Johnathan Safran Foer Webinar Reflection

Category: Persuasive/Informative

Name of Presenter: Johnathan Safran Foer

Title of the Excerpt: A Case for Eating Dogs

Date Accessed: October 28, 2014

In the excerpt of “A Case for Eating Dogs” Safran Foer starts by first giving examples of how our society views eating dogs. Then he expands and elaborates on how many other cultures use dog as a staple meat supply. After that he compares dog to any other animal by giving a broader view of the situation and ask the question, “Why is it ok to eat other animals but not dog?”

I found that when Safran Foer stated that the consumption of “man’s best friend” is actually legal in 44 of the 50 states appalling. However, not in a way that suggests disgust. This also led me on to wonder about why we don’t eat dog and how we could benefit from it. When he later compares dog meat to other consumed meats I was also appalled and led to question my views again.

When Safran Foer gave a two sided argument with actual points that seemed valid for the other side only to rebuttle with an even more stunning case I was once again appalled. From the argument I learned what is crucial to Safran Foer’s entire argument. I learned that eating dog meat is actually a good idea for us to do but we don’t because we it as unethical when they are “just an animal” like other meats we consume.

Another point that struck me as important and crucial to his argument was when Safran Foer actually gave a recipe for how to prepare a wedding style dog. I realized that the recipe wasn’t to promote eating dog but the exact opposite. The recipe was put there to show just how much dog is like any other animal. Yet our society still believes in the hypocrisy that it is ok to eat other farmed meats but not dog.

Latin Roots #5

Roots & Derivatives

1. Cent(i) (Hundred): Century, centipede, centennial, centigrade, centimeter

2. Cid(e), Cis(e) (cut, kill): Homicide, incision, suicide, scissors, circumcise

3. Clam, Claim (cry out, declare): Clamor, exclaim, proclaim, disclaim

4. Cord, Cour (heart): Accord, courage, encouraged, cordiform, cordate

Word List

1. Bicentennial: (related to) A celebration of a two hundredth anniversary; happening once in a period of two hundred years or lasting two hundred years.

After 200 hundred solid years of quality service the clothing line had a bicentennial celebration.

2. Centenarian: A person who has lived to be one hundred years old.

Still breaking records and astonishing people all over the world there is a centenarian who competes in triathlons and marathons.

3. Centurion: A Roman officer commanding one hundred men; related to the military mind, especially as it favors military solutions for handling social problems.

Although there was plenty in the army, centurions played an important role in the empire of Rome’s conquest around the Mediterranean Sea.

4. Clamorous: Characterized by continuous loud and complaining voices; noisy complaining; insistent.

After the accidental gas leak at the school there have been a continuous flow of clamorous calls from parents concerned about their children’s wellbeing.

5. Concise: Covering much in few words; brief and to the point; specific.

After coming to terms with our procrastination we can all find spark notes concise summaries to be a life-saver.

6. Concordance: A condition of harmony or agreement; an alphabetical index indicating reference passages, as from a writer’s works.

For the fundraiser to be legal and safe it must fall in concordance with the city’s health and safety regulations.

7. Cordial: Of the heart; warm and friendly; amiable.

Despite having such a hard breakup I found her family to still be quite cordial when we ran into each other at the market.

8. Discordant: (sounding) Harsh or inharmonious; clashing.

With so many musicians missing practice for various reasons the orchestra sounded nothing but discordant.

9. Genocide: The systematic extermination of an ethnic group.

Most acts of genocide are made upon an ethnic group that some political leader has used as a scapegoat.

10. Incisive: Keenly penetrating, cutting into.

With years of studying under his belt the physicist was easily able to incisively solve the equation.

11. Proclamation: An official statement or announcement that informs or honors.

King Creon’s first proclamation was to ban the burial of Polyneices.

12. Reclaim: To claim again; to restore to former importance of usefulness.

Despite having no proof that it was his horse, Blevins, Grady, and Rawlings still snuck into the town to reclaim what was rightfully theirs.

Latin Roots #4

Roots & Derivatives

1. Bon. Boun (good): Bonus, bounty, bountiful, bonify, boon, bon voyage, bonhomie

2. Capit. Capt (head, chief, leader): Capital, captain, capitalize, decapitate, per capita.

3. Carn(i) (flesh): Carnal, carnality, carnival, carnation, carnify.

4. Ced(e), Ceed, Cess (go, yield, surrender): Recede, proceed, success, concede, exceed, procession, unprecedented.

Word List

1. Accession: The attainment of a certain rank or dignity; an increase by means of something added; the act of becoming joined.
After the accession of the soldier he know carried a rank of great stature.

2. Bona Fide: In good faith; genuine.
I trusted my little brother, in bona fide, to be responsible for doing his chores.

3. Bonanza: A sudden and unexpected source of money or riches; a windfall
After winning the lottery, one can expect a huge bonanza.

4. Bounteous: Inclined to be generous; plentiful and abundant
Now that he had enough to give the man became quite bounteous with his poor past in mind.

5. Capitulation: A surrendering, usually upon prearranged terms or conditions; a final giving up.
Once they realized it was in their best interest to not fight they arranged a capitulation.

6. Carnage: A great slaughter, as in battle.
The battle old veteran was a snapshot of what the carnage on the battle fields in Vietnam were like.

7. Carnivorous: Flesh-eating, as an animal
Being carnivorous, the shark went into a frenzy after the scent of blood entered the water.

8. Incarnate: Literally, in the flesh; in bodily form; personified; flesh-colored
After the full moon had waned the werewolf went back to being incarnate.

9. Intercede: To act on another’s behalf; to mediate
After the argument had become quite heated I interceded before things escalated out of hand.

10. Precedent: A previous act or decision taken as a valid model; having gone before
Teachers state the rules on the first day of school as a precedent to prevent any acts of mischief.

11. Recapitulation: A brief reputation; a summary, as of what has already been said
After being bombarded with important due dates our teacher gave us a recapitulation in order to erase any confusion.

12. Reincarnation: A thing that is reborn, or comes back into being, although perhaps in a different (bodily) form.
Many religions attribute life after the present life to reincarnation.