GMOs

Dear President Obama,

When you ran in the last election you had my respect and admiration.  You were running on a platform of change and helping the forgotten people in our country.   I didn't expect you to change the world overnight, I didn't expect you to get rid of the deficit.  But I did expect you to be on our side - the side of a human beings who expect to eat properly, have shelter, be healthy and be able to love and care for others.  I can still love and care for others, but my ability to eat properly and shelter myself is being eroded (pun intended).

Here is my question to you.  When did you forget you are on our side?  More specifically why are you supporting Monsanto?  I am so very puzzled by your actions.

Here is a summary of what I have researched so far:

1) Genetically modified seeds, that is roundup Ready and BT seeds are bad for us and animals, as is the growth hormone used on cows.  There were studies done on the effects of these types of foods, but they were ignored and swept under the carpet.  Scientists who would not condone GM seeds were fired.  Farmers in India who were forced and enticed to buy BT Cotton seeds, have very sick plants that are less hardy than their regular cotton seeds.  And in 10 years, over 250,000  Indian farmers killed themselves.

2) Roundup itself is causing a lot of damage to the earth.  It is creating super weeds that require higher concentrations of poison to kill them.  Monsanto has paid farmers to buy competitors products that are stronger to kill the super weeds.

3) Crops that are grown using GM seeds are not better than convential or organic seeds.  These seeds are contaminating other farmers crops and Monsanto is suing farmers for infringement on their patent or for royalties.  Thank God that some farmers are standing up to this.  Farmers are now suing Monsanto for contaminating their crops with the GM seed.  Farmers are turning on one another, out of fear of the "seed police" from Monsanto.  

4) Yes the GM seeds are patented.  And farmers must sign an agreement that they willl not seed save, but must buy new seeds each year from Monsanto. 

5) Monsanto has consistently lied about their products.  Roundup was said to be biodegradable.  They had to remove that when they were sued.  Monsanto says that Roundup is safe.   A group of scientists led by biochemist Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini from the University of Caen in France found that human placental cells are very sensitive to Roundup at concentrations even lower than those currently used in agricultural application.  An epidemiological study of Ontario farming populations showed that exposure to glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, nearly doubled the risk of late miscarriages.  There are many other studies showing the negative effects of GM seeds

6) Monsanto claims that GM seeds are going to help feed the world.  Studies have shown that this is simply not the case, check out talks by Dr Vandana Shiva.  In fact crops that are diverse and grown organically (that is with no herbicides or pesticides) are more productive, nourish the earth upon which they depend and provide much better nutrition to the people they feed.  I'm trying to just state what I have found with no editorial comments.  But I can't resist here:)  Monsanto probably means that they are going to help feed the world by depopulating her first through lower fertility rates, faster death rates and less food that is not too nourishing.

We the people are being forced back to local gardening and support of our local farmers.  This is not a bad thing, but I certainly don't want my garden contaminated by Monsanto or runoff from someone unconsciously using Roundup. 

You are approving Mr. Taylor, a Monsanto-being to be a part of the FDA. You have approved the sale of "roundup ready" alfalfa which is the backbone of our food system.  Do you realize what you have done?  Once GM alfalfa gets out there it will ruin the regular alfalfa that exists.  Now through the alfalfa which cows eat and through which our earth is nourished, their milk and meat we will be contaminated.  Alfalfa doesn't even need herbicides.  GM seeds pollute our environment without our permission.  As an example,  GM Corn was introduced into production in 1996 in the US.  Now a huge amount of corn is genetically modified throughout the world, even where it is not wanted. In Mexico, where GM Corn is outlawed, their corn is also contaminated.  

I would love you to host a dinner where all the executives past and present from Monsanto were invited and fed food from their "seeds", and then told they could not eat anything but what they had produced.  This is what we the people are being sentenced to, but we're not being invited - we're being held hostage - to greed.  

We the people have a God given right to eat the food we want, not the food that is forced upon us by a money and power hungry corporation.  Where have we gone wrong?  When has money become more important than people?

Of course I could not ask you to do what I have not been willing to do  myself. I personally have spent a huge amount of time educating myself on what is a GMO, and what is not.  I live a very frugal life, month to month you could say.  I do my best to buy organic and eat less of it because it is more expensive.  I am investigating how to make my area of the country a GMO freedom zone (watch Dr. Vandana Shiva if you want to know more about what I'm talking about).  I am growing a home organically based garden.  I do not buy any Monsanto products.  I sign petitions to you, begging you to hear us.

But why should I even have to spend so much of my time on this? Why are you not protecting the people's interests?  I would love to hear what you have to say on this matter.

Here is what I want you to do as the people's representative:

1) Outlaw all GMOs in the US.  No planting of their seeds, no foods may contain them. And keep them outlawed until we as humanity have the awareness, consciousness and right attitude toward the earth.

2) Sponsor a bill that states Do No Harm - to the earth, to people, to animals.  We are residents of this earth, not its masters.  It is meant to be a co-operative relationship, not one of war, rape and pillage.

3) In the meantime, do not let Monsanto into any government offices, not Mr. Taylor. Not anyone.  And do not let the government officials move to Monsanto.

The blessing of this crisis has been to wake us up.  And I mean us the "little people".  You can be proud of us. Now I am asking you, what are you going to do?

Erin