Let's hear it for the rabble rousers in
Vermont! They have succeeded in sticking it to Big Food.
Vermont's governor, Peter Shumlin,
recently signed legislation making his state the first to require
identification of genetically modified organisms – GMO – on food
labels. The lackeys at the FDA have bowed and scraped at the feet of
Monsanto and other “Big Food” producers, as well as the food
industry shills at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and have
avoided requiring such labeling at the federal level. So, groups of
concerned citizens have been pushing the states to step forward and,
although industry pressure has cowed a couple of them – looking at
you, California and Washington – the movement is gaining ground.
Vermont's neighbors in Maine and Connecticut have passed labeling
legislation, but are covering their bets by declaring that the laws
won't take effect until other states jump on the bandwagon. I don't
know if Vermont's action will motivate them or not. But there are
still at least 85 bills pending in 29 states regarding GMO labeling.
Of course, you can expect that Big Food
will not take this affront to their sovereignty lightly. As sure as
night follows day, there will be challenges and lawsuits that will
keep Vermont's lawyers busy for months if not years. But it's a step
in the right direction.
What's all the fuss, you might ask?
After all, GMO foods have been around for a long time and people have
not started dropping like flies as a result. As a matter of fact,
most scientific evidence points to the mutations being benign. Other
than a few red flag wavers – like the European Union, Japan,
Australia, and a host of other countries – many people don't seem
to have a problem with GMO from a safety standpoint. The promoters
say that such technology is essential to feeding a growing world
population. They say that their products will someday be more
nutritious and the techniques involved in growing them will be better
for the environment. Woo-hoo! I hope they're right. That's not really
the issue here. The issue is one of clearly labeling the contents of
our food packages.
Why is the food industry so dead set
against us knowing what they're doing? If I hear one more food
industry flak insult my intelligence by spouting off the company
line, “Labels will only mislead and confuse consumers,” I think
I'll have a conniption. How stupid do they think we all are? (Don't
answer that.)
I have a right to know what I'm putting
in my mouth, dammit. Don't tell me I'll be confused or mislead or
frightened by seeing “Contains Genetically Modified Ingredients”
printed on a label. That's what we have labels for; to tell us what's
in the package before we decide to buy it. I'm not terrified by the
prospect of mutated corn in my corn oil. But I'd still like to know
it's in there. Why is that “confusing,” “misleading,” or
“frightening?” I know of another word that could solve all the
issues: “education.” If the food industry is so all-fired certain
that we're nothing but a bunch of ignorant dolts, then I call upon
them to educate us rather than to attempt to protect us from
ourselves. When it comes to what we're putting in our bodies,
ignorance is not bliss. Even
if the substance in question is holy water, I want to know it's in
there. I have a right to know it's in there. Why shouldn't I know
it's in there? Unless there really is something
to hide. Is the food industry really concerned
that we poor fools will be confused, or do they have a darker agenda
they're trying to hide? (Bwah-ha-ha! I love a good conspiracy
theory!)
Seriously, c'mon,
FDA, Monsanto, Grocery Manufacturers Association, and cowardly and/or
corrupt politicians everywhere. Knowing what's in our food supply may
not be one of the inalienable rights We the People are guaranteed by
the Constitution, but maybe it should be. I'm sure James Madison and
his cronies weren't up on genetic engineering, but they were pretty
much on the side of an informed populace. And that's all we're
asking; to be informed. To be able to make informed decisions. If GMO
are safe, then the manufacturers and promoters of the stuff have
nothing to hide and nothing to lose by telling us about it. If
they're not safe and future generations start sprouting extra fingers
and toes, well, at least we were informed and given the option to buy
or not to buy.
The
labeling issue is in our hands. We're the ones with the need to know
and we're the only ones who can demand that we do know.
The sight of FDA officials doing cartwheels and handstands at the
bidding of their industry handlers is pathetic. They're like monkeys
performing for peanuts. Probably genetically modified ones. Big Food
has them firmly under control and the only way we'll get anything
done that benefits us rather
than “the industry” is if we all do what a bunch of rabble
rousers in Vermont did. Don't just speak up, shout out!
Make your state legislators hear
your voice. Let them know that you want to be informed about what
you're eating. It's that simple. It's not about safety or science,
although that may be part of the bigger picture. And it's not about
fear or confusion. With all the additives and preservatives the food
industry shovels into our grocery carts, there's already enough
questionable crap in there as it is. We just demand the right to know
exactly what that questionable crap is and whether or not we really
want to buy it.
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