Chicago bans foie gras

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ZRH

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Mar 5, 2005
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http://www.epicurious.com/features/news/dailydish/

On Wednesday, the City Council of Chicago voted to ban the sale of foie gras. A silky and pricey dish that's synonymous with luxury, foie gras — French for "fat liver" — is created by force-feeding geese and ducks vast quantities of food, a practice that many say is cruel. Others argue that the city council should stay out of the kitchen or, at the very least, that it has bigger fish to fry: ''We have children getting killed by gang leaders and dope dealers,'' Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley was quoted as saying in The Chicago Sun-Times. "We have real issues here in this city. And we're dealing with foie gras? Let's get some priorities.''

Moving at lightning speed compared to a California law banning the production and sale of foie gras that goes into effect in 2012, Chicago's law will take effect in 90 days and will be enforced by "citizen complaints." The ban is just the latest in a Chi-town foie gras furor — the topic has also inspired a very public face-off between chefs Charlie Trotter (who has removed foie gras from his menus) and TRU's Rick Tramonto (who has become something of a foie gras champion).

The Chicago Restaurant Association has opposed the ban since the bill was first introduced last year, according to a spokesperson for the organization, and many chefs agree. "I think it is quite sad that the city of Chicago dictates what the customer can and cannot eat," says Oliver Weber, the executive sous chef at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, which houses several restaurants, including the much-lauded Avenues. The restaurant currently has a foie gras lollipop on the menu, which Weber reckons will probably have to come off, though he envisions pre-ban foie gras parties to use up stocks. Like Mayor Daley, he thinks the city council has chosen an odd niche food product on which to focus. "I do think it's cruel, but so is eating veal," Weber says. He also cites the diminishing stocks of fish in the ocean and the conditions under which nonorganic poultry are raised. "If it's an ethical issue, I could think of a million things they could go after."

Charlie Trotter, who was out of town and could not be reached directly for a comment, said through a spokesperson that he is "not gleeful" about the ordinance. He added that he views the decision by chefs and consumers about whether to serve or eat the product as a personal one and not a choice in which the government should be meddling.

Meanwhile, various animal advocacy groups, including the Humane Society of the United States, praised the measure. "The HSUS commends the Chicago City Council for passing this humane ordinance and halting the sale of one of the most cruel and indefensible factory-farmed products," Michael Markarian, executive vice president of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement posted on the organization's Web site.

— Megan O. Steintrager
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My favorite bit: "The restaurant currently has a foie gras lollipop on the menu, which Weber reckons will probably have to come off, though he envisions pre-ban foie gras parties to use up stocks."
 
I’m a vegetarian and animal cruelty is something that does indeed bother me, yet it is not the place of the government to dictate what one may or may not eat. It’s ludicrous especially when taken in a larger context of global and even local issues. I’m not sure if I should fall into a state of depression, cry, or do both.
 
I envision the ACLU getting involved in this tragic waste of government time and money. I wonder what other foods will be legislated against. Veal? Chicken? Ever seen what they do to chickens before they kill them and feed them to us all? It's pretty sad, but I don't think about it a lot cause I really love chicken.
 
eileenbunny said:
I envision the ACLU getting involved in this tragic waste of government time and money. I wonder what other foods will be legislated against. Veal? Chicken? Ever seen what they do to chickens before they kill them and feed them to us all? It's pretty sad, but I don't think about it a lot cause I really love chicken.
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You arent too keen on the ACLU's political stances then. They supported the smoking ban here in NY.

To give and idea what side they fall on:

They support:
-affirmitive action
-immigration amnesty
-free speech (but you will not find a case of them defending any decidely right wing papers/people etc)
-spam (I shit you not)
-slavery reparations

They dont support:
-the military
-death penalty
-gun rights
-etc.
 
FlamingGlory said:
You arent too keen on the ACLU's political stances then. They supported the smoking ban here in NY.

To give and idea what side they fall on:

They support:
-affirmitive action
-immigration amnesty
-free speech (but you will not find a case of them defending any decidely right wing papers/people etc)
-spam (I shit you not)
-slavery reparations

They dont support:
-the military
-death penalty
-gun rights
-etc.
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My comments were mostly a joke. I sincerely hope the ACLU doesn't waste their time on such a silly thing.

I've got mixed feelings abou the ACLU. I disagree with you that they don't support the military. I don't think that's even an issue with them. Unfortunately, because of their efforts to defend the rights of people to speak out against the military, they come off as unsupportive. What they are really doing here is defending people's freedom of speech.

I'm with them on the death penalty thing, so I really can't complain about that.

I'm not sure where I stand on gun rights.

As for what they do support, well, it's a mixed bag. They obviously have a very left wing agenda, but mostly it seems to me that they are an organization that is out there working for the civil liberties of every red blooded American. In our current political climate, with more and more of these being taken away by a government promoting fear, I think we can justify an organization like the ACLU.

Consequently, I've actually recently started working for them. I'm gonna be a lobbyist promoting gay rights here in Ohio and federally. I'm also gonna start working on legalization of drugs sometime this year. I'll rant about these issues at another time though.
 
eileenbunny said:
My comments were mostly a joke. I sincerely hope the ACLU doesn't waste their time on such a silly thing.
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It's not really silly, it's a precedent.

I've got mixed feelings abou the ACLU. I disagree with you that they don't support the military. I don't think that's even an issue with them. Unfortunately, because of their efforts to defend the rights of people to speak out against the military, they come off as unsupportive. What they are really doing here is defending people's freedom of speech.
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Erm, yeah except where they sued to remove crosses from military cemetaries because they are on federally owned land.

I'm with them on the death penalty thing, so I really can't complain about that.
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The only problem I have with the death penalty is it's under-utilization.

I'm not sure where I stand on gun rights.
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I openly submit an offer to take you shooting if you're ever in NY and blowing things up.

As for what they do support, well, it's a mixed bag. They obviously have a very left wing agenda, but mostly it seems to me that they are an organization that is out there working for the civil liberties of every red blooded American. In our current political climate, with more and more of these being taken away by a government promoting fear, I think we can justify an organization like the ACLU.
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That is the problem. You cant support SOME rights. You're either in for the whole bag or none at all.

Consequently, I've actually recently started working for them. I'm gonna be a lobbyist promoting gay rights here in Ohio and federally. I'm also gonna start working on legalization of drugs sometime this year. I'll rant about these issues at another time though.
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Dont make me choke a bitch. ^__^ :heart:
 
eileenbunny said:
I really don't believe the fois gras issue, as it stands, is silly. I do think our government or anyone else having to waste time on this issue is silly. Apparently so does the mayor of Chicago.
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The mayor of Chicago... :lol:

Ok but either way. It is representitive of a larger trend of legislating everything. There are some things that 40 years ago people would not even have thought of passing laws about. It starts by taking away things little by little until there is nothing left except what is PC and approved by someone else. I mean look at their enforcement method, citizen snitches. It totally reeks of 1984.

No Im not getting bent out of shape about this regardless of the tone of my posts but meh. I will defend anyone who wants to eat obese duck liver to the death :cool: Or hunt baby seals.
 
eileenbunny said:
I really don't believe the fois gras issue, as it stands, is silly. I do think our government or anyone else having to waste time on this issue is silly. Apparently so does the mayor of Chicago.
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lol well said.

There are far more important things to worry about.
 
People say things like "We have kids being killed by gang members and other real problems and this is what people focus on?"

First of all, it's still illegal for gang members to kill kids, or at least it was the last time I checked. So that part is done. Second of all, it's up to the cops to stop gang violence, not the city council. So that part is done.

So what is the job of the city council? To pass municipal codes making certain things illegal, like the abusive treatment of animals that enables some flaccid jerk to press his belly up against the table at an overpriced restaurant and slurp down bird livers as part of something he and his equally useless cohorts deem "socially acceptable luxury dining" before going home and jerking each other off with old thousand-dollar bills and mutual fund receipts.

*shrug*
 
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