It's the time of year". Halloween brings about a need for thrills: Trick-or-Treating in the dark for the little ones, vampires, zombies and werewolves in horror movies and paranormal stories for the rest of us; not to mention the election campaign. But let's not go there.
Something related to the election, however, scares the daylight out of me and makes me wonder--how scary do you like it?
Stonyfield Farm CEO Gary Hirshfield appeared on the Bill Maher show last Friday and gave us the frightening insight into the dangers of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). GMO- OMG!
We have a right to know by Pinterest
California, the 8th largest economy in the world, has a Prop 37 on the ballot for 6 Nov that requires mandatory labeling of GMOs. What's all this about? In contrast to most European countries, the USA does not require labeling. So you don't know what you're eating. You can assume, however, that you take in 70% genetically modified foods if you live off the fast-food aisle. Now that is scary.
What's so bad about GMOs? Male mice
fed GM soy have damaged young sperm cells. The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed
mice have altered DNA functioning. GM potato-eating rats developed profound damage
to their systems within 10 days. To sum it up: Studies link GMOs with toxins, allergies,
infertility, infant mortality, immune dysfunction, stunted growth, accelerated
aging, and death. You may be playing genetic roulette with your life as Jeffrey
Smith claims in his book "Seeds of Deception
and Genetic Roulette". Scary, scary! Prop 37 isn't asking to ban GMO foods
-- like Germany already has together with some of her neighbors.
It gets even scarier. Pepsi, Monsanto, Dow Chemical and DuPont and many other huge companies are opposed to Prop 37. Of course, no surprise there! Genetically engineered foods are more profitable for a company and that company is motivated to suppress knowledge about the food. But we have a right to know.
Let's take Monsanto for example; the controversial agricultural multinational at the forefront of genetically modified food that holds the patents to agricultural seeds that were originally free and later in the possession of farmers. Now these seeds are transgenic species and they belong to Monsanto. Farmers in many parts of the world (even in India) are obliged to buy them instead. Many are going bankrupt over this. Here we are entering a whole new playing field that includes environmental issues and risks. Let's recap: Monsanto engineers the seeds to be herbicide resistant. At the same time they sell farmers pesticides: A win-win situation. Can you take any scarier? Here comes:
Michael R. Taylor is the Deputy Commissioner for Foods at the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In his earlier career Michael Taylor served as a vice president for Monsanto. That does sound like a conflict of interest, doesn't it? Is that scary enough for you?
The only way Californians will win the right to know about genetically modified ingredients in our food is to claim it in the voting booth. I'm asking you to support Prop 37 because we have a right to know. And not just in CA. We just want a simple label--like in 61 other countries, indicating if our food has been genetically engineered -- nationwide.
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine has called for a moratorium on genetically modified foods. People shouldn't be treated like guineas pigs.
We all have "unalienable rights," and "among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Remember? (And that includes feeding our families the way we want -- healthy!).
It's these unalienable rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution. Not just the pursuit of money -- for some.
I'm done with scary this Halloween.
