Jody Baker Wiley Monticello High School

I'm buying my hamburger from the Amish from now on. I've made this decision not just because there is E. coli in commercial meat. I've known that for years -- we all have. It is because in this small way I am refusing to support the massive commercial fast food industry that dominates the American palate and pocketbook. Fast Food Nation is an in-depth, well researched book that details how multinational corporations have gone unchecked by the government, thereby allowing unhealthy food to be eaten by our children.

Fast Food Nation is The Jungle of the new millennium. Much of what Upton Sinclair warned us about in his 1903 book has come true. Sinclair spoke of how new immigrants would get jobs in the meat packing houses of Chicago and how the industry would use them up and discard these people when they were no longer of use. Schlosser does the same in his book. He speaks of how the meatpacking industry is one of the most dangerous in the country. Most injuries go unreported including "fractures, concussions, major cuts, hernias... even amputations". He stated the price of losing an arm is $36,000 although most people never recover any compensation from workmen's comp for their injuries.

But the big point behind Fast Food Nation is not just unhealthy food and poor working conditions. It is about how huge companies now dominate the processed food industry. The majority of potato farms are owned by only three companies the same is true for the cattle and chicken industries, At this rate, the family farm may soon be something we visit as a diorama in the state museum.

The result of this is that the American palate has become desensitized. A Mcburger in California tastes the same as one in Florida. It is another type of conformity; it is all the same. Americans today really have no cultural heritage concerning food. Even Southern food and Creole food have its roots elsewhere. When we think of French cuisine, we picture rich sauces and decadent desserts, and Mexican food as spicy and homey. But the typical "American meal" is a burger, fries and a cola. It has a salty, sweet taste, heavy laden with fat and hidden calories. The result is that the rest of the world views us as obese, ugly Americans with no taste.

Ultimately the only real way to change this process is through our daily decisions. Frequent your local privately owned restaurants and businesses. Thank goodness, several years ago the town of Monticello, where I teach, the town council refused to let in a large, chain, discount store. They knew it would harm our local businesses. We have a beautiful downtown square surrounded by local shops and quaint restaurants. If your area has no private restaurants, or you like the convenience of fast food, then let them know you want healthier choices on the menu. Have a say in what you are eating and buying. I believe it would be difficult to read Fast Food Nation without wanting to take some kind of action however small. It should be required reading for all college students and congressmen.

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