6.6 Blog: Use of Antibiotics

The use of antibiotics in farming where Antibiotic Resistance (AR) is passed from animal to human is so depressing. This seems like an unfair assault on those without the means to defend themselves. If the only way to avoid animal products from farms where antibiotics are administered is to buy organic or some other more elite and costly versions of the product, who has agency? Certainly not those in a lower SES. Say this was something an immigrant family did not need to worry about in their home country - who says they'll take it upon themselves to look this up, inform themselves, and make a change in their purchasing decisions? That's asking a lot of a family trying to acclimate to a new country and culture already. It's just sickening that this is the traditional American practice and that it can one day wipe out so many of us. 

The antibacterial products get a similar reaction from me, except that they are not being offered to me as vital nutrients to sustain my life. For that, I will take it down a notch. But coming from such a high level of outrage really only means I'm less outraged, not calm and accepting. When capitalism turns a profit on Americans purchasing items that actively weaken their health, there is a fundamental issue with the system. I'm not talking skittles or candy bars, but cleaning products marketed to fight off sickness. These should do just that! Not poison us and the environment we use them in.