Food Inc.

I have not watched a movie that made me cry so much in a long time. I expected to be a bit shocked, to be more informed by watching this move, that it would probably inspire me to change my ways a bit more, but I did not expect so many tears.

I recommend this movie to everyone. It is on Netflix instant viewing for anyone who has access to that. Otherwise, I plan on buying a copy that I will be happy to lend out to anyone who wants to see it. It is a truth that needs to be brought to light.

Religious or not, I think it is an issue that matters, but I can't help as an LDS person feel like I am not taking part in my duty to have dominion over animals, and to make sure that they are dealt with properly. When I saw the way that chickens and cows and pigs were treated in this movie, it made me weep. I am not against eating meat. There were also shots of cows and pigs living on their farms, eating grass and things they have been eating for thousands of years, and they looked so much happier. I think the life that the animals I eat lived affects the life I live (which is actually supported by them having better health and needing less antibiotics, and that being passed on to me the consumer).

Food policy is so messed up in the United States. It makes food that is not really cheap, cheap. I want to support food policy changes, but I also want to encourage anyone who has the means to spend your money on food. It is worth paying more for food that you can know where it came from, food where if you know where it comes from, it wouldn't make you want to weep. I go to the farmer's market, and I've had people ask me if it is cheaper. No, it's not really. But there is no question of whether the quality is better. There is no question that there is great satisfaction in talking to the person who just picked this food this morning. The price is higher, but the cost of cheap food is one I cannot pay.

Food is at the most basic level what keeps us alive. Food is our life. It is worth paying for.