“It Died for Us” in the NYT

Frank Bruni’s, "It Died for Us" in The New York Times (06/25/06) explains that more Americans are pondering the ethical implications of their diets. And he wonders whether this trend is elitist. He refers to the ever-popular books: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan ; and The Ethical Gourmet, by Jay Weinstein, both of which tackle the questions about where our food comes from.

I have no gripe with the topic, but I did find the presentation shocking. Bruni acts as though there is a debate about whether we ought to be compassionate to other sentient beings. There is no debate. There is simply a choice. And to say that choice is elitist leads us down a dangerous ethical path. The net message? There are people who can afford to ponder the ethics of their decisions, and there are people who cannot, and the latter should be excused from blame when they have done something wrong.