In today’s world, where people have ever-expanding and unprecedented access to information, they can find out anything they want to know about food while going to the food outlets or restaurants. Scott Canon’s article, “Why You Can’t Sit Down to Eat without Making a Statement,” explores the way Americans discover some disturbing facts regarding the cost of production and origin of the food they take, both regarding the human health and environmental damage it takes to raise and harvest or for the animal people eat. The text is written against the context of the increasing concern of climate change and high rates of food poisoning and diseases like cancer and diabetes, and growing awareness of modern slavery. Canon considers these issues throughout the text to indicate the ethical and complicated situation of cofounding food choices, and how American make conflicted feelings when making these choices. The target audience to the article would be the people with an interest in contemporary food issues as well as those who are not but are fascinated by the title. The article applies strong argument and rhetorical techniques such as ethos, pathos, and logos for a persuasive text and claim regarding the growing concerns on GMOs, environmental pollution, antibiotic resistance, and exploitation of the fast-food employees.
The author goes beyond the price tag of the food to find the actual costs when considering environmental damage and violation of human rights. Such enables him to build a strong logos appeal as he models the way the consumers who mean well make decisions based on little knowledge they hold about the same. For example, he states that most people believe that granola is healthy, but then goes ahead and reveals more fact about the food. Canon cited that most oats in American are imports from the upper Midwest (Canon). Thus, if the granola is not certified as organic, then there is a great chance that it was produced in states with low labor standards and increased likelihood of pesticides traces that outlawed by the government.
Canon provides many examples to show how difficult it is for the Americans consuming the food to realize their full implications and what it implies if the practices continue. Using the given examples, he covers complex issues surrounding the effects of the imported, farm-produced foods like shrimps, and the McDonalds progressive policies. The article also includes plenty of statistics to strengthen the logos appeal, for instance, he quotes government data on how in 1930, the Americans used to spend approximately twenty-one percent of the family income on buying food. In present-day, the percent has reduced to about 6.1 percent, which can be described as the lowest globally. He also quotes relevant experts like Dennis Avery and Ben Lilliston while considering both sides of the controversy.
Canon also appeals to pathos throughout the text as he draws on the good conscience of the audience while attempting to enhance both socially and smarter responsible consumerism. The author also attempts to shift people’s belief that the food industry safe and stable to the environment by discussing the global change resulted from the irresponsible production of food. Such includes the shrimp farming causing environmental destruction and the imported food that might be poisonous from contamination. He reveals about the unknown consequences and risks associated with common food to inspire and raise a healthy caution and alarm while still shifting audience values like human rights and sustainability of the environment
Further, the article appeal to ethos is also subtle as the provided evidence tugs the conscience of the readers to establish good character and authority. Such is essential as the author is neither famous nor does he have a page on the website of the newspaper that published him. Besides popularity, he is also not well-established on the field of food. However, Canon manages to establish credibility in his argument by diving right into the problem and providing numerous supporting evidence hence assuring his readers that the research was extensive.
Moreover, he demonstrates his capability to consider both the negative and positive implications of food choices hence strengthening the argument. Such offer the author the chance to present to the readers that he understands both smart practices applied in businesses and the environment. He also exposes his caring character that sees the bigger picture like he wants his readers to by framing the human toll of the food industry as a problem that needs addressing instead of considering it as a business expenditure that should be ignored. Finally, he demonstrates his good will and the willingness to do the right thing through the assumption made that the readers would want to know the effects of the food choice they make every day.
Summarizing, Canon presents an effective and persuasive argument. He ably supports his message about how his target audience and consumers can make smarter decisions about the food they choose to eat. Depending on the author’s broad appeal to logos, he utilizes pathos and ethos appeal to ensure that compel the mind, conscience, and heart of the reader.
Work cited
Canon Scott. Why you can’t sit down to eat without making a statement? 2005. Available at https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/why-you-cant-sit-down-to-eat-without-making-a-statement/
