H.R. 875

It was bound to happen....two of my favorite topics have crossed paths and I have to open my mouth. Most people who know me, don't realize how political I can be because I tend to keep my mouth shut and just listen when others speak. But I am getting older now and don't have the patience for nonsense like I used to, so I am raising my voice and letting people know where I stand. I feel especially compelled to speak up when I hear outright lies, rumors and innuendos. I have no tolerance for political discussion that isn't based on facts. And if you don't check out that flame mail on Snopes before you send it to me, well....you are going to hear about it!

So last night I found myself at the topical intersection of raw, organic foods and House Bill 875. It seems that HR 875 - The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 is getting a thrashing by the online politicos and it isn't even out of committee yet. At the Raw Meetup sharing circle last night the subject came up and everyone was certain that we needed to call our congressmen right away as this bill needed to be stopped. (I volunteered to get our representatives names and phone numbers organized!) The common thought was that this bill was going to outlaw organic farming...that organic farmers were going to be forced to meet a new standard of having to spray their fields with chemical pesticides and herbicides. Heirloom seeds were going to disappear in favor of GMO seeds, and that one couldn't even have a backyard garden without this bill interfering with one's lovely tomatoes. The small, organic farmers would be put out of business and we would all be forced to eat chemically infused produce. Roadside stands put up by gardeners who still planted a whole row of zucchinis would disappear and farmers' markets would be a thing of the past.

If you have received the e-mail from someone who has urged you to send it on to everyone in your distribution list, hold your horses. I have read the bill and visited the web site of the primary sponsor, Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT). I am convinced that Ms. DeLauro has our best interests at heart and that the ones who are really going to suffer with the passage of this bill are the large food processors and corporate farmers who are finally going to be held accountable for just how much toxic waste they can spray on our food and get away with it.

But, really, take an afternoon and read the bill for yourself. Educate yourself. Form your own opinion. Personally I think it is high time someone did something....the FDA hasn't done anything in years. They are too busy investigating all the medical and pharmacological stuff to pay any attention to spinach, peanut butter or Chinese additives to pet food. Someone needs to be paying attention. So just read it! The Liberty Farmers Market will thank you for it.

P.S. For a complete discussion of this bill, allow me to refer you to The Ethicurean: Chew the right thing.

Today I had:

Breakfast: A quart of beautiful Ruby Red Ambrosia...the juice of carrots, celery, apple, lemon, ginger root, and beet.

Lunch: Citrus Avocado Salad...pink grapefruit, an orange, and avocado on romaine lettuce with a Dijon mustard, agave nectar, lemon juice and olive oil dressing.

Supper: Zucchini spaghetti with a tomato sauce and topped off with chopped celery, mushrooms, shallots and some black olives.

Body Flexed today.

Photo courtesy of Kimy of Cleveland. http://mousemedicine.blogspot.com/