...protecting geese. Okay, the headline is a little vague. Cut me some slack, I have to draw you in to this story, right?
First, I have to confess: normally, I wouldn't link to a PETA page. I'm not crazy about their tactics, even if their motives are honorable. I don't think everyone should be a vegetarian, and I don't think regular old meat eaters (me) should be held to the same degree of scorn as, say, people who commit murder (not me).
However, I've been enlightened recently to the reality of foie gras, and I think Chicago's forthcoming ban on foie gras is both admirable and appropriate.
Clicky.
Foie gras, for those of you who don't have a lot of disposable income, or watch the Food Network religiously, is the fattened liver of either a goose or duck. I think goose is used most often.
When I say "fattened," I don't just mean untrimmed. I mean, it is solid fat. The geese (we'll just say geese for clarity's sake) are force-fed via a tube down the throat, and not allowed the appropriate activity level to burn off those calories. As such, the liver (responsible for production of cholesterol) is unable to process the amount of fat taken in, and swells to somewhere in the vicinity of six to ten times its normal size.*
Now, there is controversy as to whether there is actual physical damage to the esophagus during this feeding process. Producers and proponents of foie gras say that great care is taken to ensure the safety of the birds. Opponents and animal rights groups say that the act of force-feeding the birds to the point of near-morbid obesity is cruel enough (and there's that PETA link. It's kinda graphic, so don't click if you don't want to see dead birds).
Personally, I'm inclined to agree with the latter. Don't tell me about how cruel beef production can be, or chicken production. The bottom line is that cruelty in "traditional" processing plants (unless you believe that all meat production and consumption is cruel, regardless of process) is operator driven. It is not, in my opinion, endemic to the industry. Bad processors do bad things. Good processors treat the animals they dispatch with the respect they deserve. Really good processors employ a reverence on-par with Native American beliefs.
Anyway, it appears that the city of Chicago holds the same view on foie gras that I do. On August 22, a citywide ban on foie gras will go into effect. The knuckleheads in the article who oppose the ban make all kinds of ridiculous claims like "pretty soon, we'll all be eating grass" and whatnot. That's just plain silly. Someone complains that it's not government's right to tell people what they can and can't eat.
Those people should be asked how they feel about their dogs or cats.
"Credit where credit is due" time: The Governator signed a bill that will eliminate the sale or consumption of foie gras produced by force-feeding by 2012. California is one of only two states in the US with a foie gras production system. New York (the other) is considering AB 6212, which would ban production via force-feeding as well.
I encourage everyone with an opinion on this issue to speak out here. If you oppose the production of foie gras through force-feeding, you can go to the following websites to help in the effort:
Here's that PETA site again (same warning applies).
If you're not a PETA fan, try NOfoiegras.org.
And if you're a supporter of foie gras, then good on ya. Just don't expect to find it at the Drake after next week.
~~UPDATE~~For some reason, my side banner is getting pushed down below the comments. If you feel that this diary is worth recommending, please scroll down past the comments to find the Recommend button.
Of course, it could just be my shitty work computer. In that case, forgive me this moment of vanity.