The Government Should Not Conceal Information that May Impact Public Health

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Recommended: Federal meat inspection act 1906

When people purchase their meat, they seldom think about the diseases that may come with it. They are confident the meat they are buying is the highest quality their money can afford. However, now and then, there is news of contaminated meat and recalls. This questions the role of the government and its obligation to inform and to serve the public. In the past, the government has passed rules and laws such as the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 and Kevin’s Law. However, they have proved to be insufficient and required a long process to pass such regulations. To a certain extent, government should further impose actions to ensure the safety of the American public.

Policies that the government has previously passed are rather lenient. The policies allow companies to take advantage of the loop-hole that has been provided for them. Under federal law, employers are not required to verify that a worker's identification documents are authentic (Source 6). This allows the employment of numerous illegal workers who are willing to work long hours for little pay. The greed of the meat industries increase as there are abundant supplies of hardworking low waged-workers that can be replaced when necessary. Companies such as IBP are fond of illegal immigrants because they can be pushed to work in dangerously fast paces due to the fear of replacement and the deportation by the INS. However, what these people do not know is that the meat industries and the INS have been conspiring with one another. The INS allows the meat-packing firms to hire replacement workers before it steps in and removes illegal employees in exchange for bribes (Hedgers). Rule and regulations should be strictly enforced to ensure that there are no ambiguities.
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...n affect health of millions.

Works Cited

Eshoo, Anna. "Eshoo Introduces Kevin's Law." Congreswoman Anna G. Eshoo. N.p., 30 Jun 2005. Web. 30 Mar 2011.

Hedgers, Stephen J. "The New Jungle." U.S. News & World Report 23 Sept. 1996: 34+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Feb. 2011.

Kowalcyk, Barbara. "Kevin's Story." The Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention. cfi, n.d. Web. 30 Mar 2011.

Moss, Michael. "The Burger That Shattered Her Life."New York Times 03 Oct 2009: n. pag. Web. 30 Mar 2011

Pasour, E.c. Jr. "We can Do Better than Governement Inspection of Meat." Freeman Ideas on Liberty48.5 (1998): n. pag. Web. 30 Mar 2011.

Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin company, 2002. Print.

Sinclair, Upton. "The Jungle: Chapter 9." Berkely Digital Library SunSite. Project Gutenberg, 16 Sept 1996. Web. 30 Mar 2011.

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