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Foie Gras War: Chicago Ban
By JULIETTE ROSSANT  What is going on in Chicago? First, you have the surprise passage of a city-wide ban on foie gras. Then follow headlines, statements, and hullabaloo that read as if a young war has erupted in the "heartlands." (See previous article.) Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley felt compelled to weight in, stating: We have children getting killed by gang leaders and dope dealers. We have real issues here in this city. And we’re dealing with foie gras? Let’s get some priorities. Our priorities should be children, the quality of education. It should be seniors. We should worry about the gas price. We should worry about the global economy.  Strangely, the windy city's main rag, The Chicago Tribune, dragged its feet on the issue, merely reprinting an AP article, accompanied by a rather light-hearted piece entitled "Sacré bleu! No foie gras for you." The only voice heard among foie gras supporters belonged to Rick Tramonto, but his opposition had dwindled to a plug for his new restaurant in the Wheeling suburb (see related Tribune article). D'Artagnan's response has been a light-hearted "Too Good to be Legal Foie Gras" sales campaign (see previous article). Hudson Valley's Marcus Henley shared views with Super Chef: The Chicago vote is a tragedy and an unfortunate example of decision-making in American politics. In the past year, numbers of veterinarians associated with the American Veterinary Medical Association visited our farm, resulting in the AVMA rejecting activist claims last summer at their national convention. A report of a recent visit can be seen at [click here].How are the animal rights activists affecting such measures?  As Super Chef has been chronicling (see our "Foie Gras War series), animal rights activists have pursued Media-savvy campaigns, studded wherever possible with celebrity endorsements. They have even called upon ex-James Bond star Roger Moore to jostle the masses into their politically correct direction (see previous article.) One celebrity-oriented online publication headlined, "Roger Moore's Testimonial Helped Ban Sale of Foie Gras in Chicago" (see Starpulse.com), while another quipped "Roger Moore Wins Foie Gras Battle" (see PR Inside). Activists pursue a relentless message based on humanization of animals complete with terrifying photos. Yet, take a look at a hyperlinking page. It claims to show "photos of conditions at the Hudson Valley foie gras facility." However, it provides no explanation about the source or nature of the photos: are activists sophisticated enough to play with plausible deniability?)
Far fetched? Farm Sanctuary's president welcomed the ban as "consistent with the humane sentiments of Chicago citizens" and one which "codifies our societal belief that all animals, including those raised for food, should be treated with compassion......" This sounds like a speech by President George W. Bush, but how do animal rights stack against other, more "human" concerns of the day, such as U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East, gas prices, or Medicare? |
posted by Juliette Rossant at 5/01/2006 10:27:00 AM
5 Comments:
Everyone knows that foie gras is cruel and inhumane. The fact that a few chefs see this as a delicacy just shows the greed and superficiality of our society, that we could even fathom something as cruelly created as foie gras something that is 'delicious'. People who eat and cook foie gras are completely out of touch with reality. They need to spend some time having long metal rods shoved down their own throats and see how it feels for the ducks. Kudos to Chicago! The new best city in America!
It's a sad statement on a society when something as cruelly created as fatty liver, aka foie gras, is seen as a delicacy. These hideous chefs using these types of 'ingredients' need to have a long metal rod shoved down THEIR throats to see how these ducks must feel. Kudos to Chicago for being a leader in humane cooking in America.
If you have ever visited a respectable foie gras farm, you wouldunderstand that the animals are not treated with cruelty or in an abusive manner. The ducks and geese willingly approach the feed tubes at feeding time. They do not need to be captured or manhandled to take the tube. Ducks and geese automatically gorge themselves in the wild to endure the cold season. This natural practice creates a natural swelling of the liver which provides sustenance for the animals durng the winter months when food is scarce. It should also be noted that ducks and geese have no gag reflex. The feed tubes do not cause the animals the same discomfort that most mammals would experience. Any farmer knows that food tastes better when animals are treated with kindness and respect. Certainly there are unethical foie gras producers out there that abuse their animals, and it is wise to boycott these producers rather than label all foie gras production as cruel.
The issue is about cruelty to animals for your own benefit, either your appetite or profit. It is wrong, should be stopped immediately and backed by harsh penalties for breaking the law on cruelty to animals. For the remarks there are more important issues than this to contend with...that is just an excuse to ignore and excuse this abomination as permittable.
CamilleM. V.,
If you favor harsh penalties for gavage, what penalties do you favor for those more important issues?
Juliette
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