Actions Speak Louder Than Words…Putting Corporate Wealth over Human Health

If GMO Food is not bad enough, Scott’s Miracle Grow is coming out with a Genetically Modified Kentucky Blue Grass, engineered to be resistant to the herbicide Roundup and other Glyphosate based herbicides.  They are marketing this GMO Grass as if it is going to save the world, but according to peer reviewed scientific research, it will add to the use of more pesticides, namely Roundup, that will pollute the environment and further destroy the health of every man, woman and child not to mention the family pet.  To make matters worse, it will NOT be regulated by the USDA.  People are waking up to the dangers of Genetically Modified products and do NOT want this technology. But it seems the people who make the laws and regulations are more concerned with pleasing lobbyists and big Agra Business than doing what is in the best interest of their constituents. 

This Spring Scott’s will be testing this GMO Grass at the homes of several of their employees, allowing the homeowner to spray large amounts of Roundup over the entire lawn to kill weeds without damaging the grass.  This will increase the sales of Roundup, which is manufactured by Monsanto and marketed by Scott’s.  The new GMO grass seed is expected to generate over $500 million dollars in sales for Scott’s and a marked increase in sales of Roundup for Monsanto.  BUT at what cost to human health and the environment?  

So what can be the problem you say?  Roundup resistant weeds is one answer.  The more a chemical is used constantly, the more likely the weeds will become resistant, and you eventually will get what is called Super Weeds.  More Roundup will be needed and the only thing that will be accomplished will be an increase in sales and profits for Monsanto but the weeds will persist.  In short, the very thing that Scott’s is marketing for a weed free lawn will eventually give the homeowner a huge headache in the form of More WEEDS.

Another problem will be the migration of GMO grass seeds to contaminate other lawns, gardens and pastures for miles, invading properties of people who DO NOT WANT GMO Grass.  The GMO grass testing in Oregon a few years back was called off for this very reason.  This contamination by Scott’s GMO seeds will destroy the Organic Farming industry in Connecticut, which is growing by leaps and bounds and becoming the PREFERRED food of choice.  Not only will organic vegetable farms be in danger of Scott’s contamination but organic cattle and dairy farms as well.  This, in turn, will make it impossible for consumers like me to purchase safe food in the form of Organic GMO Free Verified vegetables, meats and dairy products.

Most of all, the problem with Scott’s GMO seeds will be the destruction of the health of your family, pets and neighbors as Roundup, as well as other pesticides and herbicides, is proven to cause disease, illness and cancer.  While the EPA and Department of Agriculture claim Roundup to be safe, the recent study by Giles-Eric Seralini proves glyphosate, at concentrations lower than EPA standards, kills human cells.  Science has now linked Roundup to fatal kidney disease and countries are beginning to ban the sale of Roundup, Shri Lanka being the first.  Many countries are refusing the sale and importation of GMO products and South Africa will not allow Monsanto to ADVERTISE in their country because the company’s claims to safety are proven to be false.

Concerned, informed and educated citizens of Connecticut have banned together to form the organization GMO Free CT.  Please visit their web site at gmofreect.org and read more about the dangers of GMO technology.  Another Connecticut organization you need to get to know is CONNFACT and you can read all about them at connfact.org.  This is an era of Buyer Beware because, ladies and gentlemen, the chemicals that are being marketed to you in a pretty safe package are really dangerous weapons of mass destruction that is killing you softly.

So the people of CONNFACT and GMO Free CT went to the State Senate Environmental Committee with a bill to ban GMO grass and the use of pesticides where children play, bill SB 443.  Seems like a pretty reasonable request, right?  And the committee thought so too, as they passed SB 443 and sent it to the State Senate for vote.  This important piece of legislation that was created solely for the safety of Connecticut residence, especially the children was PASSED by the CT Senate but SHOT Down by the CT House of Representatives….why?!?  Why would our elected officials, who took an oath to serve the people of this state, vote in such a way as to allow such dangerous products and practices?  And to make matters worse, they voted like thieves in the night.  The CT House prematurely called the bill to a vote in order to kill it before our voices could be heard. 

House Speaker Sharkey (D) said he called the bill to vote to “avoid the distraction that was going to inevitably occur if we kept it on the calendar for days and weeks”.  What distraction?  The voices of the tax paying citizens of CT?  The last time I studied Civics in school, the people of a state have a RIGHT to contact their elected officials to voice their opinions and desires because the elected officials are to represent the PEOPLE and not Big Business.   So now we are considered distractions?

Rep. Dan Carter (R) voted “nay” because he said we are voting against something that does not exist.  Oh, I see.  Instead of preventing a problem, we wait until the problem is here and out of control.  With that line of thinking, why vaccinate?  If you do not already have the disease, why take the precaution….are we to wait until we are sick before we do something?

Rep. Cook (D) said, the ban would send the wrong message about CT to industry.  WHAT?  You care more about Industry than the health of CT residence?  If industry offers a safe product they should be welcomed.  But when industry comes to a state offering a product with the potential to cause more harm than good, our elected officials should vote on the side of “safety” for the people of this state and not care about being popular with Big Business.

Rep. Cook thought the ban on GMO Grass could hurt Scott’s Miracle Grow Company.  But Cook ignores the recent and up to date facts that this GMO grass seed will impose a dangerous level of Roundup to be used in this state and THAT would be putting our people especially our children at risk.  Where does Cook’s allegiance lie?  She is suppose to have the best interest of the people in mind…not the bottom line and profits of Big Business.  Cook said Scott has $27.5 million in sales in CT and employs 226 people in this state.  “For me, this (bill) is just not good business,” she said.  WHAT!!!  She was elected to vote for the welfare of big business???  I thought she was to represent the “people”?

And this brings me to the Plainville area.  In the State Senate, we have Jason Welsh.  Sen. Welch voted “nay”.  It is OK with him to let a questionable product to be used in the state and deal with the consequences later.  And we also have Rep. Betty Boukus who also voted “nay”.  So I called Rep. Boukus’s office to ask her for an interview for this article but she never returned my call. 

So there you have it, the next time a politician “kisses” up to you for their vote….remember where their allegiance lies.  And as always, it is safer to Live Healthy Chemical Free…..