To: Monsanto
Monsanto: Cease Opposition to Labeling Genetically Modified Organisms
To The Monsanto Community: its Chief Officers, Board of Directors, employees, stockholders, lobbyists, funded advocacy groups and the Food and Drug Administration.
We, the signers of this Petition call upon you to immediately cease and desist all opposition to the labeling of foods that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). We specifically call upon you to cease all activities aimed at defeating the upcoming November California Ballot Initiative to require the labeling of foods containing GMOs, as well as to cease all activities aimed at thwarting state legislatures from requiring the labeling of GMOs.
There are millions of people in this country who do not wish to consume GMOs. The non-labeling of GMOs deprives them of the right to know what is in their food. This is CENSORSHIP. As such it is an affront to freedom of information and to the core principles of this democracy.
We point out that labeling GMOs will do nothing to stop anyone from purchasing these products. It merely gives people back their right to know. There are things more important in this world than your bottom line. Preserving this democracy, and not whittling away at it, is one of them.
Respectfully submitted,
The Signers of this Petition
We, the signers of this Petition call upon you to immediately cease and desist all opposition to the labeling of foods that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). We specifically call upon you to cease all activities aimed at defeating the upcoming November California Ballot Initiative to require the labeling of foods containing GMOs, as well as to cease all activities aimed at thwarting state legislatures from requiring the labeling of GMOs.
There are millions of people in this country who do not wish to consume GMOs. The non-labeling of GMOs deprives them of the right to know what is in their food. This is CENSORSHIP. As such it is an affront to freedom of information and to the core principles of this democracy.
We point out that labeling GMOs will do nothing to stop anyone from purchasing these products. It merely gives people back their right to know. There are things more important in this world than your bottom line. Preserving this democracy, and not whittling away at it, is one of them.
Respectfully submitted,
The Signers of this Petition
Why is this important?
In my opinion this petition goes to the core of this democracy: the people's right to know. In this case something as basic as what is in their food. Genetically modified foods (GMOs) are currently exempt from labeling. Over forty countries require labeling of GMOs. Non-labeling represents one more example of the dominance of corporate money and influence (in this case Big Ag) over the basic principles of this democracy: freedom of information, the people's right to know and non-censorship of information. In November, Californians will have the opportunity to vote on a ballot initiative requiring GMO labeling. In addition, several state legislatures have recently moved towards introducing legislation to require labeling (Vermont and Connecticut did so in the past two months). In all cases Big Ag has forcefully squashed such moves, and in the case of state legislatures has thwarted legislation. Polls show 90% of the people want GMOs labeled. Monsanto, which has a woeful decades-long record of aggressive and bullying behavior (some of which has been documented in a number of books and films), is the chief player.