Prop 37 labeling advocates support flawed study

Those supporting passage of Proposition 37 in California, the proposition to require labeling foods as being biotech or containing biotech ingredients, are using a highly questionable study about rats developing tumors from being fed biotech corn and/or Roundup herbicide.

Scientists who know the scientists involved in doing the French study are definite that the study is extremely flawed, especially because the lead scientist is a known activist and author against biotech crop production. The contention is that he is well paid to oppose biotech crops.

Russia, in a political move or a hidden agenda, declared it would immediately ban import of the Monsanto biotech corn involved in the French study.

“Across the world, there are heightening concerns about the health risks of eating genetically engineered foods,” said Proposition 37 Campaign Manager Gary Ruskin. “There is a giant question mark hanging over these foods and their health risks. For those of us in California, the case for labeling of genetically engineered foods has never been stronger.”

Turning to false science would seem to be a bad move by advocates of Proposition 37, especially since recent polling indicates the proposition has a big lead to be passed. It is being emphasized that food labeling quite similar to Proposition 37 is already a requirement in place in 50 other countries.

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A note to factory farmers: You are shooting yourselves in the foot. I
became a vegan 2 years ago after learning about factory farming
practices. Prior to that, I ate meat, dairy, and eggs daily. People
are disgusted with the industrial food system in this country. You are
losing customers everyday. I believe that it will soon be law that you
will have to list everything that you spray on crops or feed to your
animals. If you feed chickens arsenic, that is an ingredient. It
should be listed. If you spray your crops with Roundup, list it. It's an ingredient. Clean up your act! Treat the environment and animals
with respect. Stop the reliance on chemicals. Get a !@#$% clue.

This is absolutely ridiculous. "Horizontal Gene Transfer" the technology used to
genetically engineer, is a process that incorporates foreign viral DNA to hijack the
endogenous cellular defense mechanisms inherent in the host DNA in order to force
the foreign DNA in and stimulate it to function. These codes are inherently
unstable, unpredictable and untested. Labeling is the minimum required in order to
be scientific: we will better be able to assess what diseases will be caused by GMOs
have easily having access to which groups consume them. Why would any
newspaper willingly oppose the labeling of this twisted, unethical and unscientific
technology? Ask any geneticist about "pleiotropic effects" and you'll understand
why the assumptions behind genetic engineering are based on misunderstanding
and error. Until we understand genetic networks and their interconnections inside
the DNA code, we understand nothing and are playing God with the most naive of
minds. YES to PROP 37!

The scientist who did the rat study in France "is well paid paid to oppose biotech crops?" Please stop insulting our intelligence, Mr. or Mrs. Monsanto, especially after your controversial crops raked in $11.8 billion in sales last year. There is absolutely no reason for GMOs - not greater crop yields (according to the World Bank), questionable safety (this study and many doctors) for GMOs, other than to make Monsanto a boatload of money. Russia is right in banning GMOS, and people in our country ought to get a clue. But it's been hard because of the huge amount of money being thrown around to confuse them, as well as all the political and government officials and politicians Monsanto has in its hip pocket, and all the revolving door regulators who once worked for Monsanto. Your afraid of labeling because we might find out what's in our food, and it's links to allergies, obesity and all kinds of serious diseases, aren't you? And you have to nerve to talk about false science, after Monsanto steadfastly has failed to provide independent researchers with permission to study its patented seeds, and whose former vice president, currently at the FDA, sacks FDA whistle blowers and scientists of integrity who raise their voices too loudly in condemnation of GMOs. Last, why on earth should we believe anything that Monsanto has to say, given its legacy of deadly products such as Agent Orange and, more recently, Roudnup. Collaborators in the GMO scheme shouldn't just be run out of town, they should be in jail. Hopefully, they'll end up there.