Got into somewhat of a heated argument yesterday with a couple of folks about the dangers of Monsato in our world...specifically, as it applies to our food supply. They were insisting that there was "nothing wrong" with GMOs, and that it was just a bunch of propaganda generated by conspiracy theorists and fear mongers. Here is how I feel about the whole thing...
I was slammed, because when asked for citation for one of my arguments, I happened to pick a paper co-written by a person who the debater said was a crack who knew nothing about the subject matter. Now, I'm not familiar with the paper co-writter, and explained that I chose that citation because it directly supported what could have very well happened to me personally!
Here is the background. I am currently "allergic" to wheat. I don't really call it a gluten-intolerance, because I find that I only have symptoms when I consume wheat specifically. Oats and the like are fine. If I have wheat in small amounts (such as the coating on a piece of fried fish), I'm okay for the most part, but I do get gassy (sorry if TMI). However, if I have a full serving of wheat...say, like a slice of pizza on normal crust, or sandwich with two slices of bread, or a bowl of cereal containing wheat...my stomach pain is so intense that I just want to curl up in a ball and cry! I will feel nauseated, and the effects will stay with me for at least 24 hours!
The paper I cited expressed concern that Round-Up (specifically the chemical glyphosate) used very commonly in the the process of growing GMO crops (as these crops have been specifically engineered to be immune to the weed-killing effects of glyphosate) is linked to the increase of Celiac and gluten-intolerance. Now, one truly cannot deny that these conditions have been on the rise in the last decade! The paper stated that it was believed that the glyphosate was killing off good bacteria in the digestive track that serve several important functions, such as metabolizing things we ingest and helping the body absorb nutrients correctly (Celiac is a condition where the body cannot absorb nutrients if the person consumes gluten...these people can become very ill if they eat wheat, because it causes them to be malnourished).
When the debater called the co-writer of this paper a freak, I had to point out that it was very plausible, and here is why. I pointed out that my issue started in my 30's...about 10 years ago. The first crops approved for general human consumption didn't come into play until 1994. Since that time, their use have increased year over year, especially as more products were modified. Wheat and corn were among the first crops. Today, you also have soy, peanuts, rice, even potatoes! You look at the fact that I had NO wheat sensitivity at all prior to my 30's, and the timeline of GMO introduction into the general food supply and the use of glyphosate increasing, it is VERY plausible that this is what caused my wheat allergy, and the increase in gluten-intolerance and Celiac, are linked! I said that if GMO and glyphosate increased used started in the 60's, and I was exposed to it my whole life and only started having problems in my 30's, then one could question the link. But the timeline fits!
So, is the whole thing just propaganda?
Here is my stance on things like this. Monsanto is trying really hard to convince everyone that GMOs and glyphosate are safe...so much so that they are doing all they can to block mandatory GMO labeling on foods so that people can make informed decisions for themselves! Now, my experience in life has been, if a company is pushing so hard that something is safe, chances are it isn't. I mean, remember Splenda? Oh, when it came out it was soooooo safe! It was the answer to all our prayers! It was safe for diabetics, it was zero calorie, etc. Well, turns out, it is actually a very bad thing for diabetics to consume, because it affects how the body responds to insulin! There is also this long laundry list of other problems. So, when a company like Monsanto works so hard to convince me something is safe, that is an instant red flag!
I was accused during the argument of ignoring science, that science has proven GMOs safe. Okay...on one side we have scientists saying it is safe. On the other, we also have other scientists saying it is not safe. Hmmm, which am I to believe? Either side can be right or wrong. So what will I do in every case? I will side with unsafe! Why, you may ask? Because I would rather err on the side of caution. I would rather remove that thing from my diet and find out 10-20 years from now that it was perfectly safe and I could have been eating it the entire time, than continue eating it, and find out 10-20 years from now after I already have some irreversible SERIOUS condition (you know, like cancer) and the people claiming the product unsafe were right!
It is also for this reason that I fully support labeling, and truth in labeling!! Now, I'm not asking for some huge sticker on the front of my cereal box saying it has GMOs in it. No...a notation under the ingredient list will be enough...just like the current "May contain nuts, wheat, soy, or milk" notations. Those of us who truly care about what we eat actually read those labels. Those who don't care, will continue to blindly pluck the products off the shelves as they already do! It is that simple! "But we will lose revenue because of all the fuss made AGAINST GMOs!" Really? No, you won't! Why? Because the percentage of people who actually care that much about what they eat and will be deterred by those labels is actually way smaller than the ACTUAL percentage of the population that voted for Trump (remember, some 40+% of the population didn't even vote...and yes, I had to throw in that dig)!
Oh, and science. I fully support science! We would not be where we are today with technological or medical advances without science! One thing to remember; however, not all science is "good" science. How many times have results been "altered" to protect a corporation, and it was later determined that the results published were wrong, because someone got paid off? Also, while you have someone on one side of the fence trying to find the cure for cancer, you have someone on the other side of the fence discovering the latest biological weapon that could potentially wipe out millions of people! That is why you saying in an argument that you are a scientist is not going to change my way of thinking! I don't personally know you...I don't know what side of the fence you work on! Oh, and if you work pharm? Oh, that will make me leery of you from the get go! I have strong reasons to not trust most doctors and the pharms!
Friday, January 27, 2017
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Some may call me a hippie!
With everything going on in this country right now, I'm compelled to put something down in writing...thoughts that bump around in my head with everything I read.
I'm not a Republican....I'm not a Democrat. I don't consider myself a liberal or a conservative. I also don't consider myself a feminist. What I am is an independent woman of probably better than normal means (for the most part, though I'm still working through debt from my failed marriage...but I'm able to do so and still have a life). I am someone who believes in common sense and actually thinking...yes, I do consider myself to be rather intelligent...not in a conceited way, but just because I can recognize that I don't think like other people, and problem solving comes easy to me.
I apologize now if this gets long!
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
Like I said, I'm not a feminist. I am independent. This is mostly due to the fact that I learned by watching my mother's life growing up that you can't depend on a man! My dad is a good man...a great man! My stepdad is a good man, as well. Some of my mother's choices in between...um...not so much. It was these men who quickly taught me that I needed to make sure I could take care of myself! And it is a good thing I learned this lesson! My first husband was too busy drinking, smoking pot, and womanizing to help me with the household. Couldn't even get the SOB to pay a measly $100/month in child support after we divorced! Had I not already built a foundation to work off of, I would have been it trouble being a single mom to 2 kids!
My second husband wasn't as bad as the first. Yes, he still ended up cheating on me...a few times. Unlike my first husband, he actually did work, but he didn't have drive like I did. When it came to advancing in our careers over the 15 years we were together, I did so at a much faster pace than he did. I attribute this mostly to the fact that I stayed put! While he bounced from job to job looking for "satisfaction", I toughed it out and made the most of my job. I made one job move our entire marriage, and that was because I was recruited by another company, where I am still...11 years later. I also have my degree, while he dropped out of college after his first year, and never went back. I know he resented me for that. Through our entire marriage, I carried us financially (oh, he was good as spending and opening lines of credit, but again, wasn't getting the raises and promotions to cover them). When it came to stuff around the house, not only was I expected to do the cooking, cleaning, and dealing with the kids (the traditional woman tasks), but I was also the one who cut the grass, picked up trash from the yard, fixed things around the house, etc. I could ask him about a repair or work several times..."I'll get to it." It wasn't until I finally got tired of it not being done 2 MONTHS later and started doing it myself, that he would get up off that couch and cry that I didn't need him...that he said he would do it! I also handled all the finances...paying the bills, doing the taxes, etc.
At the same time, he EXPECTED me to fulfill his sexual desires on his every whim! He would complain if I didn't dress up for him in the bedroom. He would grab on me all the time, even when I protested. When I did protest, I was told something to the tune of we were married, and he could do what he wanted. When I lost a lot of weight, he used to get offended because I would not get a boob job "for him" (after I lost the weight, I went back to the A cups I had all through my younger years...my normal size). He even commented sometimes that my body was actually his, because we were married.
When we divorced, my second husband tried to claim that I stuck him with more debt...I mean obviously, because I was doing so much better than he was. Nope! I actually walked away with more debt! I just made more money that he knew I made (because I had to stop telling him about raises, as if he found out there was more money coming in, he would find a way to spend it), and I'm way better at budgeting that he is!
So yeah...now I live alone. I have a man in my life...one who is actually good with money...and has is shit together! I don't expect him to take care of me! When we go out, we typically split the bill in half, and never squabble about who got what and one person's meal cost more. Sometimes mine is more, sometimes his is more...doesn't matter! He holds my hand, walks on the street side of the sidewalk (many don't know that this is the gentlemanly thing to do), opens doors for me, etc. I'll cook something at home, and always put some aside and take it to him, and he will compliment me on the food later while he is eating it. We have managed to merge traditional roles with us both being independent, and this actually works very, very well as a partnership! He very much respects me, as I do him.
I share all this as the foundation of why I feel the way I do about women's rights (hey...already apologized for this being long). I don't believe that women should have more than men...we are not the lesser or greater sex! I DO believe that we are EQUAL! We should get equal pay for equal work. We should be treated with respect, not like sexual object or a piece of property! In a relationship/marriage, no one owns anyone! It should be viewed as a partnership! I expect that my health insurance should cover those things that women need, including birth control! If we are expected to protect ourselves, and the means to do so must involve a doctor visit or a prescription, then insurance sure as hell better cover it! I want affordable health care! I get it! Women need more things checked than guys, and some of these checks are a little on the pricey side. That doesn't mean that we should be denied access to these services. I want men to be held just as accountable to their children as women!! Any woman who has been to court trying to get their child's father to do their part knows this struggle well. It is so easy for a man to walk away from his kids, thus leaving the burden on the woman!
Sure, we have come a long way, but this current administration has me fearing backwards steps instead of forward...and for this reason I support women's rights! It also pains me that funding for Violence Against Women Grants may get cut this administration!
ENVIRONMENT AND FOOD SUPPLY
This is where some may play the hippie card on me. I feel very strongly about availability of nourishing and CLEAN food. I believe in sustainable farming. I believe in helping farmers produce the best crops possible for the population...crops free of chemicals. I believe in clean water supplies for the people. I believe in the outlawing of chemicals (dyes, preservatives, etc.) that have been proven to have harmful health effects. All of this means protecting the environment, as well! We have to protect our farmlands and our water supplies!
THIS is the problem I have with the Dakota pipeline, and why I am so upset that has been released to move forward! The builders can offer no guarantee that cracks will not emerge in the pipeline allowing oil to escape into the water supply that it will be routed under. This is especially important as earthquakes are happening more and more, and in areas not typically prone to them, due to fracking! Just look at Oklahoma. The main danger this area used to have to face was tornadoes. Last year, there were earthquakes in Oklahoma so strong they were felt down in Texas! If you look at earthquake prediction maps, you see that Oklahoma is now as likely to experience a severe earthquake as California!! This did not start happening until fracking in Oklahoma!
If you don't think we humans can adversely affect the environment, you are naive! I've actually heard some Christians (and I'm a non-practicing Catholic...so don't even get me started) argue that there is no way God would make it so easy for us to destroy the Earth. However, we have scientific proof that we are hurting the planet! It aches me that there are potential proposed budget cuts to the Department of Energy surrounding things such as research for renewable and clean energy which would reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The administration have also taken recent actions with regards to the EPA that are very concerning!
EDUCATION AND THE ARTS
Don't even get me started on Betsy Devos! This woman is NOT qualified to head up education! I can't help but feel this administration just wants to dumb down the population, and stomp out free thinking. Add to this proposed budget cuts for the arts...because the administration doesn't feel the arts are important. Forget that it has been scientifically proven that arts study opens pathways in the brain that would otherwise remain closed, enhancing a person's ability to learn and problem solve. This is why arts and science is often grouped together. Without the arts, we would not have advanced in science and technology as we have! The two go hand and hand.
If the administration wants to make America a greater place (I word it that way, because the other is up for trademark), you have to educate the people! An educated people are a strong people! The more educated people a country has, the stronger that country is. Hell, look at the domination of Japan in so many areas! Why are they so strong in technology and the likes? Because they value education HIGHLY! Why do you see so many Asians in this country in high tech and scientific fields? Because they come from a culture that values education highly! Education is essential! Oh, and guess what, most Asian children are also required by their parents to study the arts, because they get it!
EQUALITY
This is a big one for me! We need to put an end to racism and discrimination! I don't care what color your skin is, what religion you practice, who you desire as a sexual partner, if you are tall or short, curvy or slim....you are human, and I will love and respect you as such! The only way one can lose my respect is to disrespect me...and even then, that only applies to that particular person, and not any of the people groups they may be part of! I don't respect my ex husbands, but that is because they disrespected me. It isn't because they are men...it is because they personally wronged me!
And because I respect a person, doesn't mean that I condone what they do! I can respect that we will agree to disagree on many things. My respect does not have to mean that I give in to other people...that I'm weak. It means that I understand they have every right to live on this planet and be happy as I do. Now, granted, this does not apply to criminals who do harm to others. That is one way to lose my respect instantly! You harm another person, you deserve the justice that comes down on you! Can you be reformed? Can you repent? Possibly, but until then, you deserve the punishment that comes down!
But I believe in looking for the good in people. When I look at you, I don't see your skin, the clothes you are wearing. I look for how you hold yourself! Are you a person who is kind to others? Are you a person who can be depended on to be true to your word? These are the things that matter to me.
CONCLUSION
Again, I said this would be long! When I voted, these are the things I voted for! Yes, I voted 3rd party, because neither major party could match my values on most of my concerns. There are many who say that was a vote for the current administration, or that I threw away my vote. I have to disagree! If more people were actually brave enough to vote their true heart, we probably would not be in this boat today! People were bullied this election...some voted the way they did out of fear of not being accepted by their own family if they voted their own heart. Some didn't vote at all for similar reasons...it is easier to say you didn't vote than admit who you voted for! We need to stand up and take our country back! We need to be the land of the brave and the home of the free!
I'm not a Republican....I'm not a Democrat. I don't consider myself a liberal or a conservative. I also don't consider myself a feminist. What I am is an independent woman of probably better than normal means (for the most part, though I'm still working through debt from my failed marriage...but I'm able to do so and still have a life). I am someone who believes in common sense and actually thinking...yes, I do consider myself to be rather intelligent...not in a conceited way, but just because I can recognize that I don't think like other people, and problem solving comes easy to me.
I apologize now if this gets long!
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
Like I said, I'm not a feminist. I am independent. This is mostly due to the fact that I learned by watching my mother's life growing up that you can't depend on a man! My dad is a good man...a great man! My stepdad is a good man, as well. Some of my mother's choices in between...um...not so much. It was these men who quickly taught me that I needed to make sure I could take care of myself! And it is a good thing I learned this lesson! My first husband was too busy drinking, smoking pot, and womanizing to help me with the household. Couldn't even get the SOB to pay a measly $100/month in child support after we divorced! Had I not already built a foundation to work off of, I would have been it trouble being a single mom to 2 kids!
My second husband wasn't as bad as the first. Yes, he still ended up cheating on me...a few times. Unlike my first husband, he actually did work, but he didn't have drive like I did. When it came to advancing in our careers over the 15 years we were together, I did so at a much faster pace than he did. I attribute this mostly to the fact that I stayed put! While he bounced from job to job looking for "satisfaction", I toughed it out and made the most of my job. I made one job move our entire marriage, and that was because I was recruited by another company, where I am still...11 years later. I also have my degree, while he dropped out of college after his first year, and never went back. I know he resented me for that. Through our entire marriage, I carried us financially (oh, he was good as spending and opening lines of credit, but again, wasn't getting the raises and promotions to cover them). When it came to stuff around the house, not only was I expected to do the cooking, cleaning, and dealing with the kids (the traditional woman tasks), but I was also the one who cut the grass, picked up trash from the yard, fixed things around the house, etc. I could ask him about a repair or work several times..."I'll get to it." It wasn't until I finally got tired of it not being done 2 MONTHS later and started doing it myself, that he would get up off that couch and cry that I didn't need him...that he said he would do it! I also handled all the finances...paying the bills, doing the taxes, etc.
At the same time, he EXPECTED me to fulfill his sexual desires on his every whim! He would complain if I didn't dress up for him in the bedroom. He would grab on me all the time, even when I protested. When I did protest, I was told something to the tune of we were married, and he could do what he wanted. When I lost a lot of weight, he used to get offended because I would not get a boob job "for him" (after I lost the weight, I went back to the A cups I had all through my younger years...my normal size). He even commented sometimes that my body was actually his, because we were married.
When we divorced, my second husband tried to claim that I stuck him with more debt...I mean obviously, because I was doing so much better than he was. Nope! I actually walked away with more debt! I just made more money that he knew I made (because I had to stop telling him about raises, as if he found out there was more money coming in, he would find a way to spend it), and I'm way better at budgeting that he is!
So yeah...now I live alone. I have a man in my life...one who is actually good with money...and has is shit together! I don't expect him to take care of me! When we go out, we typically split the bill in half, and never squabble about who got what and one person's meal cost more. Sometimes mine is more, sometimes his is more...doesn't matter! He holds my hand, walks on the street side of the sidewalk (many don't know that this is the gentlemanly thing to do), opens doors for me, etc. I'll cook something at home, and always put some aside and take it to him, and he will compliment me on the food later while he is eating it. We have managed to merge traditional roles with us both being independent, and this actually works very, very well as a partnership! He very much respects me, as I do him.
I share all this as the foundation of why I feel the way I do about women's rights (hey...already apologized for this being long). I don't believe that women should have more than men...we are not the lesser or greater sex! I DO believe that we are EQUAL! We should get equal pay for equal work. We should be treated with respect, not like sexual object or a piece of property! In a relationship/marriage, no one owns anyone! It should be viewed as a partnership! I expect that my health insurance should cover those things that women need, including birth control! If we are expected to protect ourselves, and the means to do so must involve a doctor visit or a prescription, then insurance sure as hell better cover it! I want affordable health care! I get it! Women need more things checked than guys, and some of these checks are a little on the pricey side. That doesn't mean that we should be denied access to these services. I want men to be held just as accountable to their children as women!! Any woman who has been to court trying to get their child's father to do their part knows this struggle well. It is so easy for a man to walk away from his kids, thus leaving the burden on the woman!
Sure, we have come a long way, but this current administration has me fearing backwards steps instead of forward...and for this reason I support women's rights! It also pains me that funding for Violence Against Women Grants may get cut this administration!
ENVIRONMENT AND FOOD SUPPLY
This is where some may play the hippie card on me. I feel very strongly about availability of nourishing and CLEAN food. I believe in sustainable farming. I believe in helping farmers produce the best crops possible for the population...crops free of chemicals. I believe in clean water supplies for the people. I believe in the outlawing of chemicals (dyes, preservatives, etc.) that have been proven to have harmful health effects. All of this means protecting the environment, as well! We have to protect our farmlands and our water supplies!
THIS is the problem I have with the Dakota pipeline, and why I am so upset that has been released to move forward! The builders can offer no guarantee that cracks will not emerge in the pipeline allowing oil to escape into the water supply that it will be routed under. This is especially important as earthquakes are happening more and more, and in areas not typically prone to them, due to fracking! Just look at Oklahoma. The main danger this area used to have to face was tornadoes. Last year, there were earthquakes in Oklahoma so strong they were felt down in Texas! If you look at earthquake prediction maps, you see that Oklahoma is now as likely to experience a severe earthquake as California!! This did not start happening until fracking in Oklahoma!
If you don't think we humans can adversely affect the environment, you are naive! I've actually heard some Christians (and I'm a non-practicing Catholic...so don't even get me started) argue that there is no way God would make it so easy for us to destroy the Earth. However, we have scientific proof that we are hurting the planet! It aches me that there are potential proposed budget cuts to the Department of Energy surrounding things such as research for renewable and clean energy which would reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The administration have also taken recent actions with regards to the EPA that are very concerning!
EDUCATION AND THE ARTS
Don't even get me started on Betsy Devos! This woman is NOT qualified to head up education! I can't help but feel this administration just wants to dumb down the population, and stomp out free thinking. Add to this proposed budget cuts for the arts...because the administration doesn't feel the arts are important. Forget that it has been scientifically proven that arts study opens pathways in the brain that would otherwise remain closed, enhancing a person's ability to learn and problem solve. This is why arts and science is often grouped together. Without the arts, we would not have advanced in science and technology as we have! The two go hand and hand.
If the administration wants to make America a greater place (I word it that way, because the other is up for trademark), you have to educate the people! An educated people are a strong people! The more educated people a country has, the stronger that country is. Hell, look at the domination of Japan in so many areas! Why are they so strong in technology and the likes? Because they value education HIGHLY! Why do you see so many Asians in this country in high tech and scientific fields? Because they come from a culture that values education highly! Education is essential! Oh, and guess what, most Asian children are also required by their parents to study the arts, because they get it!
EQUALITY
This is a big one for me! We need to put an end to racism and discrimination! I don't care what color your skin is, what religion you practice, who you desire as a sexual partner, if you are tall or short, curvy or slim....you are human, and I will love and respect you as such! The only way one can lose my respect is to disrespect me...and even then, that only applies to that particular person, and not any of the people groups they may be part of! I don't respect my ex husbands, but that is because they disrespected me. It isn't because they are men...it is because they personally wronged me!
And because I respect a person, doesn't mean that I condone what they do! I can respect that we will agree to disagree on many things. My respect does not have to mean that I give in to other people...that I'm weak. It means that I understand they have every right to live on this planet and be happy as I do. Now, granted, this does not apply to criminals who do harm to others. That is one way to lose my respect instantly! You harm another person, you deserve the justice that comes down on you! Can you be reformed? Can you repent? Possibly, but until then, you deserve the punishment that comes down!
But I believe in looking for the good in people. When I look at you, I don't see your skin, the clothes you are wearing. I look for how you hold yourself! Are you a person who is kind to others? Are you a person who can be depended on to be true to your word? These are the things that matter to me.
CONCLUSION
Again, I said this would be long! When I voted, these are the things I voted for! Yes, I voted 3rd party, because neither major party could match my values on most of my concerns. There are many who say that was a vote for the current administration, or that I threw away my vote. I have to disagree! If more people were actually brave enough to vote their true heart, we probably would not be in this boat today! People were bullied this election...some voted the way they did out of fear of not being accepted by their own family if they voted their own heart. Some didn't vote at all for similar reasons...it is easier to say you didn't vote than admit who you voted for! We need to stand up and take our country back! We need to be the land of the brave and the home of the free!
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