Chantelle Says: In the World of Wellness: Monsanto and the Umbrella Corporation

Wellness is a term widely used that has multiple meanings around health and positive life style changes leading to well-being. Here we will use the term "wellness" as a means of defining a life free from disease as well as a way to explore alternative medicines, what they offer, and what this could mean for you.

Every month I'll do a post on a health and wellness related topic. This will give you a chance to explore other options, become informed, and make the best overall decision for your own well-being.

In the World of Wellness: News you need on the new Monsanto Protection Act and what you can do

You know Monsanto news has gone big time when Jon Stewart chimes in on it, and thank goodness for that! We need as many supporters as we can get for this, and if they happen to be famous and have their own TV show, well, that's just better for all of us.

Recently, many of us heard about the Monsanto Protection Act that was signed in by our president. But do you really understand what it means? Let me lay it out for you like this...

Have you heard of the Umbrella Corporation? It's a fictional company in the Resident Evil series, that "specializes" in pharmaceuticals, biological weaponry, and last but not least, genetic engineering. If you're a fan of either the video games or the movies, you know that things get out of hand and the Umbrella Corporation ends up ruling and ruining the entire world because of their genetic and biological testing. People die. A lot of people die. In fact, civilization as we know it is gone. And the way they went about it was to portray to the people a nice, innocent cover of being a consumer production company for cosmetics and (are you ready for this?) food.

Let that soak in for a second. Now, let's look at Monsanto.

Monsanto is a genetically modified food company. They "specialize" in creating genetically modified food substances. They "specialize" in genetic engineering. They appeal to the masses as a sustainable agriculture company. Monsanto is a real company. If we do a comparison of them and the Umbrella Corporation, we're all in real trouble.

Why?

Because putting a patent on living things, creating Terminator/Suicide Seeds (which prevent the natural cultivation and renewal of crops year over year), and creating food like substances (that we eat) made from chemicals that cause bugs stomachs to explode upon consumption, is cause for concern.

Now, let's break this down a little further. Let's say you are allergic to something...corn, perhaps. And let's say these GMO foods, regardless of which food, all contain some component of corn in them because that's part of their newly created DNA. You eat a bell pepper, a strawberry, an apple, and BAM- you break out into hives. You're essentially screwed. You can't eat anything GMO, but you'll never even know what is or isn't GMO because they refuse to label it. And let's be honest, there are a lot of people with allergies to corn, but that's just a minor concern.

Take into account that these GMO foods contain a multitude of chemicals that our bodies do not know how to handle and we have a serious epidemic on our hands. Twenty years ago no one - not me, you, your grandma or grandpa, or second cousin twice removed - would have seen this coming. Fake fruits and veggies? No way! That's a science fiction novel waiting to happen. But it did happen. It's happening now. If things continue down this path, years from now they will have to create a vaccine for all of humanity just to be able to tolerate eating food. And if that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will.

I want you all to consider something for a moment...

If you have anyone you love in your life - your child, boyfriend, wife, mother, aunt, dog - would you feel comfortable handing them a bottle of Roundup weed killer and asking them to drink from it? Because that's what a GMO food is. It isn't a fruit or a veggie full of nutrient rich vitamins and minerals that help prevent disease. It is a genetically modified food organism that, instead or preventing disease, causes it.

Last but not least, I ask you this: If Shady McGrady Monsanto refuses to label their products, what does that tell you? If you have nothing to fear, you have nothing to hide. If those products are sooooo safe and you're not the least bit concerned about your profit margin decreasing, label your damn fake foods, Monsanto!

Whew. I need a punching bag and a nap, because this shit is ridiculous.

Here's an article I received in my inbox that gives you more details on it and also lets you know what you can do to stop them. I've also put together a lovely visual montage (sort of) of the things people are saying about Monsanto.

We're not alone. We need to keep fighting.

Key Next Steps For US Food Policy

Here is the "inside story" with complete details you need to know about what happened with HR 933, Continuing Resolution including the “Monsanto Protection Act” the President signed this week. I detail actions we took, what this means, and suggest steps for the future. Please read this to the end to be well-informed and please respond.

Send me an email to info@proorganic.org to confirm you received this message now, and feel free to leave your comments and suggestions. Thank you for thousands of encouraging emails and conversations about our work! If you want to unsubscribe, you must follow the link at the bottom of this email to do so because I have no control over the email server. Like, share, and participate in our facebook group www.facebook.com/proorganic.org which receives as many as over 200,000 views monthly and features a wealth of valuable information about food, health, regulatory affairs, gardening, and many inputs. We read every email and Facebook comment, and many of you know from experience that we answer personally when possible. Please know, our all-volunteer effort is funded solely and at great personal cost and risk by the Petition Author without any outside support or financial affiliation. Ours is a historic example of what citizens can accomplish when commitment and vision combine in action.

Your efforts and responses to our phone campaign request has been humbling and we cannot thank you enough. We estimate well over 60,000 calls were received by the White House this week, though some of you reported having to dial as many as 100 times to get through! What’s more, we arranged for the Food Democracy Now 250,000-plus-signer petition seeking Veto of HR 733 to be brought directly to the President's personal attention. We received help at very high Administration levels and express our deep appreciation.

Proorganic.org does not speak for the entire Food Policy movement. However, aside from the White House itself, we were the most intimately involved with President Obama among all food policy organizations so this is a "from the horse's mouth" account. This email serves to share elements of what happened this week with the goal of helping everyone concerned work together more effectively to achieve our goals.

First of all, you need to realize the Continuing Resolution is only a six month law. No part of this law lives beyond September 2013, no matter what it provides. You should take comfort in that, and heed this as a call to action for the future.

Second, you need to realize passing periodic Continuing Resolutions has been at the highest level of political importance for Presidents over the past 2 decades. Without passage, the Government shuts down, leading the nation into certain disaster. Whatever political objectives any President has, first and foremost, the government must be funded. For this reason, we did not promote a Veto campaign, but we helped Food Democracy Now in their Veto campaign because of our common long-term objectives.

Section 735 "Monsanto Rider" is reported by NY Daily News to have been written in concert with Monsanto by Sen. Roy Blount (R-MO), perhaps Monsanto’s biggest Senate contribution beneficiary. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) allowed the language to stand without consultation with the Agriculture Subcommittee, or any others, for that matter. This infamous action has been widely criticized in the strongest terms, even within the Senate. Sen. Mikulski's Facebook page has dozens of comments in opposition. Unlike a typical "Rider," the "Section 735" paragraph did not appear at the end of the bill. Because of this, the President could not issue a Signing Statement nullifying it. We know Mr. Obama consulted the White House Consul in detail to explore this possibility.

Most believe Section 735 of this bill violates the US Constitution’s “Separation of Powers” which provides for the Courts to maintain authority whenever cases are brought. This provision requires the Secretary of Agriculture to grant permits and temporary deregulation without Court intervention. Additional opinions suggest it violates the National Environmental Policy Act which calls for various Environmental Impact disclosures among other procedures.

This is the problem we face: The US doesn’t really have a National Policy on Food and Agriculture. Corporate interests and regulators have never been governed by a solid Policy framework. We need Policy that comes from a clear and sustained public debate followed by legislation towards sustainable, healthy, and scientifically legitimate Food Policy. While tens of millions of citizens are actively involved in various national debates about topics like abortion, and other hot button issues, Food Policy gets relatively minor attention, though literally everyone eats. Occasionally, some voices involved in Food Policy advocacy compete with each other – leading to potential fragmentation and dilution of our power. We must eliminate that as a factor, and work in concert like a well-tuned orchestra to be effective. A group of important leading Food advocacy organizations including ProOrganic.org is being convened by Center for Food Safety which will address strategy and tactics next week.

Our task over the next six months is to stimulate a vast national hot-button debate that puts tremendous pressure on all elected officials AND which leads to wise food-policy legislation. Some of this is already being drafted now. If that past year has taught us at ProOrganic anything, it’s that fighting Monsanto or the FDA is not leadership, it’s an understandable, but relatively ineffective reaction. Have to move beyond opposition towards proposition.

Leadership means we grow our movement to 100 million people who demand Food Policy and who use it as a litmus test for supporting elected officials’ ambitions. ANY President, Governor, Senator or Congressman would have to support us or face political failure. The outrage over Section 735 and its assault on the Constitution should be used to spark many more people to involvement and action. We absolutely have to use this moment wisely, because we just got “fifteen minutes of fame” and we can exploit this to our advantage.

Now it’s time to craft a crystal clear message that everybody can understand and get excited about. We have to get so many people involved in the debate that the message comes loud and clear to the all elected officials. At ProOrganic.org, we see this week’s events as an opportunity to stimulate a turning-point in the National conversation.

Thanks ever so much: You will hear from me again shortly.

Frederick Ravid, author http://signon.org/sign/tell-obama-to-cease-fda?mailing_id=10803&source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=2352754

And now for the montage...