I am not just a blogger, I'm also an active commenter on other blogs. When I comment on another blog, I don't normally transfer that conversation to my own blog, as I like to keep the focus in one area and I don't want to appear redundant.
That said, Wil Wheaton posted an entry on blogging.la that caught my attention. His entry spoke to the news coverage of the spinach e. coli outbreak. His post spoke to news sensationalism (a very real topic to be discussed) regarding the spinach, where the news media was reporting that we shouldn't eat it. Mr. Wheaton suggested that the media was overhyping this, and that some spinach was safe to eat. Here's a direct quote:
If you're going North this week, stop off in Ventura and pick up a bunch of spinach, okay? It's only a buck, it will help some farmers, and it will show the local newsdrones that we will not be terrified into non-spinach-buying submission.
Now, I feel for the spinach growers in Ventura County, but the CDC and the FDA are both still advising people not to eat any fresh spinach. I attempted to comment in his post, but he has not (as of 8:38am this morning) published my comments, so I'm going to post my comment here (I didn't save my initial comment from the other day, because I assumed he would publish it. The second one appears below):
I haven't seen my previous comment appear yet, but here's another update from the Food And Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01459.html
This latest update still contains the consumer warning "FDA advises consumers to not eat fresh spinach or products that contain fresh spinach until further notice. Fresh spinach includes bagged spinach, spinach in a clamshell, and loose spinach purchased from retail establishments such as supermarkets, restaurants and farmers' markets."
Here's an updated link to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/foodborne/ecolispinach/current.htm
They also advise: "Currently, we are advising consumers to not eat any fresh spinach or salad blends containing fresh spinach that are consumed raw."
As of 1pm yesterday 126 people were infected from 23 states. The more we talk about this, the greater the benefits. It's not just this spinach issue, but the increase in food safety awareness that is being promoted. At one point it was estimated that foodborne diseases caused 6 million to 81 million illnesses and up to 9,000 deaths each year. These are old numbers, but they're not that old and many, many people still get frighteningly ill due to a lack of safety adherence. I think it is a good thing that the media are covering this in their manner. Again, I feel for the Ventura farmers, but you have to appeal to the least intelligent among us. If we say that Ventura spinach is safe, the lesser-brained will not discern the "Ventura" part of that sentence and will eat any spinach, endangering their health.
I think this is a real thing here, which is why I'm making a big deal about it. I think people read blogs and take them seriously. It's possible that Mr. Wheaton was not aware of the FDA and the CDC's directives. But if he was, well... To suggest, even indirectly, that the FDA *and* the CDC are to be dismissed is not the wisest choice he could have made on a public forum, especially as Mr. Wheaton is so widely respected.
I'm a freedom of speech advocate. I've marched for free speech, I've voted for it, I've written about it, I even maintain it as a standing rule in my house, especially with my children. But when it comes to public safety, I believe that we should all be extra careful with our public speech. I hope that Mr. Wheaton will rethink his position, as he has so very bravely rethought other positions.
2 Comments:
Well, at the time he posted that entry I think the news services were only making the danger out to be from fresh, bagged spinach. It was only more recently that the agencies started announcing that we stay away from all fresh spinach.
Still, I understand what you're saying about his lack of looking before leaping as far as making his claims and accusations went. It's unfortunate too because he does tend to self-educate himself better than a lot of other popular personalities with fire in their bellies.
In the meantime it's sad to see one of my regular salad components causing such troubles. Hopefully this'll all get cleaned up in fairly short order and the worst will have been over.
I agree with you, and empathize with your disappointment. I feel that it was odd that he would do that, as he normally is well read and thinks responsibly. However, every once in a blue moon, he posts a rant before all the info is in. Look, I get it, he's a special breed. He is famous and had an "interesting" childhood and his sense of responsibility and maturity is unique unto his situation. I am in no way judging him, just using him as an example of what not to do.
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