Urban farming has become quite controversial over the past several years. While there are many subsets of urban agriculture, one of the most popular methods is known as Hydroponics. Hydroponics is a method of growing a variety of fruits and vegetables without the use of soil and is becoming quite common in major urban cities all over the world. As with everything else today, not everyone agrees on the benefits of producing food in this manner. One specific opposition to the sprawl of urban farming comes from Richard Longworth who expressed his viewpoint in an article titled, “Forget Urban Farms. We Need a Wal-Mart.” Longworth’s attempt at using logos to appeal to his audience left much to be desired.
In his controversial piece, Longworth exposed …show more content…
He mentions that one sign of economic hardship is malnutrition, yet he does not believe that small farms growing fresh fruits and vegetables is a solution. In fact, he believes quite the opposite. Longworth says, “In Detroit and other cities where these urban farms fill a need, urban farms are nothing less than a symptom of civic catastrophe, a desperate last measure for people trapped in destitute neighborhoods that have become food deserts” (par. 4). Making himself an authority on the topic, he condemns the idea of a local food movement, and instead wants big chain stores like Wal-Mart to open stores rent-free throughout the city. Longworth also loses ethos in his argument through his use of sarcasm by saying that only higher-class citizens would know how to use produce grown in urban farms. While he does provide a reason or two that supports the opposing viewpoint, he often shoots them down soon afterwards losing any piece of common ground he may have earned. Using inductive reasoning, Longworth points out that Detroit is economically destitute because it contains some bad neighborhoods, its citizens get sick, and have poor …show more content…
Considering the growth and immense success that has become closely associated with inner city farming methods like hydroponics and the increasing number of people and families who strive to maintain a balance diet, there is a long list of people who would feel a negative response to his article. When using logos to validate an opinion, by definition, the argument must be logical. Requiring Wal-Mart to offer nutrition classes as a condition of receiving free rent when there is already ample opportunity for hands-on learning isn’t logical. The small farms that already exist around the city could easily hold similar classes to teach people not only how to eat properly, but also how to grow nutritious food in their own backyard. A mother who knows that there is fresh fruit grown right around the corner from her house would not see it as a failure, rather, would see it as an opportunity to feed her family healthy, nutritious food. Instead of building his arguments on common ground to increase his audience appeal, he completely diminishes the value of inner-city farming as a method to relieve a part of Detroit’s food
In his controversial piece, Longworth exposed …show more content…
He mentions that one sign of economic hardship is malnutrition, yet he does not believe that small farms growing fresh fruits and vegetables is a solution. In fact, he believes quite the opposite. Longworth says, “In Detroit and other cities where these urban farms fill a need, urban farms are nothing less than a symptom of civic catastrophe, a desperate last measure for people trapped in destitute neighborhoods that have become food deserts” (par. 4). Making himself an authority on the topic, he condemns the idea of a local food movement, and instead wants big chain stores like Wal-Mart to open stores rent-free throughout the city. Longworth also loses ethos in his argument through his use of sarcasm by saying that only higher-class citizens would know how to use produce grown in urban farms. While he does provide a reason or two that supports the opposing viewpoint, he often shoots them down soon afterwards losing any piece of common ground he may have earned. Using inductive reasoning, Longworth points out that Detroit is economically destitute because it contains some bad neighborhoods, its citizens get sick, and have poor …show more content…
Considering the growth and immense success that has become closely associated with inner city farming methods like hydroponics and the increasing number of people and families who strive to maintain a balance diet, there is a long list of people who would feel a negative response to his article. When using logos to validate an opinion, by definition, the argument must be logical. Requiring Wal-Mart to offer nutrition classes as a condition of receiving free rent when there is already ample opportunity for hands-on learning isn’t logical. The small farms that already exist around the city could easily hold similar classes to teach people not only how to eat properly, but also how to grow nutritious food in their own backyard. A mother who knows that there is fresh fruit grown right around the corner from her house would not see it as a failure, rather, would see it as an opportunity to feed her family healthy, nutritious food. Instead of building his arguments on common ground to increase his audience appeal, he completely diminishes the value of inner-city farming as a method to relieve a part of Detroit’s food