Wendy Cicchetti's Commentary

Food – Just Because We Can, Doesn’t Mean We Should.

by Wendy on May 24th, 2010

We have become a gluttonous, greedy society, based on wanting more, better, faster, without being mindful of the consequences. Now, in more and more areas of our lives, we are living with the devastating consequences of our careless choices. Corporations and technology have grown beyond our comprehension and often out of control. There needs to be a conscience and integrity about where we allow it all to go.

How can it be possible that we have been duped for so long and allowed the contamination of our food supply? We are at a crossroads or what is called a Tipping Point on our beautiful planet. At this critical time, we could go either way, to greater freedom of choice or to ever increasing control and proliferation. Fortunately, through the spread of social networks, the truth is being told to greater numbers than ever before, and unless the internet is shut down, the dissemination of truth will not be stopped. This is a time of revelation, exposure and action.  Offending organizations, companies and governments will continue to be exposed and will be forced to restructure with integrity or end.

The Hero’s Journey

Over the past several decades we have been entertained and inspired by epic films depicting the classic struggle between good and evil, the dark side versus the light. Films like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, graphically show how

Star Wars

a few ordinary souls, coming from a place of truth and integrity can have a huge impact on overcoming the forces of evil. I actually dislike using the word evil as it can turn people off from an important message. But, I find I don’t know how else to describe it within the scenario of the Hero’s Journey.

We, as a people on planet Earth, are in the midst of this classic struggle, and it is for our very survival. There are many important and critical battles raging now, but none so insidious as to try and claim ownership and control of our food and its production. Chemical companies, slowly maneuvering and penetrating, injecting their GMOs (genetically modified organisms), chemicals, pesticides and pollutants into our food and its production at every angle and in continually increasing amounts under the guise of public safety, being helpful, or to feed the world. It would be different if the numerous studies supported their claims. Sadly, however, the opposite is true. Over the past several decades, the history and studies do not support their word. You can Google search these issues and read studies and see the horrors for yourself.

These companies conduct their business and further their goals without regard for the health and actual safety of the Earth or its people. Greed, power and control are the motivations. These monstrous chemical companies — not food companies –purporting to help us, are involved in the height of deception and trickery. And now many of their former employees are heading up our Government agencies, like the EPA. (A former employee of Monsanto, Linda Fischer, has just been named to head the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which monitors environmental issues.) And there are many more examples.

The Evil Empire

Darth-Vader

My imagination sees each company as a Darth Vader like figure, dark, smooth, sly and cunning, succoring in all who are vulnerable into the snare of the Evil Empire. This may seem overly dramatic, but I will tell you that the extent of what is happening right under our noses is no different than the way the dark forces unconscionably manipulated worlds in those films. It is time for each of us to wake up and become the public conscience, believing we can change things and make a difference like the heros of the cinema.

Non-governmental organizations in the U.S. are challenging questionable and destructive practices by Big Chemical. The Organic Consumers Association has spearheaded the campaign “Millions Against Monsanto,” calling on the company to stop intimidating small family farmers, stop marketing untested and unlabeled genetically engineered foods to consumers, and stop using billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayers’ money to subsidize GMO crops.

In Congress, Senate Bill S 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010, may be the most dangerous bill in the history of the US. “If accepted, S 510 would preclude the public’s right to grow, own, trade, transport, share, feed and eat each and every food that nature makes. It will become the most offensive authority against the cultivation, trade and consumption of food and agricultural products of one’s choice. It will be unconstitutional and contrary to natural law or, if you like, the will of God.” ~Dr. Shiv Chopra, Canada Health whistleblower . S 510 extends control over all food in the US, violating the fundamental human right to food.

Monsanto says it has no interest in the bill and would not benefit from it, but Monsanto’s Michael Taylor who gave us rBGH (a synthetic growth hormone) and unregulated genetically modified (GM) organisms, appears to have designed it and is waiting as an appointed Food Czar to the FDA (a position unapproved by Congress) to administer the agency it would create — without judicial review — if it passes. S 510 would give Monsanto unlimited power over all US seed, food supplements (vitamins), food and farming.

Haitian Farmer

Monsanto is reported to have donated 60,000 seed sacks (475 tons) of hybrid corn seeds and vegetable seeds, some of them treated with highly toxic pesticides. The Haitians have committed to burning Monsanto’s seeds, and has called for a march to protest the corporation’s presence in Haiti on June 4, for World Environment Day.

What You Can Do

We can individually make a difference, each of us doing what we can. We can draw our personal line in the sand and refuse to cross it. Watch the movies, Food Inc, and The Beautiful Truth and a new film called Dirt, about our soil, how it is endangered and how we can protect it. We have many votes a day as to who and what we will support.

Contact your local representatives and demand policies for food sovereignty, where we can continue to have the right to make personal decisions about what we eat and the supplements we take, to define agricultural policies, and to grow healthy food in a way which respects the environment and Mother Earth.

Gandalf - leader for truth and justice - Lord of the Rings

If you purchase non GMO and healthy organic foods, stay away from fast and processed foods that are laden with toxic chemicals and genetically modified ingredients (genetically saturated with pesticides) that our bodies don’t know how to process, you are making a big difference in shutting down the harmful by supporting the healthy. These unnatural chemicals and restructured faux foods have been proven to create addictions to unhealthy foods with resulting obesity, create disease in the body (cancers, heart disease, diabetes, etc.) and are linked to birth defects.

Purchase cleaning products and supplies that are free of toxic chemicals. Use less plastic, wash and reuse plastic bags and abstain from purchasing water and drinks in disposable plastic bottles. Use your own organic bags at the grocery store and recycle everything. By doing the simple things that you can, you are contributing to the collective improvement. Or, will you let the establishment continue to control by making foolish choices based on convenience and apathy? I was guilty of that for a long time. Now, I have drawn my line in the sand. If we, through our collective conviction and reformed shopping habits, strip them of their money, the harmful companies will disappear. Working together, we can make a huge difference. When and where will you draw your line?

To be perfectly clear, these companies feed on profit. This is their only motivation. Each of us vote, every day, through what we buy, which allows or denies these companies the food (profit) that makes them strong. If the profit dries up, the offending company either changes to come in line with the public will, or starves and goes away.

One Can Make a Difference

Kevin Costner

An example of one individual making a difference is Kevin Costner, spending 40 million dollars over the past 15 years, since the Exxon Valdez oil spill, developing and perfecting a method to separate oil from sea water which he has received permission to use on the recent oil spill disaster by British Petroleum that is destroying numerous ecosystems and wildlife. Each of us doing what we can do is the best way. Costner had the means to do this where others couldn’t. Negotiations are apparently in process.

Mary Crowley

Then we have the wonderful woman, Mary Crowley, who loves the ocean and is mobilizing a force of fishermen and other people with boats to help attack the mass of floating plastic garbage known as the North Pacific Trash Gyre and recycle it. Fabulous. Kudos to Mary!  Each person has a strength, passion, talent and means, great or small. We can each contribute our unique gifts.

Be For, Not Against

We have learned that fighting a war is a lose-lose proposition. Our government has initiated many wars from military to health and drugs. None have been successful because fighting against something doesn’t work. Why? Because what we put our emotion and passion toward increases and is where the energy flows.  So, the energy used for fighting these wars creates more drugs, obesity, cancer, fear, ignorance and death.

We don’t want to fight against anything. We want to stay informed and put our emotion and passion toward supporting loving and sustainable solutions for the Earth and its peoples and the new great things we can create. Energy and expansion will follow what we support. As we do this we will be creating healthier products, less disease, greater peace and happiness and the polluters will disappear because we will no longer be supporting their industries with our daily purchases.

Where will you draw your line in the sand?

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