I-522 GMO labeling initiative in wa starts voting in 2 weeks!

Alright guys, I know I have seen an awful lot of talk on here about labeling of GMOs and its time to step up and fight for our right to know what's in our food! I am actively engaged in promoting the initiative in my area and you may be interested to know that even if your not a Washington state resident you can still join the fight to help this pass in Washington.

So why should Joe in New York, or Beth in Idaho care about helping out my state with this issue? Well its very likely that other states will follow suit and soon after Washington becomes the 4th(that's right, the 4th) state to put labeling laws into action, the lies that the corporate propaganda machine has put out against it will soon become very apparent for what they are. So What can you do to help?

Aside from the obvious donations(which I'm sure many Americans don't have the money for.) You can use the phone bank on the Yes for I-522 website to answer phone calls from confused citizens who are on the fence with this issue. This is utterly vital in the first week of voting since that is when most elderly voters will be filling out their ballots. Thanks for your support, lets stick it to Monsanto and other greedy bio-tech industries.

If a majority of people in the state decide they want to have labeling they should have labeling.


But things like this should not be placed into a law because it has not been shown to be fact:

As a result, genetically engineered crops have caused hundreds of millions of pounds of additional herbicides to be applied to the nation's farmland. The massive increase in use of these herbicides has caused emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds

Herbicide resistant weeds began showing up before there were any GM crops.

Not sure what this has to do with it:

United States department of agriculture data shows Washington state ranks second in the nation for organic farm-gate sales at two hundred eighty-one million dollars per year

Here's a bit of silliness:

Conventional farmers have a right to choose what crops they grow and many conventional farmers want to grow traditional crops developed without genetic engineering. Identifying seeds and seed stock produced with genetic engineering would protect farmers' rights to know what they are purchasing and protect their right to choose what they grow

Farmers that grow GM crops choose to grow GM crops. They intentionally buy GM seeds. And they do so because they like the results they get from them.


But getting to the heart of the bill...
"Raw" products (like vegetables and fruit) must be labeled. That's fine. No problem there. Local farmers know what they are growing and selling.

Processed food:

In the case of any processed food, on the front of the package of such food produced by a manufacturer, with the words "partially produced with genetic engineering" or "may be partially produced with genetic engineering" stated clearly and conspicuously

So, it won't really tell you whether or not it contains GM material, just that it might. The manufacturers will be compelled to label their product per this thread:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Seeds:

In the case of any seed or seed stock, on the seed or seed stock container, sales receipt or any other reference to identification, ownership, or possession, with the words "genetically engineered" or "produced with genetic engineering" stated clearly and conspicuously

Unnecessary as described above and in this thread: www.abovetopsecret.com...


So, who's responsible if a product is failed to be labeled and is found to contain GM material? The farmer in Iowa who grew the GM grain? The mill that ground it? The broker? The trucker? The tortilla factory that used the corn? Or is it the local store that sold the unlabeled product?

The department, acting through the attorney general, may bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to enjoin any person violating this chapter.

Sort of vague, don't you think?

Thanks for your support, lets stick it to Monsanto and other greedy bio-tech industries.

More like, lets stick it to our neighborhood grocery store. This initiative ain't going to hurt Monsanto much but it's pretty clear from that section about organic produce where it originated.


Doesn't seem like a very effective initiative. It's full of holes and unsupported claims. If it does pass, I don't think it would stand up in court as written but good luck. Like I said, the people should be able to decide but doing it legally and fairly may not be as simple as putting a label on something.

sos.wa.gov...

reply to post by Phage


I appreciate your interest in the thread, first and foremost. However, I created this thread with the sole intention of letting those who know where they stand on the issue get involved in the campaign. I agree completely voters should and will decide on the issue.

reply to post by tigershark1988

I created this thread with the sole intention of letting those who know where they stand on the issue get involved in the campaign. I

Well, we know where you stand, that's for sure.

Yes. People should be able to make decisions like this based on a majority.
And they should also understand what they are voting for and whether or not it will accomplish what they think it will.

There is no point in a poorly constructed initiative. It won't survive the court system.

For fruit there is are four numbers identifying it as normal. If it has 5 numbers and starts with an 9, it's organic. If it has 5 numbers and starts with a 8, it's GMO. So if they don't label it, you can still see it on the little sticker. This means a regular banana would have a sticker saying 4011, an organic banana would say 94011 and a GM banana would say 84011.

Good for sharing. I'm not in WA but on the stateline, would be nice to have the option and hope for a local leader in that. A big concern now is that it will be similarly go to way of and as said the vote will be bought off as it was in California., be aware of those challenges.

reply to post by dreamingawake


Thanks for the warning, as far as I know only about 17 million dollars has been poured into our opposition. (still quite a bit) but with these next few weeks being as crucial as they are we can expect to see more money being spent and all sorts of tricks pop up. I have taken it upon myself to focus on combating the opposing propaganda more so than promotion of the initiative alone because of what happened in California.

Update on this...
Wash. State Lawsuit Reveals Which Corporations Laundered Money To Fight GMO Labeling

“The people of Washington demand transparency in elections. I’m pleased that the GMA board recognized this responsibility to disclose the names of corporate contributors to oppose Initiative 522, and the amount of this contribution,” Ferguson said.

continued...

I am rather glad i don't vote...
Let em do what they want, seems a little late in life to be worrying about it now.

reply to post by dreamingawake


Thanks for that, there certainly are a lot of corporate interests fighting this grassroots movement. However, Its amazing the impact we've been able to make, just in my local area I have met quite a few people who are aware of I-522 and support it.

We shall soon see whether their money will buy them more time or not, labeling is inevitable.

reply to post by tigershark1988


Just noticed Phage and I might be on the same page on this issue.

Just here to create another link in the chain of this thought process...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I am a bit of a "tree hugger" myself.... But I despise disinformation...

reply to post by livinglifeseekingtruth2


And "Bye"the way..... I am a little tired of the "free thinkers" from WA State invading my state the last 10+ years with your drug's. Hemp as a "crop" might be useful for ropes and stuff.... But when you smoke it... it just makes you Stupid! And Lazy..... Cancer Sucks! But advocating the drug Marijuana to numb someone when they are ill is controversial. I personally am "on the fence" on that one. It might be a good thing for Cancer patients if it was not presented by bunch of "Grass root" kids angry because the precious crop they snuck in to plant in the middle of a corn field "they did not own" was destroyed because it was planted illegally. If you want me to elaborate.... Go ahead and ask me... I Dare You!

The Western State's Drug runners have also caused MY State many problems we had never had to deal with before in the last 10+ years. WA State citizens seem to be the Majority of the source of the problem. (ASK ME MORE>>> I dare you ) I have a little "personal experience" My state was invaded and suddenly we had a meth lab on almost every corner... Had a neighbor move in across the street in small town state... tried to be friendly... but they and their kids were 5 ways of crazy... Do that and your neighbors pay attention to your movements... Pretty sure that neighbor is still in Prison for Manufacturing Meth.... Friends and Family had to start burning down Farmsteads that had been standing for generations just so the Meth "Scientists" would not have an opportunity to set up an operation.

I am starting to like this site... and this topic as well.... It is like adding another link in a chain that leads you to the source and the ultimate truth....

Are the Monsanto Haters the ones who are annoyed that their "Illegal Crops" are being destroyed when a farmer cares for their Legal Crop?

Don't think too hard Haters... It might hurt your feeble and damaged brain.

reply to post by livinglifeseekingtruth2


THINK YOU CAN bury this.... Go ahead and try....