GMO

  I have never really been much of a researcher. Frankly I don't have the time. Working 60 hours a week and playing in a country rock band barely affords me enough time to write. I choose to ask the questions. Questions are easy. Anybody can ask questions. The problem comes with knowing which questions to ask. Asking some questions can get you in trouble. Asking questions to the wrong person can really get you in trouble.

  I've always heard the old saying that "you are what you eat" as well as others such as garbage in garbage out etc. so here I am asking the question. If we eat genetically modified foods and cancer is a genetic mutation of our cells, then is it possible that 2+2 = 4 where GMO's are concerned?

   I don't pretend to know anything about GMO's. The principle seems easy enough. Splice the gene of a common bacteria to a seed and you produce a plant that will not be affected by round up. They say round up is safe. I am not so sure. It kills stuff so how safe can it be.

   This is my problem. The bible says not to kill. It gives no specific as to what not to kill. The human race is consumed by what we can do. In fact we are so consumed by what we can do that we fail  to ask the question... Should we do it? We as a species spend a great deal of time playing god but we are not as smart as we think we are. God actually knew what he was doing right up until he put us in charge. I digress. 

   Everything on earth serves a purpose. I use wild rivers as example. Prior to the industrial revolution most rivers of the world ran wild. Cheap hydro power led to

the construction of dams turning wild rivers into tame reservoirs. Spawning salmon could no longer access spawning grounds. We humans, obsessed with a god complex, built hatcheries, ensuring salmon runs year after year. The problem with this theory is that prior to dams, only the strongest of salmon could navigate the water falls and rapids of a wild river ensuring the strength of following runs. In a modern hatchery all fish reproduce. There is no culling of the herd. The fish runs suffer.

   Another example antibacterial hand soap that kills 99.9% of germs and antibiotics. If you kill 99.9% then the .01% that survive get stronger. Much like the salmon of yesteryear, only the strongest survive. Meanwhile, our immune system grows weaker as it faces less bacteria. 

  It is common knowledge that the world is seeing antibiotic resistant germs at an alarming rate. Super bacteria are also making a name for themselves.  What about weeds?

   In America, farmers are seeing an alarming trend. Monsanto, in an attempt to play God and increase yields, has created round up resistant weeds. Farm yields are shrinking and farmers are wondering what to do about it. Fear not America, Dow chemical is coming to the rescue with their own GMO seeds. Dow has created the 2,4,D resistant seed. They claim that 2,4,D has been used safely for years. It has! It is a trusted herbicide. At least that is what they say! My problem with 2,4,D is this.If you mix 2 herbicides, 2,4,D and 2,4,5T, you get another herbicide. Agent orange!! Vietnam veterans know all too well the health hazards of this widely used Vietnam era poison. Now we are going to be spraying half of it on our food. Maybe we will only be subjected to half of the cancers our veterans have been dealing with.

   Bacteria have adapted. Viruses have adapted. Weeds are adapting. Bees are dying. Cancer is epidemic. Chemical companies spend millions to fight GMO labelling legislation. How long will we allow our food to be poisoned. 

   My wife and I try to eat organic when possible. It is expensive. It's not easy. I don't even know if it is beneficial but I do know it doesn't hurt. I only hope my next dinner does not include agent orange corn