By James Minckler, Missoula
We are being poisoned by the GMO “foods.” We have the right to know.
This is an open letter to Senator Steve Daines in response to his vote on Senate Bill S.2609 to not properly label GMO foods.
There are some facts about Genetically Modified “foods” everyone should know before consuming them. GMOs are created by taking the genes from bacteria, viruses, fungi and even some animals, then combining them together into the DNA of the seeds. The results are herbicide tolerance and pesticide production and debilitating health effects. This mutated “food” contains poisons that have a system wide damaging effect on our bodies. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready is the most common product used. When a crop is sprayed, all the unwanted plants are killed but the GMO crop is unharmed, no matter how much Roundup is applied because a deadly poison is “built” into the plant. 1.4 billion pounds of Roundup are applied yearly on 170 million acres of farmland in the United States. Roundup becomes systemic throughout the plant and cannot be washed out because it is part of the plant’s genetic makeup. When insects eat these plants, toxins are released to kill the bugs by exploding their stomach. We are unknowingly eating these “foods.”
One of the active ingredients in Roundup Ready is glyphosate, which was developed in 1970 to pull magnesium from the soil. When glyphosate is consumed, it pulls magnesium out of the body. The lack of magnesium causes cysts, tumors, birth defects and infertility. The human digestive system responds to glysphosate just like the insects do, the result is leaky gut syndrome. Glyphosate also irritates all cells in the body by destroying their membranes. Damage to all of the organs including the brain has been demonstrated on lab animals, farm animals and humans.
This poisonous insecticide is invading our food chain. Traceable levels of glyphosate are now being found in cereals, oatmeal, bagels, eggs, potatoes, California wines and even non-GMO soy coffee creamer. The fact that glyphosate is showing up in foods not directly connected to this pesticide demonstrates conclusively that is being passed on by animals who have ingested it. It is now even found in mother’s milk.
This harmful chemical kills the beneficial bacteria in the intestines causing overgrowth of bad bacteria to create disease. GMO foods damage enzymes that deal with digestion. In the 20 years of eating glyphosate in our food, auto immune disease has increased 400%. The World Health Organization has now declared glyphosate a carcinogen or a cancer causing agent.
The result of putting glyphosate in the soil is that the living bacteria that create life are destroyed, causing the earth to become sterile. GMO seeds are harmful to the environment. Scientists have indicated they are causing colony collapse among the world’s bee and monarch butterfly populations. More than 60 countries have significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs. Russia and China have now banned their import.
Seventy percent of the food in regular grocery stores contain GMOs. We are eating foods that are making us sick without knowing about it. This is the largest uncontrolled food experiment in the history of humankind.
The Federal Drug Administration is the agency charged with food safety. Their leadership is composed of ex-Monsanto executives. Since Monsanto is the primary manufacturer of GMO “foods”, there is a very serious conflict of interest which explains the lack of non biased government research on the effects of GMOs on our health. The scientific findings used by Monsanto to prove GMO safety comes from their own paid scientists. We cannot rely on the FDA to protect us. Countless numbers of independent studies have linked GMOs to a wide range of diseases including autism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and autoimmune disorder, and the list goes on.
Senator Daines voted for S.2609 to stop GMO labeling, He voted against science, against over 300 environmental groups, against more than 100 years of states’ rights to legislate on matters relating to safety and labeling. A large majority of the population wants to know what is in their food. This bill would also void Vermont’s GMO labeling laws scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2016.
We have the right to know what is in the food we eat, it is called freedom. The majority of the Republican Senators voted to take our freedom away from us. This is all about money, led by greed, where Monsanto, the FDA and many Republican Senators have put profit before the safety of our health.
Soon there will be another desperate attempt to pass this bill. Please call Steve Daines at 202-224-2651 and tell him to vote with Jon Tester to put GMO labels on our food. Tell him you want to eat organic food made by God, not Monsanto.