March 30, 2016

Good article on GMO labeling.

Label Thumpers the GMO movement is about faith, not facts.

"If you’re the kind of person who frets over Americans’ lack of scientific literacy, this accommodationist position may send you into a sputtering rage. A person’s right to know, you might contend, should be in balance with his or her right to avoid unnecessary panic. The mere presence of a label has dire implications. It tells consumers that there is a meaningful distinction to be drawn between GMO and non-GMO ingredients—a “material“ difference in the language of the Food and Drug Administration—and one that should be taken seriously. Yet “genetic modification” describes a process, not an end result, and there’s no evidence that this process leads to special risks. Some bioengineered options on the supermarket shelf could be better for your health than other products. Some could be better for independent farmers and their families. And some could be worse. The scarlet GMO blankets all this variation and replaces it with dread."

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2016/03/the_gmo_labeling_movement_is_about_faith_not_facts.html

January 23, 2016

I don't care if someone is a socialist, I don't care if banks have given more money to someone.

My dad died just over three years ago. He was getting SS disability to the tune of about $1100 a month. His rent for a one bedroom apt was $700, average price for a place around here. In the state I live in that was too much to qualify for medicare. He was a proud and stubborn man. He was getting sicker and would not go to the hospital because of the bills. He and his girlfriend hid his sickness from me or I would have taken him to the hospital. He died on memorial day, they were shooting fireworks in the sky. I sat there outside the hospital that night after he died watching the fireworks. I didn't grow up with him. He lived in a different state than I did growing up. I visited him probably less than 10 times from age 4 to about 2010, my late 30's. He moved up to my state in 2010. He lived with me for about a year, then his buddies, then had a heart attack. He was in a nursing home for a while, I went to visit him about every other day. Then he got out and got his apartment. Then he died. I sat out there that memorial night right after he died, I felt an immense sorrow and loss. I also felt immense anger, towards myself for not seeing his sickness and doing anything about it, for a state that made a man choose dignity over life. For a public and a government that was saying that a man like that, my dad, did not deserve treatment. The ACA passed too late to help him.I lost a lot of friends who thought it was a hand out while to me it would have saved my dad's life. I decided to do what I could to help my family, I worked hard, moved up, moved up again, and again. I have another promotion coming in about a month. Decent money. Enough to help some of my family. My mom is now on SS disability. She is raising my brothers 2 kids. Last year she worked so she qualified for ACA, this year she doesn't make enough to qualify for the ACA subsidy and makes too much for medicaid. $700 a month is too much. Her insurance is over $700 a month. If I get my promotion I might be able to afford that. If my car with a blown head gasket lasts, if I don't get sick. If I get that promotion. If the food stamps keep going to her, if my brother doesn't get hurt at his job with no insurance. I thought the ACA was supposed to fix this? I know it has helped a lot of people and that is great. I'm glad for that. I don't care if someone is a socialist, I don't care if banks have given more money to someone, I don't care about their age or husbands or emails or if they will break up wall street or any of that bullshit that really isn't going to make our lives better. I care about my mom and my family. I will vote for the person who will fix that. Who will fix that goddamn one thing so I don't loose my other parent to bullshit politics. I know who I will vote for, and I don't feel a bern or whatever Clinton supporters feel. I feel desperation.