i have nearly completed a book that has changed my life: fast food nation. i will no longer eat beef or chicken unless i know how it has been raised. i will no longer eat at fast food restaurants unless i am merely eating a salad. in short, there are some really sad facts that come out of this book by a guy from the atlantic monthly. just a few:

1) fast food companies have spearheaded the movement to advertise to young, young consumers, developing consumer preference for a lifetime. they teach kids to hanker only for fast food grub.

2) the workers at slaughterhouses are usually from the poorest segments of american society, often undocumented aliens, who have great responsibilities and very little pay and even less in the way of job safety and security. they get arms and legs chopped off. sometimes, they end up in being carved or rendered alive. (soylent green IS people.)

3) in short, there is shit in the meat.

4) yes. you read 3) correctly. and the big meat companies don't really care.

5) the meat in the school lunch program is even worse than the meat prepared for the general US public.

6) the USDA is powerless to enforce much in the way of food safety rules.

i have already written to my Member of Congress. one place to start is cspi.org.

and read the book. you won't be eating meat any time soon, either.