I'm not on an anti-GMO bandwagon.

Anti-torture Protest at Ft. Bennings, GA

A few days ago an acquaintence of mine posted a story on facebook about a family who grew a massive amount of food in a fairly small yard. A few months earlier, I had posted the same story on the www.juiceartist.com site. Upon many of the comments in the feed, one was a response that he wished the family had not of "jumped on the anti-GMO bandwagon." After about a week has passed, I decided to respond to give him a more thorough perspective. Not wanting to create a debate, but simply to speak out and educate those that this issue has been around for decades and thankfully it is finally coming to the public's attention.

I began researching genetically engineered seeds in the mid 1990's, having been eating primarily an all organic diet since around the same time. The first time I can remember voicing my concern against pesticides, pollution and the effects upon soil, crops, and ground water was in 1983. Yes, even when I was a child.

In the late 90's I spent time researching torture and abuse cases in Chiapas, Mexico after the Mexican war caused by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). I began speaking to churches and in university classes specifically on the separate, bilateral agreement between Mexico and the US in NAFTA that included the corn sector (GMO's used in sweetner, ethanol, agricultural and human sector). It was big corn that first taught me how US corporations are powerful enough to use the US military to enforce its agenda globally. The psych-ops division trained paramilitaries in torture techniques and they were used as a strong arm to displace indigenous tribes in Chiapas. Brutal torture. Other often successful methods were in low intensity warfare, divide and conquer, techniques. I worked specifically with the Bees community, a pacifist tribe, that was slaughtered while upon a 9-day fast while they were in church and in prayer when the massacre happened. It took 9 hours to kill 45 people. Pregnant women's bellies ripped open, etc. That corn sector played a huge role in further destabilizing an already struggling country, while also making hundreds of strains of maize extinct.

I haven't, and won't touch on the lifetime of research I've done on the effect of pesticides and herbicides on the human body, brain development, aquifers, etc. Unfortunately one cannot separate the growing of genetically engineered seed from the destruction of the soil and all healthy bacteria, worms, flora that live there.

So while one of my masters revolves around Ecological Theology and it may not be deemed scientific because I do not hold a PhD; the relationship with Earth and the human body, are part of my entire belief system. It is not willy-nilly and it is not based on the latest meme or latest 50 scientific articles I have read this month about nutrition and our genetic structure. It is based on the conviction that there is a better way. The pro-GMO propoganda would have one believe it is about feeding the hungry or being drought resistant. Global hunger has never been about lack of food, but about distribution. And there are ways to farm organically that can sustain entire communities on very little water.

There are a plethora of other things I could bring up to explain my passion to end GMO use. However, the main one is an ethical one. The con-agri developers and chemical producers are powerful and deceiving. God says that you will know us by our fruit. No pun intended. I've seen the devestation and destruction to the land, outright murder and intentional silencing of tribes and farmers and it is happening all over the world. Remember free trade is not fair trade.

So when it comes to our food system, the ways the world is fed, the land we leave behind, the relationship with our own body and cellular makeup, the intrinsic relationship between our bodies and God, and our responsibility to care for the Earth, just remember.... it's no bandwagon. And I thank God that people are now paying attention to matters so paramount.