No Sign Required

No Sign Required

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to do something more patriotic this Fourth of July, than just the usual firing up of the barbecue, and getting drunk.  I mean, there is something to be said for grilling up some chicken and drinking a little whiskey on such an auspicious occasion, but actually getting out and making a statement, against the current despot in our society, is the better way to go.  Besides, if I play my cards right, I will get to do both.

What I am going to do is make a sign, clearly demonstrating that I oppose Monsanto and all things GMO, join those who plan to stand out along the 101 in Laytonville, and exercise my freedom of speech.  Monsanto IS a despot, and a far more dangerous one than King George ever was.  I say that because people have to eat, and the people who are most securely entrapped by Monsanto, are the poor people of our country.

Now I may be poor, but I live on twenty acres of land, and have thus managed to avoid the pitfall that is the fate of millions who live in an urban setting, and find themselves shopping at Walmart or K-Mart, or any other business which features poor quality, processed food, at an inexpensive price.  When your meager paycheck barely covers rent and utilities, it’s impossible to be able to eat properly.  So you do what you have to in order to survive: you eat inexpensive, processed food, and you forego the organic fruits and veggies, in lieu of affordability.

Make no mistake about it: Monsanto is a despot.  It is an example of corporate production, run amok.  Monsanto produces colossal amounts of food, very cheaply, and thus has ingrained itself into the American economy, as a success story.  After all, we spend less money on food, than any other industrialized nation.  But what about the other side of the coin, the fact that GMO-produced food has been linked to numerous afflictions, from intestinal cancers, to the development of food allergies, to the change of reproductive function, in both men and women, including sterility, and increased infant mortality?

Monsanto has managed to maneuver its way into a political position, where it has secured immunity from prosecution, by buying political clout.  If you look at the list of individuals, with dual ties to Monsanto, and the American political scene, it’s no wonder that this corporation thumbs its nose at the Monsanto naysayers.

It’s easy for me to preach about the benefits of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.  When Annie and I were full-time teachers, we found it next-to-impossible to afford fresh produce, because we were living on the salaries of teachers.  Now that I am retired, and have the time and resources to pursue a healthier eating lifestyle, it’s all good.  But there are so many people in this country who cannot afford to eat properly, that Monsanto continues to flourish, a fact that will end up causing disease epidemics of unfathomable proportions.

So I say again, Monsanto is a despot, a huge conglomerate that appears unstoppable, just as Great Britain once appeared to the colonists.  The Revolutionary War was a David Versus Goliath conflict of gargantuan proportions.  People who get discouraged at Monsanto, have only to recognize that we have been down this road before.

The recent grass-roots movement against Monsanto, on FaceBook and the internet, in general, shows us that even a corporate giant like Monsanto, can and will feel the pinch, as hundreds of thousands of people make their opinion known.  The recent shift to non-Monsanto-produced food in The Chipotle Grill chain of restaurants, and Target stores, is evidence that enough concern is being raised to have a financial impact.  

So that’s why I am apportioning a chunk of my Fourth of July, in what I consider to be a most American and appropriate response to despotism.  Annie and I are heading down to Laytonville to protest against GMO’s and Monsanto, beginning at 11:00 in the morning, carrying our signs, and letting our voices be heard.  

Barbecuing and imbibing are as American as anything, but so is expressing an opinion, especially against a despot.  If you are of a mind, come on out and join us.  No sign required.