T: Is for Taking a Stand!

Monsanto is a MAJOR force in the political arena. Each year Monsanto contributes thousands of dollars to elected officials through its Political Action Committee. Their main focus is through the millions of dollars spent each year lobbying legislators and regulators.

Here is a partial list of past players: Justice Clarence Thomas worked as an attorney for Monsanto in the 1970s. He then as Supreme Court Justice wrote the majority opinion in J. E. M. AG SUPPLY, INC. V. PIONEER HI-BREDINTERNATIONAL, INC. which found that "newly developed plant breeds are patentable under the general utility patent laws of the United States." This case benefitted all companies which profit from genetically modified crops, of which Monsanto is one of the largest.

Michael R. Taylor was an assistant to the F.D.A. commissioner before he left to work for a law firm on gaining F.D.A. approval of Monsanto’s artificial growth hormone. Taylor then became deputy commissioner of the F.D.A.

Dr. Michael A. Friedman was a deputy commissioner of the F.D.A. before he was hired as a senior vice president of Monsanto.

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was chairman and chief executive officer of G. D. Searle & Co., which Monsanto purchased in 1985. Rumsfeld personally made at least $12 million USD from the transaction.

Additionally, Monsanto has had great success in infiltrating government posts with former executives, scientists and attorney’s. This is important because Monsanto is well documented in suing and bulling thousands of farmers nationally and abroad for allegedly using their patented seed or attempting to market their dairy products as “rBGH-free.” Marketing dangerous chemicals, like PCBs and Agent Orange: Despite overwhelming evidence. Monsanto continues to refuse compensation to veterans and families for exposure to the toxic chemical agent orange and still claims it does not exist. Monsanto has sought to undermine organic agriculture and contaminate the global food supply from Argentina to Canada and has just lost in a major lawsuit in Brazil. Monsanto has repeatedly attempted to market "Terminator" seeds, to produce sterile seed, forcing farmers to become dependent on Monsanto for seed. They have bribed the Indonesian Environmental Officials. In conjunction with the United States so-called Drug War, vast swaths of Colombia has been sprayed with super concentrated versions of Monsanto’s RoundUp, contaminating Colombian communities, waterways and farms.

Monsanto has been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as being a "potentially responsible party" for 56 contaminated sites in the United States. Monsanto has been sued, and has settled, multiple times for damaging the health of its employees or residents near its sites through pollution and poisoning.

Right now the biggest threat is soy. Monsanto is the largest producer of glyphosate herbicides through its popular brand, Roundup. Roundup has been a source of ongoing controversy, as res several studies show that it leads to the first stages of and/or causes cancer. Since Monsanto genetically modified soy to be resistant to its Roundup weed killers, the European Union placed a ban on GMed soy imports. More than half of rats exposed to GM soy died prematurely compared to rats that weren't exposed. This is due to the fact that GM soy's DNA contains bacterial genes that allow the soy plant to survive the heavy exposure to Monsanto's "Roundup" brand herbicide. Some 85 percent of the soy gown in the United States is Roundup Ready. Soy is present in the majority of processed foods sold in the United States, which mean most Americans eat Roundup Ready soy in some form every day. Soy is the food of the future. Meat will be phased out if we are to live sustainability on this planet. It is interesting, then, that the soy we eat is so infected with dangerous elements. GM soy is also grown carelessly--since there is little or no variation in GM products, the risk of an entire crop failure is much higher. Adverse weather conditions may affect a particular genetic makeup. Weeds all over the world have grown resistant to the now heavy use of Roundup weed killers, and Monsanto is struggling to deter this. In Argentina, two weeds have grown resistant. In the US, an even larger number of weeds have grown resistant, due to our long practice of spraying herbicides.

It is important to check out the candidates. Moses Mercado, Obama's top adviser is lobbyist for Pfizer, Carlyle Group, Monsanto, the NRA and the Carlyle Group. Monsanto donated $12,000 directly to Bush's presidential campaign. Hillary Clinton has strong ties to Monsanto and when John McCain was a senator guess who contributed. Our health and safety depend on our choices and that is a F.A.C.T.