So, I recently sent a letter to my senator letting her know that I would like to see genetically modified foods labeled as such. I want truth in labeling because I feel that most people do not realize what they are eating.
My biggest problems with genetically modified food encompass two main areas: environmental hazards and human health risks.
Environmental Hazards
- A laboratory studythat was published in Nature showed that pollen from B.t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars.
- Using genetically engineered crops means chemicals will be sprayed! And in abundance. This is not cool with me.
- Genetic altering crosses over into non-GMO species. (The craziest part about that, is then companies like Monsanto turn around and sue the farmers who’s crops the contaminated on grounds of patent infringement because these farmers were using their patented seeds!!!)
Human Health Risks
- The only explanation I have so far as to why my daughter was still born, is that her father was exposed to an herbicide that is sprayed on GE crops. The toxins in these herbicides are known to cause miscarriages and other serious health problems.
- Chemicals that are used are causing women to have difficulty breastfeeding.
- The recent surge is food allergies to foods such as soy is strongly believed to be caused from genetically altering the plant.
- We simply don’t know what other problems genetically modified food may be causing because they haven’t been adequately tested… WE ARE THE TEST SUBJECTS.
And yet most American’s just think that their food is safe. They think if they are eating a vegetable, they’re doing good. They really have no idea that it is a mutant vegetable that has chemicals often built into the plant at a genetic level. They barely realize that other chemicals are also sprayed onto and soaked up by the very food they think is healthy.
So I wrote to my senator asking her to support legislation to have GMO foods labeled as GMO foods. And this is what I got back:
Dear Dawn,
Thank you for contacting me regarding the labeling of genetically modified food. I understand your concerns.
In the past, legislation called the Genetically Engineered Right to Know Act was introduced in the House of Representatives. If this or similar legislation is introduced in the Senate, I will be sure to keep your concerns in mind.
As the Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I am mindful that we have almost seven billion mouths to feed around the globe and that we need American leadership, and innovation to feed the world. To foster that innovation, we need a regulatory system that is science-based and efficient. I will continue to monitor issues surrounding the regulation of genetically modified foods, and ensure that they are based on sound science.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please continue to keep me informed about issues of concern to you and your family.
Sincerely,
Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator
What the crap was that?! I wrote to her asking that she simply support GMO labeling legislation. Shouldn’t she have let me know how she felt about the labels? I didn’t write to her to discuss genetically engineered foods. I wrote to her to discuss labeling them.
Fifty countries, including the entire European Union and China, currently label GE foods. The U.S. and Canada are two of the few major countries that still refrain from labeling and yet, I can barely even get my senator to make a firm comment on the matter.
Seriously? I signed up for information on Everything Birth not someone’s crazed rants! If you’re so concerned about the labeling and what’s in it, then till a garden, plant what you’ll eat, can it, and shut up!
Rachel, I’m sorry you don’t like hearing about Genetically Modified Food dangers. I am sorry that in attempting to help women see how politics plays a role in our food’s production and that they need to dig a bit deeper, you somehow got so offended to the point that you felt the need to talk to me like we are children.
I can barely believe you told me to shut up. I am not offended or anything, it takes a lot to get me offended.
At any rate, in an effort to help you understand why this is not a “crazy rant” I will explain a little more simply.
GM foods contain known toxins in the form of the herbicides like RoundUp. These toxins can cause cancers and birth defects. This blog is about “Everything Birth” related. Women who are planning to get pregnant, who are pregnant, and who have already have children can benefit from this information.
I can’t unfortunately make a garden that will feed my family just as a vast number of Americans can’t, but I do buy almost exclusively organic food. I do this so that I can keep myself and my family healthy. Many people are unaware of the dangers in their food supply and will happily make changes once they are aware changes can benefit them. I spent a great deal of my young adulthood not understand why organic food is so much healthier. My exhusband and I ate a great deal of GM foods back then. My daughter was stillborn and the only known, scientifically verified cause of her disease is the herbicide RoundUp. I share my “rants” (as you call them) not to get things off my chest… but to help people gain awareness so that they don’t have to know the same birth related sadness that I did and so that they can find the health for their own family that I have found for mine through organic eating.
So sorry to hear that you are one completely delusional woman to think that the FDA and the government has the American publics best interest in mind when it comes to food safety and common sense regulation. We have rights as consumers to know what companies are putting in our food. It had gotten so bad you need a periodic table to figure out what 85% of the additives are in our food source. The United States is the only county that I know of that allows this to happen. This blog is intended to be an informative source for everything birth and child related. If you don’t like it then don’t read it. Just continue to shovel chemically altered bio engineered coca cola and dorritos into your worthless brats pie holes and let them go back to watching 12 hours of television a day! Then blame someone else for them being obese and having behavioral problems because they are malnourished! Do yourself a favor next time Rachel. Next time you have a thought please keep your GMO pie hole shut!
I have to respond to Rachel’s rude post, I cannot help myself because I am stunned. How rude of you to write the reply you did.
If this topic didn’t interest you then you could have moved on to something else that did but instead you chose to write an extremely immature response.
Dawn is a very well educated woman who is passionate about healthy living, thankfully she shares that knowlege with others. This site is called EVERYTHING birth, note the word EVERYTHING…meaning it is targeted to share alot of information, not just what YOU want to hear.
Thank you Dawn for sharing what you do, I personally find it useful and I know many others do as well. I am able to see a correlation between this and everything birth. I am a mother of a toddler and I care about what I feed her, I am hoping to possibly have another child and I want to eat right before, during and after birth. Yep it’s all relevant to birth, at least for those of us who are willing to keep an open mind.
Thank you Heather.
I’m not nearly as eloquent as Dawn or Heather P., but I’d personally like to tell you, Rachel, to can your own garden and shove it up your rear end. If you don’t like the blogs that are posted on here then don’t read them. Dawn is very helpful with many of her posts. Sometimes she posts things that don’t interest me (no offense Dawn) but I just don’t read them. I don’t feel the need to go on my own rant and to be rude to another person.
Thanks again for the post Dawn. I’m so glad I can be part of the masses that adore you. I may even stalk you after this magnificant post.
The stalking portal is located at the top right hand of the screen, simply input your email address. 😉
That’s not good enough. I want to hide in a tree.
In my opinion if the name of the blog is Everything Birth and this is on it, then this it. This is the information on Everything Birth
Information on how to help prevent a stillbirth and how to have a healthier pregnancy are important to everyone trying to conceive or pregnant. What I see is someone who is trying to prevent others from going through the same pain she endured and that takes courage.
If you can’t play nice Rachel then you should just ‘can it’ yourself, we are grown ups and I agree with Heather, if you don’t like it, don’t read it.