feel better within a few days. After taking some thought into this I realized that my parents go for the natural remedies to cure sickness. For example if I have a cough my mom would tell me to gargle with warm salt water, or eat a tablespoon of honey. When I have a fever or a cold I am told to dress warmer. My mom makes sure I am dressed according to the weather. When it's cold out I will expect my mom to shout: "Amber! Did you take your hat? your scarf? and your gloves?"..."Yes mom!" I would reply while getting into the crowded elevator. From what I can recall I have never been to the doctor for a fever. The only time I make an emergency visit to the doctor is when it is something out of the ordinary. I asked my mother why she tries to avoid giving me prescription or over the counter drugs to relieve my pain or ache. She said that it's because she wants my body to stay independent. If I were to take a pain reliever every time I were to get a headache, my body would become dependent on it. Soon enough I would not be able to go through a headache without swallowing an advil.
Our discussion shifted to when my mom was younger and how her parents carried on with illness in the family. I asked her about how her parents were on this idea when she was a young child. She said that their ideas were pretty much the same on this topic. If my mom or someone else in her family were sick, my grandparents would usually try to wait out a couple of days to see if his/her health was getting any better. If it was not changing for the better within a few days, they would take him/her to doctor. Then they would follow the doctor's order and take the drug that was prescribed to them. When my mom was a young child living in Pakistan, she didn’t have regular doctor appointments. She would only make a trip to the doctor if there were something serious that needed to be taken care of right then and there. One specific time would be when my mom had unbearable pain in her ear. After some time she couldn’t take it any longer, which caused my grandfather to rush her to the hospital in the early morning hours. They found out that an ant had crawled into her ear...ouch!
Later on our conversation transitioned into the topic of death in the society we currently live in and how it compares to the approach of death back in Pakistan. My mother isn’t much aware about how this society deals with death, but she is aware about the procedure such as the coffin prepared for the body and the funeral that is held. Here it is common for both males and females to attend the funeral and mourn together; inn Pakistan this is different. Males have a grieving period together at the Mosque and at the grave site while the females gather at home. In Islam the mourning period lasts for a total of forty days. It starts at the day of the death of the individual and carries on for forty days. In the grieving period men and women gather separately to recite the Quran, and offer prayers and blessings. Seeds(tamarind or date seeds) are collected or borrowed from the local Mosque to keep count for the number of times a certain a’yat or surah is recited from the Quran. Each surah or a’yat is usually recited separately, as many as 125,000 (or more) times amongst a group of men or women. They also arrange food to be given to the needy in the name of the individual that has recently passed away.
My mom and I are not fully aware of the customs that this society follows for a death. We are aware of the general idea, but we don’t know much in depth about the process that follows after a death We (my mother and i ) have never attended a funeral, and don't plan on doing so in our life. This is mostly because of our religious practices, but I feel that there is another reason as well. I think it has to do with not having interest in the idea of death; we always wish for a healthy, safe and long life. My mom is much aware about the customs in Pakistan since she was raised there as a child and this is what she witnessed when her father passed away.
Back in Pakistan, after a death occurs the body is washed, scented, then wrapped up with a white cloth. The body is then taken with the males to a graveyard. The only thing that the body takes to the graveyard is the white cloth that covers it; nothing else because there is no need of anything else. The common necessities of this world will be of no use after ones death. The wrapped up body is placed directly in the earth and buried with moist soil. The caretakers of the graveyard are told to keep the soil moist. I asked my mom why? She wasn’t really sure about this concept either, but she thought it had something to do with keeping the body cool. After the body is buried into the earth a tombstone will be placed, and only males are allowed to visit the grave site. Islam does not allow women to go to the grave site.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Hwk 18
My family doesn't celebrate thanksgiving. Instead of devoting one day to feasting, consuming a meal with family, and being thankful for all of what we have, my family does all this everyday of the year. Alhumdulilah we are all thankful to Allah every day of the year for what he has given us and lucky for me, I take part of a family that consumes their meal together each and every night no matter what. Thanksgiving was no different in my house when compared to any other day of the year.
Coincidentally the Muslim holiday Eid Ul Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) fell around a week before thanksgiving this year. During this holiday each Muslim family is responsible for the sacrifice of one or more animals depending on how many animals a family is able to afford. A family that can afford the sacrifice of one or more animals usually sacrifices their animals in the name of the husband and the wife (my parents). If the family can afford more animal sacrifices then they can choose to sacrifice animals for relatives that have passed on. My family gets an animal sacrificed by the name of my father, and then we set up the sacrifice of three additional animals by contacting the Edhi foundation. The three additional animals sacrificed will be fed to the poor and needy. These three animals are each sacrificed for an individual being; in my case it would be for my mother, my grandfather and my grandmother. I asked my mother why we had to sacrifice an animal for our grandparents if they have already passed on? She answered that because doing so inshAllah we will be recieve many great rewards in the future and so will your grandparents.
I spent my thanksgiving outside shopping with my mom, later on I was at home for the rest of the day spending time with my family. I felt like I was aware with my body and all the other bodies surrounding me. When I was at home I smelled the food my parents were cooking, I heard the TV while my dad was watching the news, I touched the fork while I was eating my meal, I tasted the meal that was prepared, I saw the meal sitting in front of me. But if I look at all of this through a different angle, all this would change. Even though I am able to use my five senses while I am living, I feel that I don't really pay close attention to them. I have become so used to using them that i have forgotten about them. I realize that I take my body for granted. If I were to suddenly become sick only then would I start to worry or ask myself "what is wrong with me?" I feel that even though we are living, we don't realize all that we have been blessed with, but the second we feel sick we start to question ourself; "are we alright?"..."is everything going to be okay?"
My family cooked a nice meal on thanksgiving, but it wasn't meant to be a thanksgiving meal. I am used to having a nice home cooked meal placed in front of me every night, but I guess this meal was extra special since it consisted meat from the animal that was sacrificed. We ate a meal consisting of marinated goat meat cooked over the stove, rice cooked with cumin, and a side of salad. The food did take some part in dominating the event. Because the food was special it caused the time spent with my family even more special and memorable in a way that next thanksgiving break I will be recalling this meal eaten with my family.
I usually go on the computer , have a conversation with my mom or spend time with my family after dinner. It's usually my dad who watches the news after dinner. Our dining table seats six people; we had 5 people (including me) seated around the table while we were eating our meal. My dining table is set up against the wall, so there are two seats that are taken away from the table (my sister takes the fifth seat which is in between my mother and my father). So there weren't really any empty seats. The whole table was filled with plates, glasses and food, so I wasn't able to see the pattern on the table cloth. There was no point during the meal where I felt that there was someone or something missing. I guess I have become used to eating a meal with my direct family only. I would really like to share many of my meals with my extended family, but they are all back in Pakistan. When I eat a home cooked meal I always feel as if I am eating a balanced meal. I never feel that I am eating something that lacks nutrition or will have poor effects on my body. Alhumdulilah I didn't have any family members that were sick, only seasonal coughing and sneezing but nothing that would affect our meal eaten together or our time spent together.
Coincidentally the Muslim holiday Eid Ul Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) fell around a week before thanksgiving this year. During this holiday each Muslim family is responsible for the sacrifice of one or more animals depending on how many animals a family is able to afford. A family that can afford the sacrifice of one or more animals usually sacrifices their animals in the name of the husband and the wife (my parents). If the family can afford more animal sacrifices then they can choose to sacrifice animals for relatives that have passed on. My family gets an animal sacrificed by the name of my father, and then we set up the sacrifice of three additional animals by contacting the Edhi foundation. The three additional animals sacrificed will be fed to the poor and needy. These three animals are each sacrificed for an individual being; in my case it would be for my mother, my grandfather and my grandmother. I asked my mother why we had to sacrifice an animal for our grandparents if they have already passed on? She answered that because doing so inshAllah we will be recieve many great rewards in the future and so will your grandparents.
I spent my thanksgiving outside shopping with my mom, later on I was at home for the rest of the day spending time with my family. I felt like I was aware with my body and all the other bodies surrounding me. When I was at home I smelled the food my parents were cooking, I heard the TV while my dad was watching the news, I touched the fork while I was eating my meal, I tasted the meal that was prepared, I saw the meal sitting in front of me. But if I look at all of this through a different angle, all this would change. Even though I am able to use my five senses while I am living, I feel that I don't really pay close attention to them. I have become so used to using them that i have forgotten about them. I realize that I take my body for granted. If I were to suddenly become sick only then would I start to worry or ask myself "what is wrong with me?" I feel that even though we are living, we don't realize all that we have been blessed with, but the second we feel sick we start to question ourself; "are we alright?"..."is everything going to be okay?"
My family cooked a nice meal on thanksgiving, but it wasn't meant to be a thanksgiving meal. I am used to having a nice home cooked meal placed in front of me every night, but I guess this meal was extra special since it consisted meat from the animal that was sacrificed. We ate a meal consisting of marinated goat meat cooked over the stove, rice cooked with cumin, and a side of salad. The food did take some part in dominating the event. Because the food was special it caused the time spent with my family even more special and memorable in a way that next thanksgiving break I will be recalling this meal eaten with my family.
I usually go on the computer , have a conversation with my mom or spend time with my family after dinner. It's usually my dad who watches the news after dinner. Our dining table seats six people; we had 5 people (including me) seated around the table while we were eating our meal. My dining table is set up against the wall, so there are two seats that are taken away from the table (my sister takes the fifth seat which is in between my mother and my father). So there weren't really any empty seats. The whole table was filled with plates, glasses and food, so I wasn't able to see the pattern on the table cloth. There was no point during the meal where I felt that there was someone or something missing. I guess I have become used to eating a meal with my direct family only. I would really like to share many of my meals with my extended family, but they are all back in Pakistan. When I eat a home cooked meal I always feel as if I am eating a balanced meal. I never feel that I am eating something that lacks nutrition or will have poor effects on my body. Alhumdulilah I didn't have any family members that were sick, only seasonal coughing and sneezing but nothing that would affect our meal eaten together or our time spent together.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Hwk 17
I think this unit will help us think deeply about a very important concept which is shared throughout the world, yet not looked into deeply enough. We all connect to illness in dying one way or another. We have all been through a phase many times where our bodies suffer from sickness; some of us have also experienced close encounters with death or had relations with people who have passed on. Many times throughout my life my body has been through a state of sickness, and I have had one or two close encounters with death, but I feel as if it is only then that I am aware about the physicality of my body. When I am not in the state of sickness or I haven’t recently had a close encounter with death I go along with my life as if taking my physicality for granted. I feel that this applies to others as well. Many of us only have concern about our physical being when we are sick, when our body is not functioning properly, or when we have a close encounter with death.
On the topic of illness and dying I would like to point out that I have never attended a funeral and I don’t think I will be attending one in my whole life. This has to do with my religion and my culture. One question that keeps coming up in my mind is how do our social practices of illness and death compare to those of other societies? Do we all follow the general concept? Or has each society built their own set of norms which they strictly follow? In our culture we usually come across the scene of the doctor and the patient who is on their death bed. I would like to know is this the same with all societies? I personally feel that this idea of a doctor treating a patient is confusing. We are taking a risk with our health when we hand ourselves over to a doctor. This shows how we lack information on illness and death; this is why we turn to a higher educated individual. Shouldn’t we know how to care for ourselves by now? We always refer to others to help ourselves…why can’t we do something on our own for once? Or just accept the fact that we are going to die soon. The doctor won’t be able to do much except tell his/her patient about their problem and how long they have to live. In my opinion the whole doctor idea is a waste of time…the doctor isn’t handing out a magic pill that will keep us alive forever…but we act as if this is the case.
Each religion and culture has a certain set of rules they follow and believe in which are carried out through the time of illness and dying. Some believe in reincarnation, some believe in herbal remedies instead of prescription drugs, some don’t believe in anything at all. I feel like I keep jumping from one place to another, but this is because this is the first time I am actually taking time out to think about a topic which can relate to all of us but it isn’t given much concern at all. When many of us think about illness and death we have a certain scene that pops up into our mind, but I feel that we need to do better than come up with a scene. We need to figure out the why’s and the how’s…I am personally interested because I have never been close to a person that was very sick or had his/her days numbered; well I guess we all have our days numbered….but I mean specifically having their days numbered to a few months, weeks or even days in some cases.
On the topic of illness and dying I would like to point out that I have never attended a funeral and I don’t think I will be attending one in my whole life. This has to do with my religion and my culture. One question that keeps coming up in my mind is how do our social practices of illness and death compare to those of other societies? Do we all follow the general concept? Or has each society built their own set of norms which they strictly follow? In our culture we usually come across the scene of the doctor and the patient who is on their death bed. I would like to know is this the same with all societies? I personally feel that this idea of a doctor treating a patient is confusing. We are taking a risk with our health when we hand ourselves over to a doctor. This shows how we lack information on illness and death; this is why we turn to a higher educated individual. Shouldn’t we know how to care for ourselves by now? We always refer to others to help ourselves…why can’t we do something on our own for once? Or just accept the fact that we are going to die soon. The doctor won’t be able to do much except tell his/her patient about their problem and how long they have to live. In my opinion the whole doctor idea is a waste of time…the doctor isn’t handing out a magic pill that will keep us alive forever…but we act as if this is the case.
Each religion and culture has a certain set of rules they follow and believe in which are carried out through the time of illness and dying. Some believe in reincarnation, some believe in herbal remedies instead of prescription drugs, some don’t believe in anything at all. I feel like I keep jumping from one place to another, but this is because this is the first time I am actually taking time out to think about a topic which can relate to all of us but it isn’t given much concern at all. When many of us think about illness and death we have a certain scene that pops up into our mind, but I feel that we need to do better than come up with a scene. We need to figure out the why’s and the how’s…I am personally interested because I have never been close to a person that was very sick or had his/her days numbered; well I guess we all have our days numbered….but I mean specifically having their days numbered to a few months, weeks or even days in some cases.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Hwk 12
Thesis:
Many of the dominant social practices in our society - practices that define a "normal" life - on further investigation turn out to involve nightmares and industrial atrocities.
Major Claim:
The American food industry decides to conceal the acerbic truth about the food they produce from their consumers in order to keep them coming back for more.
Supporting Claim 1:
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations are unhealthy for the animals and the environment.
Evidence 1.1: The waste from the animals increases potential impact to the air, water and land quality.
Evidence 1.2: The digestive systems of cows are not built to digest corn which they are forced to feed on.
Evidence 1.3: Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.
Supporting Claim 2:
Consumers are brainwashed into thinking they are consuming "organic" food, when in reality the producer has made a false claim.
Evidence 2.1: Food claiming to be organic has the same amount of nutrients as non-organic foods.
Evidence 2.2: After investigating the leading organic farms in our society, we find that they are not always completely truthful, or more beneficial.
Evidence 2.3: Whole Foods is not always honest to their customers about the products shelved in their markets.
Citations:
1.1: "Region 7 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)."http://www.epa.gov. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 30 Jul 2010. Web. 31 Oct 2010..
1.2: "Sustainable Table: serving up healthy food choices."http://www.sustainabletable.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct 2010.
1.3: Ebner, Paul. "CAFOs and Public Health: The Issue of Antibiotic Resistance."http://www.extension.purdue.edu. Purdue University, n.d. Web. 31 Oct 2010..
2.1: Daly, Jessica. "Study: Organic food not more nutritional." CNN Tech. CNN, 19 Aug 2008. Web. 31 Oct 2010..
2.2: Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma A Natural History of Four Meals. USA: Penguin Group, 2007. 158. Print.
2.3: Cain, Sarah. "The Health Wyze Report." healthwyze.org. N.p., 15 Feb 2010. Web. 31 Oct 2010. http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/323-whole-foods-market-can-no-longer-be-trusted-for-safe-wholesome-foods-or-even-to-tell-the-truth-anymore.html.
Hyper links:
1.1: http://www.epa.gov/region7/water/cafo/cafo_impact_environment.htm
1.2: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/feed/
1.3: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/cafo/ID-349.pdf
2.1: http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-19/tech/organic.cooking.pv_1_organic-food-organic-trade-association-organic-products?_s=PM:TECH
2.2: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Pg. 158
2.3: http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/323-whole-foods-market-can-no-longer-be-trusted-for-safe-wholesome-foods-or-even-to-tell-the-truth-anymore.html
Many of the dominant social practices in our society - practices that define a "normal" life - on further investigation turn out to involve nightmares and industrial atrocities.
Major Claim:
The American food industry decides to conceal the acerbic truth about the food they produce from their consumers in order to keep them coming back for more.
Supporting Claim 1:
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations are unhealthy for the animals and the environment.
Evidence 1.1: The waste from the animals increases potential impact to the air, water and land quality.
Evidence 1.2: The digestive systems of cows are not built to digest corn which they are forced to feed on.
Evidence 1.3: Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.
Supporting Claim 2:
Consumers are brainwashed into thinking they are consuming "organic" food, when in reality the producer has made a false claim.
Evidence 2.1: Food claiming to be organic has the same amount of nutrients as non-organic foods.
Evidence 2.2: After investigating the leading organic farms in our society, we find that they are not always completely truthful, or more beneficial.
Evidence 2.3: Whole Foods is not always honest to their customers about the products shelved in their markets.
Citations:
1.1: "Region 7 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)."http://www.epa.gov. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 30 Jul 2010. Web. 31 Oct 2010.
1.2: "Sustainable Table: serving up healthy food choices."http://www.sustainabletable.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct 2010.
1.3: Ebner, Paul. "CAFOs and Public Health: The Issue of Antibiotic Resistance."http://www.extension.purdue.edu. Purdue University, n.d. Web. 31 Oct 2010.
2.1: Daly, Jessica. "Study: Organic food not more nutritional." CNN Tech. CNN, 19 Aug 2008. Web. 31 Oct 2010.
2.2: Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma A Natural History of Four Meals. USA: Penguin Group, 2007. 158. Print.
2.3: Cain, Sarah. "The Health Wyze Report." healthwyze.org. N.p., 15 Feb 2010. Web. 31 Oct 2010. http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/323-whole-foods-market-can-no-longer-be-trusted-for-safe-wholesome-foods-or-even-to-tell-the-truth-anymore.html.
Hyper links:
1.1: http://www.epa.gov/region7/water/cafo/cafo_impact_environment.htm
1.2: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/feed/
1.3: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/cafo/ID-349.pdf
2.1: http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-19/tech/organic.cooking.pv_1_organic-food-organic-trade-association-organic-products?_s=PM:TECH
2.2: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Pg. 158
2.3: http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/323-whole-foods-market-can-no-longer-be-trusted-for-safe-wholesome-foods-or-even-to-tell-the-truth-anymore.html
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Hwk 11
Modality: Academic
Pollan discussed many different aspects regarding food, such as the meat many Americans consume; where it comes from, and the process an animal goes through in order to become a meat product shelved in a grocery store. He talked about this in his book: The Omnivore’s Dilemma and in a documentary he starred in titled Food Inc. He tries to show his readers and viewers that the American way of slaughtering animals does not consider the animals, but only the consumers. Pollan lacked information on other methods of slaughtering and how it compares to the method used by many Americans. For example many individuals claim that the Islamic method of slaughtering treats the animal with respect and saves the animal from severe pain, while the meat produced using the Western method does not. I wanted to dig deeper to try and figure out the differences regarding the treatment of animals being slaughtered the Haram way vs. the Halal way.
I decided to do my research online; doing so, I came across a website claiming: “Non-Halal meat is unhealthy and indisposed.” I decided to read this article which starts by discussing quotes from The Holy Quran. Reading further on, it talks about the role of human beings and other animals living in this world with us, and what is and is not to be consumed by a member of the Islamic religion. Later on they get to what I was looking for by discussing the topic of slaughtering animals two different ways, the Halal way and the Haram way. According to Kamoonpuri, slaughtering an animal the Halal way does not harm the creature in any way at all, whereas slaughtering the animal using the method practiced in many Western societies (Haram way) causes the poor creature to suffer from severe pain.
To prove this claim, they decided to conduct an experiment which involved slaughtering animals two different ways: by using a sharp knife to make a deep incision on the neck, while cutting the jugular veins and carotid arteries of sides and the trachea and esophagus (Halal), or by stunning the animal using a CBP (Captive Bolt Pistol) which is considered Haram. Before slaughtering the animals, electrodes were surgically implanted at different points on the skull of the animal to record results. Electroencephalographs and electrocardiograms were used to record the condition of the heart and brain of the animal. At the end it was concluded that the Islamic method uses a much more compassionate way of slaughter; there was no evidence of pain suffered by the animal, and the animal went into a sudden state of deep sleep since there was a large amount of blood loss from the body. Slaughtering the creature using the Western method of captive bolt stunning caused severe pain to the animal. After discussing the results of the experiment conducted, the many things taken into account when slaughtering a creature using the Islamic method were discussed. The sharpening of the knife should not be done in front of the animal, animals should not be slaughtered in front of one another, animals should be given water before being slaughtered, and the animal should be laid on its sides, while being soothed and stroked gently.
It is forbidden in Islam to tamper with the lives of animals and inflict torture upon them. After reading through this article, I found that the Islamic way of slaughtering the animal indeed shows much care and concern for the animal. I compared this to what I saw and read about the American food industry and their treatment with animals while taking a part of this food unit. The research I did connects to the issue of animal cruelty discussed in Food Inc. and shown in Our Daily Bread. Michael Pollan also talked about it in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. There were parts in the film and the book where the poor treatment of animals was used to aware the reader/viewer about the “behind the scenes” of the American food industry. This was done by discussing/showing the environment they live in and how they are handled in the process of slaughtering. Many individuals claim that when slaughtering the animal using the method many Westerners use, animals are treated as if they have no feeling or emotion. This is why I decided to research an alternate way of slaughtering animals. I think Pollan should have discussed different ways of slaughter such as the Halal and Kosher way to present alternatives to the Western way of slaughtering an animal, which lacks on care of the animal, and makes the creature become a victim of severe pain.
To be honest living as a Muslim consuming only Halal meat my whole life, I wasn’t much aware about all this. I mean I knew about the method since I have witnessed it a couple of times when I was young, but I never really took time to do my own research on this topic. I decided to look more into this during the food unit since I became fully aware of the slaughtering methods practiced in the Western culture, which is indeed cruel to the animal. I researched the different methods the United States uses to slaughter an animal; the USDA approves all the following methods of slaughter: chemical (carbon dioxide), mechanical (gunshot), mechanical (captive bolt) and electrical (stunning or slaughtering the animal using electrical current). This matters to me because I find it disturbing that the Western way of slaughtering animals does not seem to show much concern for the treatment of their animals, and this is not what I am taught by the religion I follow.
Citations:
"NON-HALAL MEAT IS UNHEALTHY AND INDISPOSED A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION." http://www.islamic-laws.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct 2010..
"Animal Slaughter." www.Wikipedia.com. N.p., 20 Oct 2010. Web. 30 Oct 2010..
Pollan discussed many different aspects regarding food, such as the meat many Americans consume; where it comes from, and the process an animal goes through in order to become a meat product shelved in a grocery store. He talked about this in his book: The Omnivore’s Dilemma and in a documentary he starred in titled Food Inc. He tries to show his readers and viewers that the American way of slaughtering animals does not consider the animals, but only the consumers. Pollan lacked information on other methods of slaughtering and how it compares to the method used by many Americans. For example many individuals claim that the Islamic method of slaughtering treats the animal with respect and saves the animal from severe pain, while the meat produced using the Western method does not. I wanted to dig deeper to try and figure out the differences regarding the treatment of animals being slaughtered the Haram way vs. the Halal way.
I decided to do my research online; doing so, I came across a website claiming: “Non-Halal meat is unhealthy and indisposed.” I decided to read this article which starts by discussing quotes from The Holy Quran. Reading further on, it talks about the role of human beings and other animals living in this world with us, and what is and is not to be consumed by a member of the Islamic religion. Later on they get to what I was looking for by discussing the topic of slaughtering animals two different ways, the Halal way and the Haram way. According to Kamoonpuri, slaughtering an animal the Halal way does not harm the creature in any way at all, whereas slaughtering the animal using the method practiced in many Western societies (Haram way) causes the poor creature to suffer from severe pain.
To prove this claim, they decided to conduct an experiment which involved slaughtering animals two different ways: by using a sharp knife to make a deep incision on the neck, while cutting the jugular veins and carotid arteries of sides and the trachea and esophagus (Halal), or by stunning the animal using a CBP (Captive Bolt Pistol) which is considered Haram. Before slaughtering the animals, electrodes were surgically implanted at different points on the skull of the animal to record results. Electroencephalographs and electrocardiograms were used to record the condition of the heart and brain of the animal. At the end it was concluded that the Islamic method uses a much more compassionate way of slaughter; there was no evidence of pain suffered by the animal, and the animal went into a sudden state of deep sleep since there was a large amount of blood loss from the body. Slaughtering the creature using the Western method of captive bolt stunning caused severe pain to the animal. After discussing the results of the experiment conducted, the many things taken into account when slaughtering a creature using the Islamic method were discussed. The sharpening of the knife should not be done in front of the animal, animals should not be slaughtered in front of one another, animals should be given water before being slaughtered, and the animal should be laid on its sides, while being soothed and stroked gently.
It is forbidden in Islam to tamper with the lives of animals and inflict torture upon them. After reading through this article, I found that the Islamic way of slaughtering the animal indeed shows much care and concern for the animal. I compared this to what I saw and read about the American food industry and their treatment with animals while taking a part of this food unit. The research I did connects to the issue of animal cruelty discussed in Food Inc. and shown in Our Daily Bread. Michael Pollan also talked about it in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. There were parts in the film and the book where the poor treatment of animals was used to aware the reader/viewer about the “behind the scenes” of the American food industry. This was done by discussing/showing the environment they live in and how they are handled in the process of slaughtering. Many individuals claim that when slaughtering the animal using the method many Westerners use, animals are treated as if they have no feeling or emotion. This is why I decided to research an alternate way of slaughtering animals. I think Pollan should have discussed different ways of slaughter such as the Halal and Kosher way to present alternatives to the Western way of slaughtering an animal, which lacks on care of the animal, and makes the creature become a victim of severe pain.
To be honest living as a Muslim consuming only Halal meat my whole life, I wasn’t much aware about all this. I mean I knew about the method since I have witnessed it a couple of times when I was young, but I never really took time to do my own research on this topic. I decided to look more into this during the food unit since I became fully aware of the slaughtering methods practiced in the Western culture, which is indeed cruel to the animal. I researched the different methods the United States uses to slaughter an animal; the USDA approves all the following methods of slaughter: chemical (carbon dioxide), mechanical (gunshot), mechanical (captive bolt) and electrical (stunning or slaughtering the animal using electrical current). This matters to me because I find it disturbing that the Western way of slaughtering animals does not seem to show much concern for the treatment of their animals, and this is not what I am taught by the religion I follow.
Citations:
"NON-HALAL MEAT IS UNHEALTHY AND INDISPOSED A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION." http://www.islamic-laws.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct 2010.
"Animal Slaughter." www.Wikipedia.com. N.p., 20 Oct 2010. Web. 30 Oct 2010.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Hwk 10
Precis:
Food Inc stars Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. This documentary attempts to aware viewers about American food consumption and how as consumers are digging a deeper hole by creating a number of conflicts; many having to do with our environment and economy. The government and subsidies are to blame for this food industry catastrophe; because of this reason, the United States is basically being ruled by industrial corporations. Over the past fifty years or so, the food eaten by many Americans has been touched with chemicals, pesticides or been through a process of genetic modification. Both, Pollan and Schlosser reveal the truth about the food we eat, and this truth is not pretty at all. This documentary goes behind the scenes of slaughter houses and farms showing viewers what really goes on behind closed space. The government and the companies are the ones in charge of the safety and the health of the food, workers, consumers and animals. Animal cruelty is also brought up in the film; footage shows animals forced to feed on antibiotics and corn. In order to make a stop to this, Americans need to consume food which benefits themselves and the environment. We need to lift the veil and aware others about what we consume while getting the government to change their ideas about food production.
Movie vs. Book:
There were many similarities and differences between The Omnivore's Dilemma and Food Inc. While reading the book, the reader has to create his/her own images in their mind; they make their own interpretations. It gives an in depth explanation of the author's daily experiences regarding different topics about food; he is able to inform the reader about experiments done in the past while quoting individuals and gathering more evidence and using statistics. I would personally prefer the book over the movie; although the movie offers footage of many topics, the book is able to give more factual truth, while the movie tends to be a bit more biased. The book offers personal thoughts about the author and how he spends his time in a certain environment; the writing is much more detailed since it makes the reader almost picture the setting, as if they were with Pollan on his investigation. The book is like Pollan’s personal diary while he is in a quest to figure out where the food Americans consume comes from. The movie however ties the findings and thoughts of Pollan and Schlosser. The book only offers words, while the movie offers both words and visuals. While reading the book, the reader has to spend time understanding the criteria being discussed, by creating visuals in their mind and making connections to themselves. The movie provides visuals which can make the viewer realize how real the situations discussed in the book are. Sometimes while reading, the text doesn't impact the reader as much as the text would. In the end, the movie and the book both discuss the locked up truth about companies in charge of the food consumed by Americans; comparing the past and the present regarding food, and the effects of food on the human being. The book and the movie both make the main point about how the food "industry does not want you to know the truth about what you are eating, because if you know then you will probably not eat it."
Thoughts:
At this point, I don’t have any questions left unanswered. There were a few times where the documentary discussed statistics about certain topics regarding the consumers and America’s food industry. There was a part in which the health of Americans was discussed in concern. One of these health concerns had to do with diabetes. One in three Americans born after the year 2000 will be a diabetic. This is a very scary fact; this proves how unhealthy we are as a country. There was a scene where the topic of diabetes was being discussed in a health class at a school; the students were asked how many of them had known someone who was a diabetic. Almost all of the students raised their hands. Even though before viewing this documentary I was aware about the problem with diabetics in America, viewing this part of the film shocked me. It made me realize that as a country we are in deep trouble, and if we don’t try to come up with a solution in time, there will be no way to turn back. The average American consumer eats their food without any knowledge what so ever about what is being consumed. I am sure that many viewers who take part of an unhealthy diet will realize their wrong doings towards themselves and the environment. Hopefully many Americans become aware of this bitter truth and make a change in their food ways.
Food Inc stars Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. This documentary attempts to aware viewers about American food consumption and how as consumers are digging a deeper hole by creating a number of conflicts; many having to do with our environment and economy. The government and subsidies are to blame for this food industry catastrophe; because of this reason, the United States is basically being ruled by industrial corporations. Over the past fifty years or so, the food eaten by many Americans has been touched with chemicals, pesticides or been through a process of genetic modification. Both, Pollan and Schlosser reveal the truth about the food we eat, and this truth is not pretty at all. This documentary goes behind the scenes of slaughter houses and farms showing viewers what really goes on behind closed space. The government and the companies are the ones in charge of the safety and the health of the food, workers, consumers and animals. Animal cruelty is also brought up in the film; footage shows animals forced to feed on antibiotics and corn. In order to make a stop to this, Americans need to consume food which benefits themselves and the environment. We need to lift the veil and aware others about what we consume while getting the government to change their ideas about food production.
Movie vs. Book:
There were many similarities and differences between The Omnivore's Dilemma and Food Inc. While reading the book, the reader has to create his/her own images in their mind; they make their own interpretations. It gives an in depth explanation of the author's daily experiences regarding different topics about food; he is able to inform the reader about experiments done in the past while quoting individuals and gathering more evidence and using statistics. I would personally prefer the book over the movie; although the movie offers footage of many topics, the book is able to give more factual truth, while the movie tends to be a bit more biased. The book offers personal thoughts about the author and how he spends his time in a certain environment; the writing is much more detailed since it makes the reader almost picture the setting, as if they were with Pollan on his investigation. The book is like Pollan’s personal diary while he is in a quest to figure out where the food Americans consume comes from. The movie however ties the findings and thoughts of Pollan and Schlosser. The book only offers words, while the movie offers both words and visuals. While reading the book, the reader has to spend time understanding the criteria being discussed, by creating visuals in their mind and making connections to themselves. The movie provides visuals which can make the viewer realize how real the situations discussed in the book are. Sometimes while reading, the text doesn't impact the reader as much as the text would. In the end, the movie and the book both discuss the locked up truth about companies in charge of the food consumed by Americans; comparing the past and the present regarding food, and the effects of food on the human being. The book and the movie both make the main point about how the food "industry does not want you to know the truth about what you are eating, because if you know then you will probably not eat it."
Thoughts:
At this point, I don’t have any questions left unanswered. There were a few times where the documentary discussed statistics about certain topics regarding the consumers and America’s food industry. There was a part in which the health of Americans was discussed in concern. One of these health concerns had to do with diabetes. One in three Americans born after the year 2000 will be a diabetic. This is a very scary fact; this proves how unhealthy we are as a country. There was a scene where the topic of diabetes was being discussed in a health class at a school; the students were asked how many of them had known someone who was a diabetic. Almost all of the students raised their hands. Even though before viewing this documentary I was aware about the problem with diabetics in America, viewing this part of the film shocked me. It made me realize that as a country we are in deep trouble, and if we don’t try to come up with a solution in time, there will be no way to turn back. The average American consumer eats their food without any knowledge what so ever about what is being consumed. I am sure that many viewers who take part of an unhealthy diet will realize their wrong doings towards themselves and the environment. Hopefully many Americans become aware of this bitter truth and make a change in their food ways.
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