Despite less-than-ideal weather, approximately 250
protestors gathered in downtown Rockford, Ill., on Saturday to protest the
existence of Monsanto Corp. and genetically modified foods.
This is
somewhat monumental for Rockford, a city full of poverty and apathy and one not
known for organics. There aren't more than five restaurants in the county that
profess to be organic. There are no Trader Joe's or Whole Foods stores here.
You can count nearby organic farmers on both hands.
The rally,
which was official down to the city permit and police escort. was actually
covered by the local media. The was shocking for a holiday weekend.
The protest
was part of the worldwide anti-GMO protests. Only 700 people gathered in
Chicago, making the Rockford turnout organized on Facebook significant.
Monsanto,
of course, claims they are trying to produce better food for us. But GMOs are
filled with empty calories and weed killer. I believe GMOs and a toxic water
supply are the two most significant factors in generating a world full of
obesity. GMO foods force us to eat more and make us fat.
The only
solution to GMOs is to not eat them. Hard to do, but we must start somewhere.
What was
encouraging to see in the Rockford protest is that there were people under 50
years old there. Many who carried signs were young, meaning some parents are
educating their children on how to live a healthy life. Nearly all the people
who marched were thin in a city overrun by obesity.
This was an
encouraging sign, but the movement needs to exist on a daily basis. The many
countries that demand GMO labeling and the ones that don't allow GMO planting
are far ahead and far healthier than the United States.
We
must take a stand against the greedy. Feel free to join in at any time.
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