It’s hard to imagine the nutrition-savvy people of Idyllwild buying fresh corn at Wal Mart, but just in case you thought you might—Don’t!
This summer Wal Mart will be carrying genetically engineered fresh corn. Monsanto Bt [biotechcorn] will have three genetically engineered traits that have never been consumed directly by humans.
It is not known what effects the eating of this genetically engineered corn will have on people. Lab rats fed the Monsanto Bt corn suffered from organ failure. No labeling will alert buyers to the effect that this corn is a genetically modified product.
Monsanto was a major financial beneficiary of the herbicide Agent Orange, used to defoliate the jungles of Vietnam during the war. Those of you who were here in the late 70s may remember my campaign to stop the Forest Service from using 2,4-D, a component of Agent Orange, to defoliate the fuel breaks around the Hill.
The Forest Service stopped using it up here four years before it was totally banned by the U.S. government.
As more and more weeds become resistant to herbicides, more powerful chemicals are needed to subdue them. Dow Chemical is now seeking government approval for a type of genetically engineered corn that will be resistant to 2,4-D. This way, the weeds will be killed, but not the corn.
Still, the corn will be exposed to the 2,4-D, which is known to cause cancer and birth defects. This is insane.
Please contact your local representatives, President Obama, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and demand that they do not allow this killer corn to be approved.
And, this summer, boycott Wal Mart until they discontinue selling unlabeled, genetically engineered corn.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kristy Baker
Idyllwild
