"USDA Government Inspected"
After reading the Davidson and Lytle article entitled "USDA Government Inspected", I was not at all surprised or shocked at what I had read. The purpose of the article was to express to the reader that history is not always easily captured. There are instances where myths and symbols are used to proclaim somebody a hero. Even though these story-like accounts are true and accurate, the main factors in these complex political situations are twisted with symbols to transmit them in an almost surreal fashion. The situation in the meatpacking plants was very bad at the turn into the 20th century. The movement to solve this problem encountered many difficulties but eventually succeeded in passing appropriate legislation. I am in complete agreement with the author of the article as I believe that at times, the media can provide minor distortions in historical accounts that will tra
The bureaucratic process took a long time as the Meat Inspection Act was finally passed 4 months after it was initially introduced as a bill. After reading a novel by Upton Sinclair called The Jungle, which exposed the corrupt and dangerous practices of the meatpacking industry in the United States. His first attempt to confront the industry failed as his suit was dismissed. There are certain instances when the media can slightly distort a situation using myths and symbols to either demonize a person, or make them seem to be a hero. What The Jungle did for him was provide another weapon in the ongoing fight. They completely avoided the absolute truth of what happened in the complex political process that took place for the act to be passed. In the beginning of the article, we are introduced to Teddy Roosevelt and his personality. With the signing of the Meat Inspection Act that assured consumers that their meat was fresh and clean, Roosevelt became an instant hero. Firstly, Roosevelt didn't suggest the passing of legislation to regulate food simply because he read a novel with sensationalist claims. Nonetheless, the situation was entangled in a legislative jungle where either side would rather "go down fighting for a 'whole loaf' when 'half a loaf' was the best they could expect. After reading this novel, Theodore Roosevelt was willing to take immediate action to call for federal regulation of the industry. When he was in command of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War, he spoke of the many soldiers that died from chemically adulterated meats that were supplied by the American meatpacking industry. Although this is true, very important details were left out. " (page 221, Davidson and Lytle) It is obvious that the media plays a large role in a society. Roosevelt did not act as quickly as was written in the first part.
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Acceptance Essays
