March Against Monsanto
This past Saturday my boyfriend and I took a stand…well a walk actually. We walked to get involved and to stand up for a right that is naturally ours…to know what we are putting into our bodies. Here is an article summing up the event and the reason behind it…I will tell you more after you read it J
USA Today Article:
Protesters rallied in dozens of cities Saturday as part of a global protest against seed giant Monsanto and the genetically modified food it produces, organizers said.
Organizers said “March Against Monsanto” protests were held in 52 countries and 436 cities, including Los Angeles where demonstrators waved signs that read “Real Food 4 Real People” and “Label GMOs, It’s Our Right to Know.”
Genetically modified plants are grown from seeds that are engineered to resist insecticides and herbicides, add nutritional benefits or otherwise improve crop yields and increase the global food supply.
Most corn, soybean and cotton crops grown in the United States today have been genetically modified. But critics say genetically modified organisms can lead to serious health conditions and harm the environment. The use of GMOs has been a growing issue of contention in recent years, with health advocates pushing for mandatory labeling of genetically modified products even though the federal government and many scientists say the technology is safe.
The ‘March Against Monsanto’ movement began just a few months ago, when founder and organizer Tami Canal created a Facebook page on Feb. 28 calling for a rally against the company’s practices.
—–Okay, so here’s the scoop…we marched 3 miles through downtown Tampa. It was a nonviolent protest, meaning no cursing or violence of any type. We all had signs that people could read while driving and there were so many of us (400 or more people) it would have been impossible not to look up at one point and see one. One point I would like to make is that each one of us is just one person. If we would have thought “I am just one voice if I show up or not won’t make a difference” imagine what could have happened….nothing. The fact that over 400 people showed up in Tampa alone tells me something needs to be done. The crazy thing is it wasn’t just a bunch of “hippies protesting the man”. These were families, bringing their children and their grandparents and friends. It was inspiring to see so many people honking and rolling down their windows to say encouraging things. There wasn’t a negative vibe the entire time. This tells me what we are asking for (labels) is not offensive to anyone. It is not going to harm anyone. The way I see it, and why I think I feel so strongly about this cause, is that if nothing in your GMO products is harmful, why do you care if people know it’s in there? It is our right to know what we eat. If you think there is nothing wrong with your product then label it and let the people decide!!!! Monsanto’s fear of having their products labeled brings me fear of what my friends and their families are consuming…. I encourage you to do some homework on the subject. I have attached a couple links below as well.
Related articles
- March against GMOs in Tampa, St. Pete (abcactionnews.com)
- ‘March Against Monsanto’ protesters rally against genetically modified food (globalnews.ca)
- March Against Monsanto: ‘This Is Only The Beginning’ (secretsofthefed.com)
- Worldwide protests held against Monsanto (aljazeera.com)
joyful cacophony 
Sara, I feel the same way you do. If it’s safe, why NOT label it? My personal problems with Monsanto run even deeper than labelling or not labeling. I believe labeling, at this time, is the right thing to demand at a March because it’s reasonable and a step in the right direction.
Ultimately, what I’d really like to see is an end to the corruption between Monsanto and officials in our government who are supposed to be in charge of regulation. Our government regulatory agencies and the companies they are meant to regulate have had a revolving door between them for a very long time now, to the point where Monsanto essentially writes its own laws.
Thank you for standing up and Marching for us. I wish I had your guts, chica. Thanks for inspiring me!
Good job! I really didn’t have an opinion on GMO foods until recently (I’ve always thought Monsanto was a terrible corporation!). Mostly what got me going was the connection between GMOs and rising rates of food allergies. I don’t have any food allergies (that I am aware of), but it doesn’t take a genius to realize that the mixing of genes between plants increases the risk in many foods causing harmful reactions — especially when they aren’t labeled.