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I'm not going to spoil this fun read by giving you the statistics and specific examples of the diseases, poor treatment of employees, the ill treatment of animals, faux-care of environmental issues, the tremendous amount of murders that are carefully hidden from the public, and the destruction of family farms--all stemming from the rise of fast food chains. I will, however, include one of the concluding paragraphs from the epilogue that really solidified my new resolution:
"Nobody in the United States is forced to buy fast food. The first step toward meaningful change is by far the easiest: stop buying it. The executives who run the fast food industry are not bad men. They are businessmen. They will sell free-range, organic, grass-fed hamburgers if you demand it. They will sell whatever sells at a profit. The usefulness of the market, its effectiveness as a tool, cuts both ways. The real power of the American consumer has not yet been unleashed. The heads of Burger King, KFC, and McDonald's should feel daunted; they're outnumbered. There are three of them and almost three hundred million of you. A good boycott, a refusal to buy, can speak much louder than words. Sometimes the most irresistible force is the most mundane" (269).
(Note to self: I MUST use this paragraph in my comp classes as an example of an effective "call to action.")
It's not like I eat Mickey D's (0r other fast food besides Qdoba b/c McDonald's owns Chipolte) every day, every week, or even every month. But every few to several months I crave/must have it. The clown still has a power over me. But not anymore. All I needed was to read this book. Now when I want my "comfort food" that reminds me of the happiness only a Happy Meal could bring, I'm going to remember this book. Then I'm going to go to the store and buy free-range, grass-fed, organic beef and make my own damn burger.
My only temptation will be the fries...but Alexis makes some fab frozen fries...
Fast Food Nation gets 4 Hello Kittys. Beware: this book is not for the faint of heart, stomach, or mind.
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