Eric Sagata Com 100 Persuasive # 2 Topic: The California foie gras ban General purpose: To persuade Specific

purpose: To persuade my audience that the California foie gras ban is unreasonable Central topic: The California foie gras ban is unreasonable because it is an infringement on peoples freedoms as well as difficult to enforce. Introduction 1) Greet audience/introduce self and topic: Hello everyone. My name is Eric Sagata and today I will be talking to you about California S.B. 1520, more commonly referred to as the foie gras law, which outlawed the production of foie gras. How many of you have ever eaten foie gras? 2) Establish credibility: Well I myself have tried it many times, and generally I have liked the dish based on how it is prepared. Im not a professional chef or critic, but just an avid foodie. Because of this, I oppose the ban of foie gras in California eateries. Let me share with you a few photos from a recent meal I had with my friends at Melisse in Beverly Hills (photos). 3) Relate to audience: Now Im sure at least some of that had to look appetizing to some of you unless you do not eat meat. But now, even if you wanted to try these dishes, you cannot because of the foie gras ban. And even if you do not like the taste of foie gras or do not want to try it, this law should still be of some concern to all of you. How would you feel if you went to a restaurant only to be told you cannot order a certain dish because the government will not let you? 4) Preview of speech: So in this speech I will briefly explain what foie gras as well as what California SB 1520 is. I will then address why this ban should not be supported by refuting arguments made by proponents of this ban. Body 1) Foie gras is a French dish made from the fattened liver of a goose or duck. It is generally prepared as a mousse or parfait. It is a delicacy that is generally very rich in taste and buttery in texture. a) This soft texture is achieved through a technique known as gavage, which is the force-feeding of corn to the ducks or geese. This process is what has made foie gras such a controversial dish. 2) For this reason, California enacted Senate Bill number 1520. It was introduced by John Burton on February 19, 2004. The bill was signed into law on September 29, 2004 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. a) The California Legislative Councils site provides a copy of the bill. The bill states that it would prohibit a person from force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the birds liver beyond normal size. The bill also prohibited any products from being sold in the state if they were produced by these means. A violation of this law would result in a citation of $1,000. b) The bill became operational on July 1, 2012.

c) Though the law does not explicitly state foie gras is banned, because the process of making foie gras involves force feeding, the food product was banned. 3) I do not believe that this ban is entirely necessary. I will not bring up some arguments that supporters of this ban make, and proceed to explain why I believe those arguments are not entirely correct or valid. a) First, and most obviously, the primary reason this law was made was due to the supposed unethical treatment of the geese and ducks used to produce foie gras. i) Now I want to make it clear now that I do not condone unethical treatment of animals, and also that it is true. There are in fact manufacturers of foie gras who treat ducks and geese poorly. I do believe that these institutions should not be allowed to operate or should be investigated. ii) However, it has been proven that foie gras producers exist who treat their ducks properly for the preparation of foie gras. Though force-feeding is necessary to enlarge the liver, the ducks, when treated properly, are not stressed by the process and do not suffer from injury as a result. (1) Hudson Valley Foie Gras is one of the most prominent foie gras producers in America. The company has a reputation for providing the majority of foie gras products for restaurants in America. (a) Unlike many producers of say, chicken, Hudson Valley chooses to keep its ducks in a cage-free environment according to its own website. (b) The force-feeding process is quick and painless, and the ducks even tend to come to the feeders to be fed. This is important because according to Ginor, a stressed bird wont eat and digest well or produce a foie gras. (c) Hudson Valley has also worked with humane specialists to decrease the stress of its ducks, by providing more space, checking crops, decreasing force-feeding time periods, and providing cooler conditions. This is all according to foodarts.com. b) Now, the common misconception and argument is that the force-feeding process is painful and harmful for the ducks. Yet I just said that Hudson Valley claims its painless. i) Here is a video explaining why this is. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh_wJnQmETE&feature=related) ii) As you just heard, the ducks anatomy allows it to receive the feeding tube without any harm or injury when properly handled. iii) Additionally, according to the American Veterinary Medical Associations Animal Welfare Division, in addition to the above information being true, the ducks do not sustain injury or harm from an enlarged liver or contract liver necrosis. According to a foie gras production document from the AMVA in 2007, ducks can still walk, interact, and be transported without any problems if treated well. c) Another argument against foie gras is that prominent chefs support the ban and feel that its production is unethical. i) One famous chef that was mentioned was Wolfgang Puck, who supports the ban against foie gras.

(1) He has been criticized, though, of being hypocritical. Rick Bishop, marketing director of Hudson Valley has publicly stated in interviews that Wolfgang Puck purchases foie gras from his farm. (a) Wolfgang Pucks own representatives have even said that this is true, as Chef Puck serves for many private catering events that request foie gras, which he does not deny them. (b) Additionally, his own restaurant, CUT, in Singapore, used to serve foie gras in May. Back when Puck was vocal about his stance on foie gras, screenshots were taken of CUTs online menu to expose his hypocrisy. It has since been removed. ii) Other chefs have openly expressed their dislike of the ban because they feel that perhaps the government is overstepping its bounds. (1) Josiah Citrin, chef and owner of Melisse, which I showed you pictures from earlier, mentioned in an interview with the LA Times that if the government can go about banning water fowl, what comes next, chicken? (2) Food critics, such as KevinEats, have also mentioned that moves like this ban in addition to other food related bans, such as Bloombergs NY Ban on soda, are an infringement on peoples liberties, as people should have the option to choose what they wish to eat. (3) Anthony Bourdain has also said that many chefs refuse to purchase foie gras from producers who mistreat their fowl. d) I will address one final argument. A similar ban has been enacted in other cities and countries, such as Chicago, the UK, Germany, and more. If the can be placed there, it should be placed here too right? And it should work? i) Well, first of all in the case of European countries, though there are indeed bans on foie gras production in these countries, there are no bans on foie gras sales. Many restaurants in these countries still receive foie gras from foreign producers via imports, and serve the foie gras. (1) Many of these countries never even produced foie gras in the past, and purchased foie gras from foreign countries then as well. Therefore these bans have actually done little to stop foie gras production in countries that do produce foie gras. ii) Additionally, Chicago provides us with an example of how this law cannot be enforced. After the ban was made effective in 2006, chefs continued to sell foie gras, or even give it out for free, which was not against the law. (1) Warnings were issued by the city, but no citations were given. It was simply costing the city more money to actively seek violations of this law. (2) In December of 2006, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley said the law was silly, and by 2008 the law was repealed in a 37-6 vote. (3) Other states such as Maine and Pennsylvania have had bans overturned as well iii) It is very likely a similar situation will arise in California. We are already seeing examples of this. (1) Just last Saturday July 14, the Presidio Social Club in San Francisco got around the ban and sold foie gras.

(a) The Presidio lies on federal property, and federal laws trump state laws. Therefore, according to a Reuters article, owner Ray Tang claimed it was legal to serve foie gras. (2) Also in Mountain View, CA, Chez TJ restaurant has been actively serving foie gras by not listing it on the menu. Conclusion 1) In closing, I would like to say that yes, the production process of foie gras could be improved upon or at least more closely monitored to match the standards provided by more trusted foie gras famers, such as Hudson Valley. 2) But a ban is simply unnecessary. It seems to only incite chefs and citizens to try to violate the law in exchange for their freedom to eat and serve what they wish.

Works Cited American Medical Veterinary Association. Foie gras production, Welfare implications of. American Medical Veterinary Association Welfare Division. American Medical Veterinary Association, 24 Sept. 2007. 14 July 2012 <http://www.avma.org/reference/backgrounders/foie_gras_bgnd.asp> Artisan Farmers Alliance. Foie Gras Bans Defeated. 2012. 13 July 2012 <http://www.artisanfarmers.org/foiegrasbansdefeated.html> California Legislative Council. Senate Bill 1520. Official California Legislative Information. 29 Sept. 2004. 14 July 2012 <http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/03-04/bill/sen/sb_15011550/sb_1520_bill_20040929_chaptered.pdf> Davey, Monica. Ban Lifted, Foie Gras Is Back on the Menu in Chicago. New York Times. New York Times, 2008 May 15. 15 July 2012 <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/us/15liver.html> Gold, Jonathan. With foie gras ban, chefs say state is force-feeding morality. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 27 June 20120. 13 July 2012 <http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/27/food/la-fo0628-foie-gras-20120628> Harrison, Laird. San Francisco restaurant defies Californias foie gras ban. Reuters. Reuters, 16 July 2012. 16 July 2012 <http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/16/uk-usa-california-foieidUSLNE86F00W20120716> Hudson Valley Foie Gras, LLC. 2012-2013. 13 July 2012 <http://www.hudsonvalleyfoiegras.com/> Jung, Carolyn. Foie and its Discontents. Food Arts. Food Arts 2007-2012, May 2012. 13 July 2012. <http://foodarts.com/news/features/16359/foie-and-its-discontents> Mishak, Michael J. Top chefs rally to fight California foie gras ban. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2012. 15 July 2012 <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/californiapolitics/2012/04/chefs-fight-california-foie-gras-ban.html> Nirappil, Fenit. Calif. restaurants duck weak state foie gras ban. SFGate. Associated Press, 18 July 2012. 18 July 2012. <http://www.sfgate.com/living/article/Calif-restaurants-duck-weak-state-foie-grasban-3711854.php> Wikipedia.org. Foie gras controversy. Wikipedia. 16 July 2012. 16 July 2012 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foie_gras_controversy>