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| Photo by Peter Griffin |
I woke up yesterday with hopefulness in my heart. What happened in California? I wondered. Quickly, I turned on my computer, clicked on Facebook, and typed Prop 37 in the search bar.
Then my heart fell. Hard.
Prop 37 was defeated. Seriously?? How is it that Californians could be so misled by the lies? Did they not see the huge amount of money being thrown around in an effort to keep them in the dark? Did they not see through the lies and deception? Seriously??
I am beyond perplexed at the stupidity displayed. Are we sheep? Apparently so. Sheep being led to the slaughter.
All that was being asked was for labeling. Why is the right to know so frightening for the corporations that spent $45-$48 MILLION to keep you and me in the dark? The bottom line, folks, is we are not supposed to know what is in the food we are feeding our families. We're not supposed to know the poisons that are in the formula we are feeding our babies. We're not supposed to know. We're not supposed to know. Doesn't that infuriate you??
My anger is practically uncontainable at this point... and I'm not even a Californian! I didn't have the opportunity to cast my ballot against this obscenity. But my voice was heard... here on the blog and on Facebook. One person said they wished non-Californians would shut up about this. They just didn't realize that this vote affects each and every one of us. We need to stop the insanity being perpetuated by Monsanto and Dupont.
Well, it's time to put our money where our mouth is. Here is a partial list of corporations who spent an obscene amount of money spewing misinformation over the airwaves and through the mail to the people of California. I know that I will, at times, buy products from some of these companies. But when given a choice, I'll choose to spend my money elsewhere. We can't do it all, but each one of us can do something. We have to. Like my husband said, "We won't buy one more can of Campbell's soups." I'm all for that. They're lined with BPA anyway!
MONSANTO COMPANY - $8,112,069
E.I. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO. - $5,400,000
PEPSICO, INC. - $2,145,400
GROCERY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION - $2,002,000
BASF PLANT SCIENCE - $2,000,000
BAYER CROPSCIENCE - $2,000,000
DOW AGROSCIENCES LLC - $2,000,000
SYNGENTA CORPORATION - $2,000,000
KRAFT FOODS GLOBAL, INC. - $1,950,500
NESTLE USA, INC. - $1,461,600
COCA-COLA NORTH AMERICA - $1,455,500
GENERAL MILLS, INC. - $1,230,300
CONAGRA FOODS - $1,176,700
KELLOGG COMPANY - $790,700
SMITHFIELD FOODS, INC. - $683,900
DEL MONTE FOODS COMPANY - $674,100
CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY - $598,000
It's time to hold these companies, as well as the government, accountable. While Prop 37 was just about labeling, we need to do all we can to eradicate GMOs in this country. Unfortunately, we can't count on our president for that.
According to an article in the August issue of Whiteout Press, "From the trenches of its battle against genetically modified food, Food & Water Watch points out one seldom discussed fact. While Monsanto has been pushing its GMO foods, seeds and pesticides for decades, it’s under the Obama administration that the multi-national corporation has seen its most success."
Just look at what's happened in the last 4 years:
2009 – Food and Drug Administration approved ATryn, an anti-clotting agent that is produced in the milk of transgenic goats. This was the first U.S. approval of a GE animal.
2009 – GE papaya strain developed by University of Florida approved by USDA.
2010 – USDA approves Syngenta’s “stacked” corn variety (MIR162) that contains multiple GE traits, including resistance to a variety of corn pests.
2010 – Pioneer’s GE soybean, modified to produce increased amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic) and decreased amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic) approved by USDA.
2011 – Monsanto’s Roundup Ready alfalfa is approved by USDA, with no planting restrictions.
2011 – USDA allows planting of Roundup Ready sugar beets despite unresolved legal challenges to the department’s approval of the crop.
2011 – Syngenta’s corn variety, genetically engineered to produce an enzyme that facilitates ethanol production, approved by USDA.
2011- Monsanto announces its intention to bring its stacked Roundup ready and insect-resistant sweet corn to market in 2012.
2011- Syngenta’s insect-resistant Bt cotton is approved by USDA.
2011- Monsanto’s insect-resistant Bt soybean, the first of its kind, is approved by USDA.
2011- USDA approves Bayer CropScience’s stacked herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant cotton.
For more information on the fight against genetically modified foods in America’s food supply, visit Food & Water Watch.
It's time to suit up our armor, folks. We need to fight harder than ever before. The future and health of our children and our children's children's children depend on it!
What can we, as non-Californians, do? Would it be useful to write letters to each of these companies letting them know that we already know they have GMOs on their products and we just want to see a label that says it? That we already boycott their product as much as possible because of their willingness to spend money pushing to keep the labeling at bay?
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know what else we can do. Any thoughts?
Letting the companies know that you are boycotting them because of their refusal to let consumers know what is in their products would certainly be a good start!
DeleteI have never been one to follow politics, but I really think it's time I invest in supporting the Green Party.
ReplyDeleteGMOS are so pervasive in our society I am finding it hard to avoid them. It is a struggle to convince my husband to pay double for organic milk when we live paycheck to paycheck.
It is really hard to avoid them and to find the extra money to do so. It's a disgrace what is happening in this country, and as we see from the campaign against Prop 37, MONEY TALKS.
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