Tim Wise Interview

Earlier this year City Lights published his latest, Between Barack and a Hard Place: Race and Whiteness in the age of Obama, which debunks the idea that we live in a “postracial society”.

White privilege is any advantage, head start, or protection the system grants whites but not people of color.

There is probably a human tendency to favor those who are more like oneself.

Racism as Tim Wise describes it, “is an ideology that says certain people , by virtue of their race, are either inferior or superior to others of a different race, with race usually being defined by skin color. Like any word that ends in “-ism” – capitalism, communism, socialism -- racism is a system as well as an ideology. It’s a way of organizing society.” This can be seen in America today by the fact that there are extensively more opportunities for whites than people of color in areas such as; employment, education, housing and politics. Although racism has become less of an issue than it was 50 years ago it is still apparent but in a more subtle way.

One of the main ways that racism can be seen today is in the way that criticism falls more heavily on a colored person than a white person in the same circumstance. Tim Wise describes this concept as, “Privilege also takes the form of less pressure to perform… We whites are able to be as incompetent or mediocre as we want and never have our mediocrity ascribed to our race.” Examples of this can be seen when a colored child is scrutinized more than that of a white child when they do not succeed in an educational setting. Because of this double standard people of color have to work that much harder to prevent the criticisms placed on them.

Throughout American history racism has always been present, despite the efforts to eliminate it, it still exists today. Racism can be as subconscious as assuming that a black person is more athletically gifted than any other race. Wise discusses this issue by stating, “We don’t consciously believe in racial superiority or inferiority, but we’ve become so used to the existing policies, practices, and procedures that we don’t question them.” Racism has run rampant in today’s society to the point that we are no longer affected by a racist comment. It’s to the point where these comments don’t even impact us in the way they should.

After taking an AP English class my senior year of high school and enjoying writing in general, I tend to be very picky when it comes to the information that I use and the sources that I get that information from. Writing so many papers the past few years has made it easier to determine what sources are reliable and those that aren't. For example, Wikipedia is very helpful, however it can also be edited by any person, so therefore it isn't always truthful. Sources that come from the University library or another library's online site. In order to find the sources that I need to use I read the topic first, then decide how I'm going to write it, and what it is that I plan on writing about. From there, I usually google information on the topic and then continue my search in a more reliable search engine like university search engines or google scholar. I also look for sources that have been peer reviewed or were published by a reliable person/publisher. I usually try to write about things that I am also familiar with so that I can have my own input in the papers and not have to quote my sources throughout all of the paper.

I'm generally an organized person, so it's very important to me that my papers flow and that things go in order. So once I've found my sources and the information that I'm using I write down the specific quotes that I plan on using or highlight them on a hard copy of the source which makes it easier to decide where in the paper I plan on putting the quotes. After writing the paper I tend to go back through and check that it does flow well and my quotes and information makes sense. I like to use multiple sources so that I know the information I'm using is correct and not a skewed opinion. From there I decide which sources I used the most information from and cite every source that I use, and toss the ones that I don't. At first the WSU online library system was pretty confusing, but using to find reliable sources has gotten easier, and it really is beneficial.

In the future, to improve the reliability of the sources I use, I plan to check more into their publisher and how much peer-revision they've been given. I also plan to try to use more hard copies of sources like actual books or articles, not just pages that I've found online.

Norman Borlaug article

This article by Norman Borlaug goes right along with the theme of food so far this semester, with Food Inc., The Omnivore's Dilemma, and all the talk of corn. This article also supports genetically modified foods or alternatives to what we have to work with today. Between the video, the book, and this article we've seen a multitude of ways that we can improve what we eat, but we've also looked behind closed doors on the food industry and seen the negative side of things. This article refers specifically to genetically modified foods and crops like cotton, maize, and potatoes. With the always increasing population and higher demand for foods we've been forced to keep up with society leading us to new technological advancements that can help us feed over 8 billion people.

However, these advances in science may not be able to be used to their full potential because of the amount of anti-science followers and those choosing to eat naturally or organic. Although being able to rapidly grow livestock and crops can be a positive aspect, there are those people out there who see it as inhumane and unnatural, which in a way it is. Being exposed to all of the elements of food in this class has really got me on the fence about what I support. Although I love steak and chicken, I now know the dreadful process that a living animal had to endure just so that I could enjoy eating it at the dinner table with my friends. However, becoming a vegan or being more selective in the way I eat isn't really an option for me at this time in my life. But if making advances in science will keep food on our tables and prevent us from starving, then how can I not be for it?

Ch. 15,18,19,20

At the beginning of the book Pollan asks the question, "what should we have for dinner?" By the end of the book he has explored multiple aspects of how to answer that question in the healthiest and most efficient way possible. In the end he decides that by hunting, gathering, and preparing the meal himself it would be the best way to avoid the supermarkets and spending a fortune on groceries like most people do weekly. In a way I have a newfound respect for Pollan for choosing to forage for his meal, but I know that I probably wouldn't be able to be successful were I to attempt to do the same. I've always lived in a city and have never needed to forage for my own meals. My mom has always been the one to make a well-rounded meal for dinner every night and keeps the pantry stocked full of options. However, we rely heavily on the supermarket for all of the items we keep in the kitchen, and fast food restaurants when our schedules conflict.

In this last section of the book Pollan talks about the different foods that we can gather from nature and how difficult that can be. When hunting live animals there's always the potential that they can get away, and when gathering plants of fungi, as discussed in chapter 19, there's always the chance that they could be poisonous. Relying on nature today is also hard to do because of the limited amount that is left. Had we not become so industrialized over the years maybe the supermarket and food industries wouldn't have become such an essential part of everyday life and people could still live off of the land that we continue to destroy with the way we choose to live.

The Omnivore's Dilemma, Ch. 8, 10, 11

In Chapter 8 of Omnivore's Dilemma Pollan paints a relaxing picture of life on an organic farm. He talks about how although it's hard work, in the end it pays off because on a farm like Polyface, the animals do most of the work and the land essentially gives back. He explains how the whole farm thrives off of 100 acres of grass, even though the farm as a whole is 550 acres. Joel's farm runs on rotations between all of the different animals living off of the farm. Each species of animal has a particular job they do that helps the farm thrive. In turn, the 100 acres of grass brings in tons of steak, eggs, beef, turkeys, and rabbits. The Polyface farm produces for the locals and although it's not necessarily an organic farm, it is not an industrial farm where only one product is grown. Joel's way of farming seems to me like it's good, honest labor; and in the end it yields just as much profit if not more than some industrial farms. I feel that this kind of farming makes more sense than any other type of farming because a multitude of food can be grown here without having to alter the land or the animals. The title of this chapter being "All Flesh Is Grass" made me think how true it is, that grass is the basis of our lives. Grass is what grows all over the earth, which feed the animals, which in turn feed humans. Without grass our entire existence would be completely different

The Omnivore's Dilemma, Ch. 12 + 13

Reading these two chapters were a bit difficult for me to do because I'm not really a big meat eater, mainly due to the fact that in order to eat the meat you have to actually slaughter animals, which is precisely what this chapter is titled and about. There's really no humane way to say it, or make it any better. In chapter 12 Pollan has to overcome the act of killing a chicken -- better yet, 300. Reading this however did make me feel very uncomfortable and almost sick what with Pollan outright describing the machinery used to kill the chickens and killing the chickens in general. The details provided were enough to show how violent and rough the act of killing is, even when it's just a chicken.

However, reading these chapters also gave me more respect for the small-town farmers out there who do things like slaughtering chickens everyday of their lives. They have to almost numb themselves to the fact that they're taking life for the benefit of humans to have a better tasting meal. While being on the Salatins' farm Pollan has to numb himself too to the inhumane treatment of the animals. Although the purpose in raising these chickens was to eventually kill them and send them off to the masses, it's still a concept that you have to move past and get over before you can actually accomplish it.

Another part of these chapters that threw me a little bit were the rules and regulations that the USDA sets for small-town farmers along with big industries. Is it really necessary for the USDA inspector to have his own bathroom? What kind of rule is that? Pollan quotes Salatin when he says that the rules are "one-size-fits-all" basically for the industries, not taking into account the individual farmers. Finally, the references to religion at the end of chapter 13 completely lost me when it came to relating them to food.

Post #2, Chapter 9

Chapter 9 discussed a couple of different ideas and concepts that all come full circle to the fact that the government is doing anything they can to please the consumer. We want healthier foods, organic foods, low-fat foods, and all these other demands that we think will help to improve our lifestyles all at a low price. Just like they say, the customer is always right. By shopping at places like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's we feel better about the foods that we're consuming because of the labels they sport. But when you really look into what it is you're eating, whether it be organic or not, you can't always decipher the ingredients or the nutritional information. By disguising what's actually in the food, the FDA and the government can pretty much make us believe what we're eating is healthier than it actually is.

I really like the fact that Pollan felt it necessary to trace the foods back to where they originated, so that he could prove how much America processes food. Taking the time to actually learn where the things you eat originate and then following them through the food chain of America is a difficult process where you can learn things that you would have died happy without knowing. The conditions that most of our food goes through are unappetizing and could peak the eating disorders in America, were all Americans to be educated on the topic. This chapter, and this book make me wonder how it's possible today to truly eat healthy and not consume the chemicals and bacteria that's in our meals everyday.

Reading this section made me realize how spread out our industry is compared to farming one hundred years ago. The difference not only in the economy but how family-owned farms affect the masses. A hundred years ago corn was dispersed locally and the farmers may have even known all twelve people that they were feeding. Today these same farms have no idea who it is they're providing for or where their product is going to end up. The author discusses spending time with a particular farmer whose grandfather was able to provide for his family along with a few other people and remained successful his whole life. But compared to today, where the same farm feeds 129 people all over the United States, yet the amount of income this work brings in is barely enough for a family of four to get by.

Today's industry is all about immediate satisfaction, and the risks that people are willing to take along with the sacrifices that are being made are endless. Corn is being genetically altered, animals are being forced to consume it, and humans use a derivative of corn in just about everything that the eye can see. Not only have costs skyrocketed in just a few decades for consumers, but the farmers themselves hardly make enough money to keep their farms up and running, and it's only getting worse. America is doing nothing to aid these farmers and slow down the amount of consumption and waste that we ALL contribute to. Personally I think that there are steps that we can take to turn this downward spiral around and help the farmers be able to provide for their families along with the rest of America.