Jena 6

Everyone grows up with an assumption about race.  It’s the fact that our nation has to learn how to unlearn our unconscious behaviors.  This may seem like a difficult concept but as our nation progresses we neglect the fact that we are still active in our old habits.  The only reason why whites avoid calling themselves racist is they believe that being racist involves some sort of animosity towards another race.  In a sense this must be true, but what happens when these discriminatory bias’ reach our legal system.  A perfect example of the underlying racism that occurs in today’s society is a string of events that lead to six African American high school students being arrested after a school fight with white students; introducing to the world; the Jena 6.  But what really occurred to trigger such violence within these teenagers?  As we further investigate we find that the racial tensions began when a black student sat under a tree that had “supposedly” belonged to an all-white group of students.  The next day there were three nooses hanging from the tree; clearly implying signs of racist. The fight between the two groups resulted in the whites suffering from minor concussion and bruising, while the blacks were sentenced to life in jail for the attempt of second degree murder and conspiracy.  

The Story. Educate Yourself First.

These unjust acts of discriminatory enforcement triggered an uproar of social rallies around the nation.  On September 20, 2007, the date upon which Bell was scheduled for sentencing, an estimated 15,000- 20,000 supporters rallied in Jena from all over the nation.  Activist, artists, actors, musicians and key note speakers all came in support of Mychal Bell and the Jena 6.  Without the high amount of media coverage and public advocacy, these students would still be incarcerated under unethical authority today.  This case proves how much we have failed to learn.  We have gone years and years avoiding the fact that our past is still very much prevalent today.  We can’t seem to escape these unrighteous habits that we once followed before.  We seem to dehumanize the human being on merits of importance. 

I wonder what this scenario would be like if the tables had been turned.  If this was an all-black high school where a white individual sat at an all-black table and verbally abused through racial slurs, followed by an anti-white symbol of discrimination showcased on that table, how would the justice system respond to that?  The white individuals would still be seen as the victims because that is the social norm within our society.  Any group that has the power to be the oppressor will have the power to be oppressive.  Being white is privileged and transparent.  Whites, especially white men have the privilege to never think of their race as a trait of their characteristics.  They don’t have to wake up every day and wonder how they will face racism that day.  They don’t have to face cases like this where their actions are based off of the assumptions of their ethnicity.  It is times like this that proves the imbalance of visibility within our nation. 

THIS IS OUR NATION TOO.

Hurricane Katrina- The Privileged White

The White Imprint on today's Society.

What does it means to be white in today’s society?  This question may not be defined by the mere thought of an ascribed inheritance, but instead the powers that lie within the concept of being labeled in this category.  The perception of being white possesses the highest disbursement of power in correlation to social class, control of the minority, and the power of privilege.  Our society naturally possesses a prejudice towards those of different ethnic backgrounds, but is not mindful of our intolerances. This concept is what drove our country to the inhumane treatment of New Orlean civilians, post Hurricane Katrina. 

Equality in Rescue?

After the hurricane had struck on August 29th, 2005 New Orleans had become one big game of, “survival of the fittest.”  As citizens were stuffed into the Super Dome and the Convention Center, evacuation efforts and rescue missions had fully commenced.  Citizens began to stand on their roofs, waving their arms and creating S.O. S signals in attempt to be rescued.  But how did the government decipher on who was saved first? What characterized the importance of an individual to be saved over another?  As days passed citizens began to become aware of a constant trend in who was being rescued.  Many of individuals who had been saved were white, and the individuals who were left behind were African American families.  One story describes a group of residents of mixed races choosing to send the African Americans off the roof to ensure an immediate response from the rescuers.  This evidently displays clear signs of discriminatory bias among police enforcement.  As buses began to arrive to rescue the evacuees by land, transportation was segregated and whites were once again placed to higher importance than blacks.  Whites were given the privilege to leave on the buses first, leaving the rest to suffer and wait in line for days on end.  Such “unconscious” efforts dehumanize the “refugees” by placing worth of a human being over another.  This type of discrimination also began to occur as police enforcement focused their efforts on African American individuals who appeared to be “looting.”

Same Scenario- Different Intentions....

Media outlets began to cover and report cases of looting and property damages occurring in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Some were labeled as looters and criminals, while others were described as “finding means to survive.”  Placed in identical scenarios, the intentions reported in the media were created upon assumption by race.  Many whites seem to mix negative views of black Americans with images of white innocence portrayed in the mass media, thereby giving specific expression to elements of a broader racial ideology.  In areas predominately occupied by white bodies, white campuses, and white spaces, outside viewers perceive this as “less threatening” and “harmless.”  In areas with the general population being black Americans, the area is known to be “dangerous” and “unsafe”; or even economically unstable.   This connects to the media’s perception of blacks in today’s society. The machinery of whiteness connects with media coverage by these mainstream outlets.  We have given them the power to shape our attitudes towards demographic groups by following the views placed in these reports.  But this doesn’t end in the attempt to overcome a “natural” disaster.  Discriminatory biases were still evident in the rebuilding and reconstruction of New Orleans years after Hurricane Katrina. 

This habitual prejudice does not end at the distinction between blacks and whites.  Social inequalities described in economic classification also present bias and discrimination between each class.  Social class correlates with theory of Social stratification.  The discrimination between classes indicates that the measure of one’s social economic status by income, education, occupational prestige and wealth provides some overall assessment of people’s place in the society.  In the rehabilitation of New Orleans the “checker board” was transparent.  In Jordan Flaherty’s novel, Floodlines he states that “the inequalities in the city’s recovery were obvious.  Some areas had electricity, gas and clean streets, and some areas were untouched. .. The Washington Post reported in 2005 that although both the overwhelming white Lake View Neighborhood and Black Ninth Ward neighborhood were devastated by flooding “it appears now that long-standing neighborhood differences in income and opportunity are shaping the stalled repopulation of this mostly empty city” (Flaherty 2010, 70).  He then further describes the drastic separation of classes within several blocks of neighborhoods that had been salvaged and replenished. 

A fight for Equality.

Being white is an intricate narrative of physical appearance surpassing the content of one’s character.  It is not only a recessive gene, but instead a construct or an idea that is embedded into our unconscious behaviors.  It is not the white body that is presented to society, but the idea that is created within this concept.  The idea of superiority, the idea of high social classification, and the idea of worth comes with being a part of the “white privileged”.  This stereotype does not provide you with a negative stigma, but instead implants a natural power above the rest.  Being white gives you visibility within society and equal opportunity of mobility within class after such devastations.  It unconsciously gives you more rights than others, for the white majority’s views, practices and culture are generally seen to be normal.  Being White is the “American Dream.”  

IT NEVER SEEMS TO END.

CIW and La Via Compesina- A Workers Voice

Consciousness + Commitment = Change.  According to the CIW online database headquarters “The CIW is a community-based organization of mainly Latino, Mayan Indian and Haitian immigrants working in low-wage jobs throughout the state of Florida.”  The CIW’s efforts gear towards the equality of fair wage, respect in the work environments, cheaper housing, stronger laws and enforcement, and end to involuntary servitude in the fields. The CIW represents a struggle for justice in their fight for visibility.  Their disruptance include such movements as the Anti-Slavery Campaign and the Campaign for Fair Food.  With the Anti- Slavery Campaign CIW was able to gain national and international recognition to the investigation against involuntary servitude as well as build awareness to human rights education. 

CIW establishing a powerful new voice for the respect of human rights

The CIW’s Campaign for Fair Food began as a farmworker boycott targeting one of the largest fast food giants in the nation; Taco Bell.  The CIW’s goal was for these leading fast food corporations to take responsibility for human rights abuse in the fields where their produce is grown. The consumers played a role in this boycott when the “Boot the Bell” boycott spread through high school and college campuses across the nation.  With the refusal of purchasing Taco Bell products, the powers now lied in the hands of the consumers.  Due to consumer power the demands to improve wages and working conditions for Florida tomato pickers was met.  But it did not end here.  Now that The Coalitional of Immokalee Workers has established a voice in the mainstream media, it was time to keep their movement going.  The CIW collaborated with other leading fast food branches such as McDonalds, Burger King and Subway striking a deal with growers to raise workers’ pay and to create an industry code of conduct, a health and safety program and a system to resolve worker complaints.

50 Pounds of Tamoto?

Or 10 cents of labor.

With these many accomplishments lead to the birth of the “One Penny More” movement.  The intention of this campaign was to build a voice for unjust wages and Fair Trade, asking for one more penny for every pound of tomato that was picked.  The purpose was not to only increase the wages of the workers, but to build awareness on the concept behind asking for “one more penny.” The very minuscule request in asking for one more penny, instead of 5, 10 or 25 showcased the reluctant compromise of these large corporations. The CIW faced challenges in how much power these corporations truly possessed.  They were very aware that many of the farm workers were illegal immigrants and were not supported under U.S. labor protection laws.  According to an editorial in the New York Times, “The Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, which represents 90 percent of the state’s tomato growers, still fought back, threatening huge fines against members who participated. The extra pay sat in escrow.”

Another group striving for justice in today’s society is La Via Compesina. La Via Compesina is “a transnational agrarian movement made up of organizations of peasants, small- and medium-scale farmers, rural women, farm workers and indigenous agrarian communities throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe and Africa. These groups all share an intimate connection to the land and a collective will to work together to build a more humane world” (Desmarais, Navarro 2009).  La Via Compensina has become one of the most powerful voices of resistance towards globalization and the corporate model of agriculture.  These movements build awareness on the funds that are systematically displacing farmers and undercutting local economies and food traditions.  Their disruptance coincides with The Coalitional of Immokalee Workers (CIW) in the fight to overcome Invisibility and injustice working environments.  We must not conform to the bottleneck corporations.   

THE STAGES OF YOUR FOOD

1.) Richard Lobb of the National Chicken Council says in the film, “In a way, we’re not producing chickens, we’re producing food.” What does this statement mean? Do you agree or disagree with it? How might this perspective affect the way that chickens are raised?

 I strongly agree with Lobb’s statement of “In a way, we’re not producing chickens, we’re producing food.”  The foods we are consuming today are not being naturally produced.  With all of the chemicals, GMO’s, chemical additives and human growth hormones etc. that are being injected into our foods, the end product has become something  taken out of God’s will and entirely created by man.  Lobb’s statement is implying that we are just creating a product for the demand of fulfilling the populations societal needs.  Everything has essentially fallen under one distinctive category; Food.  We are no longer producing chicken for the sake of consuming the real product of chicken or poultry.  We are no longer harvesting vegetables such as corn or potatoes or rice for its purposeful enriched flavors.  We have instead created such foods to make other products, to feed the consumer, and take any character out of the natural production of that product.  Our goal is to preserve and mass produce for the consumers, bringing in the highest income possible at the cheapest cost.  Chickens and other animals are no longer naturally grazed, but are drugged and treated inhumanely to increase production rates.  We have outsourced so much that our food is no longer food, but instead a result from the cheap labor.  In a sense it can no longer be considered as food, but just another product on the shelf. 

2.) In the film, food science professor Larry Johnson says, “If you go and look on the supermarket shelf, I’ll bet you 90 percent of [the products] would contain either a corn or soybean ingredient. And most of the time, it’ll contain both.” Why might it be a problem that the majority of our food is made mostly from just corn and soybeans—so that nearly everything we eat contains them?

There are many truths that lie within Professor Johnson’s statement.  After personally researching items in the supermarket that contain either corn or soybeans, I too found that there were overwhelming results.  Almost every item that I picked up contained either corn or soybean ingredients in the product.  This becomes a problem because much like the previous discussion with the chicken being interpreted as just “food,” these “products” containing corn and soybeans can also be considered as “fake” food as well.  It is ultimately leveling the playing field for nutrients within foods and altering the natural process of production.  The health content of meat products can be compared to that of a cracker because they contain the same ingredients.  Corn and soybeans are also some of the easiest products to mass produce, making it easier for large industries to create products by utilizing the fewest and most common ingredients.  Once again we are blind to these tactics and fall for the most appealing products. 

 3.) In the film, union organizer Eduardo Peña says, “We want to pay the cheapest price for our food. We don’t understand that it comes at a price.” Do you agree or disagree with him? What evidence do you see in the film that led you to agree or disagree? What evidence do you see in your life that informs your position as well?

I completely agree with Pena’s statement.  As consumers we have fallen for the products that are introduced to us at the cheapest price.  We don’t understand that these cheap foods are being produced in a way that makes it un-equivalent to real food.  The production tactics of these industries fall under inhumane treatment of the animals, inhumane treatment to the service workers and employees and inhumane treatment to us as consumers.  These products that have been stuffed with additives, chemicals and exposed to diseases due to unsanitary conditions are all in the long run affecting us consumers.  Evidence that support Pena’s claim is in the value menus that were stressed in the film.  How come we are able to get so much food at such a low cost, and how are they producing it all? We have unconsciously allowed these industries to reconstruct the face of our diets by introducing an easier, faster way of life.  Personally I would have to admit I go for foods in the grocery store that are on sale and items on the menu that would essentially get me the fullest at the cheapest cost.  Our generation doesn’t realize the health risks of these products that we are consuming and the fictitious lifestyle that these corporations are creating to appeal to the audiences. We are no longer in control, they have created the norm and have made it so we essentially have to demand their products. 

4.) As portrayed in the film, cost and efficiency drive our current food system. Should price be the most important force behind our food industry? Why or why not? How might our food system change if it was driven by other values, like health or environmental sustainability?

 In the economically distressed times we are facing I believe that cost and efficiency has played a very large role in our current food systems.  This stems from the working household of balancing time, providing for the family and saving the most money.  These corporations have feed off the fact that cost and availability are some of our society’s major weaknesses.  Although we are very sympathetic about our health and environmental sustainability, these goals are not feasible at this time.  It is difficult to drastically change the way we eat, what we consume and how much we spend, just to ensure a healthier lifestyle.  And that’s the thing; corporations are knowledgeable of this concept and distance themselves more and more from the quality of their products, the sanitary environments and humane treatments of animal production, and the overall wellbeing and health of the consumer.  These industries are ignorant and don’t understand that they have the power to deplete any health risks our nation is facing through the consumption of their products.  Such disorders as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease will drastically decrease, due to the products with high fats and sugar contents no longer being produced.  Environmental sustainability would increase as well due to the decrease in facilities, factories and pastures that are involved with this mass production.  If the drive of the food industry is even slightly shifted towards another direction, all of our lives would drastically change for the better. 

5.) Saving seeds from each year’s crop is a tradition farmers have followed for thousands of years. Think of a tradition that has been in your family for a long time. What if you could no longer have this tradition because someone now legally claims it as theirs?

The restriction of farmers being able to save their seeds is one that stems from the fact that Monsanto has consumed all power over farming production.  Even though seed saving was once a tradition it has now turned into a lawsuit that cost so much it is not worth the battle.  Seed sanitation tools being banned and lists being compiled of independent farmers that have decided to not be owned by Monsanto has created a hostile situation that takes away the sanctity and tradition of seed saving and harvesting.  These farmers lose all hope and are stripped away from any moral values they had about food production.  My family doesn’t have any traditions that we participate in, but to put the situation into context I could imagine the possibility of holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving being taken away from us.  These are traditions that we celebrate every year. The memories that we create from family gatherings and traditions that we value on these days would no longer exist because of one company’s desire to withhold all power.  I couldn’t imagine something that has become a norm within our society and within my family to be taken away from me due to someone’s fear of competition. 

6.) In the film, author Michael Pollan says, “I think that one of the most important battles for consumers to fight is the right to know what’s in their food and how it’s grown.” How does his position compare with the California Farm Bureau’s position?

 Pollan’s position on the topic of ingredient awareness provided on labels is something I believe needs to be implemented on all products.  The California Farm Bureau believes differently for they feel as if this information would cause unnecessary fear.  If knowledgeable of where our food was produced, how it was produced, what additives it contains and what is actually being consumed into our bodies, us as consumer would most likely not buy these products.  He then suggests alternative ways to avoid these products such as buying foods from farmers markets and local growers.  This would provide us with a more educated outlook on all of the information Pollan believes should be incorporated on the labels. 

7.) Do you think the film privileges the experiences and dilemnas facing people in the United States?  Why and why not

 I believe this film does privilege the experiences and dilemmas facing people in the United States, for it exposes a whole side of the food system that our nation is uneducated on.  It showcases where our power lays, who is in control, how we have fallen for their tactics and what ultimately needs to be done to begin a movement.  It highlights the hard facts of what is truly occurring behind the scenes, where our food is coming from, the environment it is produced in, and how we are all blindly accepting these threats.  With this information it is truly up to our own interpretation.  This dilemma that the people of our nation are facing needs to be solved by our own interdependence.  We have become so reliant on these corporations to mass produce; we are essentially feeding to the problem and giving them the ability to create these products.  We call for demand and they provide.  It will forever be a dark ongoing cycle of societal give and take. 

8.) Overall reaction to film?

I’ve seen this film several times before and I always seem to learn something new each time.  I believe it is a great resource to build public awareness on a dark issue our nation is facing.  Even though it provides many suggestions on how to solve these problems, I feel as if this has grown so large it is out of our control.  This may sound like a statement of resistance, but if you think about it realistically how can the average working class adult, struggling to provide for their family able to change their lives just to create a healthier lifestyle.  Where do we find the time to prepare these healthy meals, go to the farmers markets; that are further away and more costly, and work all at the same time.  It all comes back to the concept of availability, accessibility and accountability.  How available is this food when we

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. 

The Honest Chicken

The term poultry refers to domesticated fowl raised for meat or eggs.  Farms will keep hens to produce eggs for human consumption or for breeding purposes and others concentrate on raising chickens or turkeys for meat production.  According to the Economic Research Service/ USDA in the 1940s, agricultural research brought new technologies to the poultry industry. Included were the introduction of new breeds for meat, better nutrition and disease control, better management of confined poultry, processes that correctly sexed chicks, and the candling of eggs. These practices introduced U.S. farmers to the possibilities of raising broilers and fryers for commercial consumption.

This act of poultry production for commercial consumption has turned into something so desensitized and inhumane.  The factories practicing in intensive chicken farming are raising their chickens in rows of cages with lights to mimic sunlight, environments consisting of one large climate controlled housing where they live in their feces and are fed antibiotics in their water and food to kill diseases, which end up in our human consumption.  The raising quarters are so small and close that the chickens are de-beaked to avoid the killing off of other chickens.  From these conditions these chickens suffer from ammonia and physical deformities as well as the presence of E. coli.   Rough handling of the chickens by the farm workers, slaughtering while still conscious and poor transportation also play a large part in the inhumane aspect of poultry production.  Another form of chicken production is Selective breeding where bigger chickens are chosen to create heavy breasted birds.  Or farmers can go to the extent of utilizing growth hormones in their production. 


These growth hormones make it so the chickens grow larger, live less and produce more products.  As you have seen in the stores these chicken breast are larger than ever, but something we fail to realize about these chickens are the multiple additives injected into these meats such as water and other soluble products to make them appeal larger.   The larger the product the more revenue it will produce.  The average value of poultry production according to the Value of production on farms with any poultry production in 1995 data collected by the Economic Research Service/ USDA was $3,029,070 for all farms with gross annual sales of over $1,000,000.  This statistic shows that this industry is growing due to the increase in demand. 

We must understand where our food originates from.  We buy products from large corporations such as McDonalds and Walmart who are the number one clients and supporters of these intensive farming agencies.  We must be educated on the production of our food and obtain food sovereignty.  It is our choice to have our chickens to be raised free ranged without any of the additives and increase of cost due to the “organic, natural” state it was produced.  The justice of food production and animal cruelty needs to have a voice and gain public awareness.  As consumers we are ultimately allowing these genetically altered foods to enter our bodies.  And we must no longer provide these leading corporations with the opportunity to change the face and security of our foods. 

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR APPETITE. 

Shopping as the "Other"

When going to the grocery store I wasn’t expecting much to be directly marketed towards me personally.  I thought “alright when I shop where do I go to first?”  I usually end up towards the vegetables because they are the very first thing I see when entering the grocery store.  And then I thought again and realized that the vegetables were displayed at the front of every store I have ever been in! Now purposely trying to avoid the vegetables I started to realize that everything was geared towards one demographic, and that was mine; the male demographic.  I found chips, racks and racks of beer, sodas, chilies, soups and platters all revolving around one thing; Game Day.  There were sales on thirty racks of beer, buy one get one free bags of chips, 2 for 5.99 boxes of soda and 99 cent cans of Chunky “Man Soup.”   Being in a college town tail gaiting and college “weekend recreational activities” were all a target in this store.  The labels and advertising of these foods were also geared towards men.  Football players, half naked women and athletic teams were all incorporated into the design of the product, playing off the notion of “this person promotes this product, so I must buy it.” After realizing that I have completely fallen for all of these marketing schemes before, I began to think about the second task of what it would be like if I were someone else shopping for these products and if companies did the same thing to them.

I began by imagining what it would be like if I were a women shopping, but then began to realize that the audience most targeted by these companies were children.  All of the cereals we eat, all of the sodas we drink, all of the candy we consume, all of the snacks and unhealthy products that were known to be our guilty pleasure were geared towards the desires of children.  Cartoon characters, bright colors, catchy slogans and iconic figures covered the faces of these labels.  I also noticed that everything was at eye level of a child or of the seat of the grocery cart.  Every name brand product was towards the middle of the shelves.  The worst part is you begin to realize that all of these things are also located at the checkout stand where you have to wait for days to pay for your groceries and all you end up doing is reading the magazines while your kid begs for candy. 

The placing of food is crucial in the marketing strategies of these leading corporations.  Mapped out the vegetables, meats, breads and dairy products are all located on the outskirts of the store.  You can call these the “real foods” and the “processed foods” were in the middle.  Candy was in the very first aisle, followed by cereals, canned foods, chips, beer/ drinks, frozen foods, and then all the way tucked in the back is the essentials of milk, orange juice and eggs.  The three things that are most likely run out first in your house hold are strategically placed in the back corner so you have to walk through everything else to reach them.  After walking about a half mile through the store you are reminded that you forgot to grab something else you needed, distracting you from your ultimate goal of that one gallon of milk.  You then walk out with a bill of fifty dollars instead of the initial five that you were originally supposed to spend. 

As we go through the grocery store we also begin to realize all of the different choices we have for this one product.  How come we need so many varieties of cereals or so many varieties of sodas, chips, vegetables and meats?  In reality we are only choosing from about seven to ten due to the small bottle neck corporations that are leading the human consumption.  But we are at fault too.  We are falling for their conniving marketing tactics and are demanding they supply these products.  But we won’t stop here, with even newer products that we will like are produced we will begin to demand more and more and this becomes a large cycle feeding to the larger food chain.  Yes these corporations are at blame because they are hypnotizing us and our younger generations to consume their products, but we are ultimately the ones who are giving them this power. 

EXACTLY.

Extra Credit Corn/ Soybean

I wanted to begin my analysis by addressing the 10 items that have corn or soybean as an ingredient.  I know we were told to only go down the middle aisle and look for 10 items, but I wanted to make it a little more interesting and look for items that I like to eat and or have eaten most commonly in the past. Before going to the store I had to educate myself on what ingredients consisted of corn as well.   I found that baking powder, corn oil, corn syrup, fructose, gluten and high fructose corn syrup all contained some kind of corn. What I found was most disturbing.   Everything that I had chosen consisted of corn or soybeans; literally everything! Here was my list. 

Foods Containing Corn:

1.       Oreos

2.       Capri Suns

3.       Sprite and Pepsi

4.       Powerade

5.       Sara Lee’s whole grain bread

6.       Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Cereal/ Special K

7.       Pop Tarts

8.       Heinz Ketchup

9.       Pop Tarts

10.   Wheat Thins

Foods Containing Soybean:

1.       Soy Sauce (any Asian food pretty much!!)

2.       Mayonnaise                                                    

3.       Whey protein                                                 

4.       Many Chocolate Bars                                   

5.       Chunky Soups                                                

It’s appalling to even think about foods such as wheat thins and different beverages we consume all contain corn based products.  It even goes as far as poultry items and different kinds of meats that are made up of these ingredients.  Items that aren’t supposed to be made of multiple ingredients are taken away from their own pureness and has been modified so greatly it has turned into a combination of crap thrown together to become that one product.  It makes me not even want to buy or consume these products.  But at the same time how can we all stop ourselves from living the life we have always known.