Foie Gras & Fascism

My initial reaction to Brian Ries' third point in his article "Eat Like You Mean It" (Top 10 Issue, Dec. 27-Jan. 2) was anger and frustration at yet another brainless critic trying to get a rise out of audiences by including pointless controversial opinions that end up harming a deserving cause. After seeing the phrase "due to supposed animal cruelty," I thought I was about to read a loosely thought-out rant about how mankind should not be troubled with the suffering of small animals and how banning foie gras was a huge inconvenience for people who enjoyed "the finer things."

Needless to say, I was shocked to find a thoughtful and informed article which included a direct yet accurate description of the farming industry as well as several wonderful suggestions on improving the quality of Tampa Bay's culinary industry (especially numbers 1, 2, 6 and 7). I am, however, disappointed with Ries' conclusion regarding Chicago's decision to ban foie gras. I am never a fan of government censorship, an imposition of human rights, or a form of fascism as Ries suggests. The goal of the ban is not to deprive consumers of a tasty dish but rather to prevent an inarguably cruel practice.

Ries is obviously well-read on this issue, and while I'm a believer that he should be able to express his opinion, I believe his criticism of the foie gras ban is negligent and callous. The people who fought for that ban were concerned for the well-being of "lesser animals" and are attempting to hold the factory farming industry (even if only a small branch) to the same standards that an individual would be held to should they decide to stick a tube into the stomach of their cat. I am not under any false idealistic pretenses that the industry will ever become cruelty-free or that the culinary world will become meat-free overnight. However, I refuse to feel that a small victory for animal rights is invalid simply because animal abuse continues on the same scale in other branches of the industry. Laws created for the protection of animal rights are laws that should be enforced with the same rigor as laws regarding human rights.

The rest of Brian Ries' article proves him to be a competent and progressive thinker who should be aware of the impact his writing has on those who lack the ability to do the same. Using statements such as "fucking fascists" is Ries' oversimplification of a complex issue. A ban on foie gras is not the beginnings of government takeover, and lumping it together with a ban on trans fat is irrational and irresponsible. I hope the next article Brian Ries contributes includes more practical and thoughtful content, which he has proven himself capable of writing.

Katie Blair, Tampa

Goddess Worship

I wanted to comment on "The Advice Goddess." She's a real hoot! I look forward to reading her column more than anything in your paper. I often clip and send her stories to my sister in Maine. We call each other and have a real laugh discussing it. Keep them coming!

RA, Tampa

Corrections

Two of the photos accompanying the story, "Looking Good," in the Top 10 Issue (Dec. 27-Jan. 2) were incorrectly captioned. They are correctly identified above.

In our "Handmade Holiday Guide" (Dec. 6-12), we neglected to name the artist who crafted the wine-cork reindeer on our cover: Jean Marie DeSpiegler.

In last week's "Political Whore" column ("South Tampa Face-Off," Jan. 3-9) we incorrectly listed the amount of money that Councilman John Dingfelder raised in his first campaign in 2003. The correct figure is $40,171.

This article appears in Jan 10-16, 2007.