Main Idea

Prop 37 is about more than food. It is about our right to know what we are buying and consuming. We can squabble about the actual benefits and downfalls of genetically modified foods but no one can deny that we all should have the power to choose. Without the mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods, we are all kept in the dark. 

Some argue that there is no harm to genetic modification, and its fine if they think that way and don't mind putting that in their own and their families bodies. But for those of us who do care, we should have the option to remove ourselves from the science experiment. 

While it has been proven time and time again that consuming GMOs can cause serious health problems, like aggression of existing allergies, onset of new allergies and high body toxicity, there are still many unknowns about the horrors that could arise. In lab tests done on rats, the consumption of GMOs lead to tumors, organ failure and premature death. Its no wonder when you consider that a huge portion of the genetic modification done on food is to make it internally produce insecticide, which means that we are consuming chemicals designed to kill. 

In addition, to all of this, during the campaign for Prop 37, the companies that funded the No side were the ones who produce the chemicals and use GMO products to manufacture their food. 

Links

Here are some videos that further explain the benefits of Prop 37!

                           San Diego chefs talk about why whole food is important to them.

The video Monsanto (the largest funder of No on 37) does not want you to see

Here are some links to articles and petitions! 

GMOs give rats tumors, organ damage and lead to premature death

http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/09/19/gmos-give-rats-huge-tumors-organ-damage

The Huffington Post Hots a Debate about Prop 37

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/prop-37-huffpost-live-labeling-genetically-modified_n_2084354.html

Petition to tell the FDA not to allow GMO salmon in the US

http://www.takepart.com/actions/genetically-engineered-salmon-way-tell-fda-say-no

Ocean Roberts, an author and speaker for FoodRevolution.org explains how Monsanto may have tricked California voters about Prop 37.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ocean-robbins/monsanto-prop-37_b_2088934.html

The full list of every endorsement of Prop 37
http://www.carighttoknow.org/endorsements

Visual Argument

Hugh Grant is the CEO of Monsanto. He argues that the use of pesticides in GMOs allows for us to grow enough food for the entire world. If this were true, we would have fed everyone in the world many times over. This argument also ignores the fact that there are major health risks to consuming GMOs, as well as major health risks to those who grow and harvest the GMOs. 

Quotes

“The question of whether to label genetically engineered (GE) foods, as Proposition 37 would require, is not about science. Prop 37 is about people having the right to know what's in their food and how it was produced. It's about making competition in a free market - the hallmark of capitalism - more transparent," -Dr. Belinda Martineau, a a molecular geneticist who was principal scientist at Calgene, Inc. when they introduced the first genetically engineered food, the “Flavr Savr” tomato, in 1994

"Such labeling wouldn't result in siginificant increase in food costs, no matter what the industry tries to tell you. After all, food companies regularly change the labels in one way or another." - Los Angeles Times

-By Hannah 

About Our Group

 Hi I’m Andy, and I first became interested in the food industry and its effects when I became vegetarian at age sixteen after coming across an article on the PETA website. Mind you, I am not a fan of PETA and I only skimmed the article, but my realization of what I was eating hit me with such intensity that I was able to turn my back on eating meat indefinitely. 

A few months later I decided to learn more about where our food comes from. Not only did my findings convince me to become vegan, but I also learned about the way food is manipulated to yield the most profits and how this leads to the horrible mistreatment of both animals and workers and how terribly detrimental it is to the environment and to our health.

Food holds a direct link to our vitality, which is why I think we should know what is in the food we eat, including GMOs, so that we can make better dietary choices.

Hello, my name is Jasmine and I am a foodie (aka: person who is passionate about food). I grew up in a household that made food together and believed that meal time was also family time. Years spent growing up in the kitchen with my mom and dad taught me that food wasn't just good for the body, but it was good for the soul. However, like most things, food has it's downsides (and dark sides) too. I began learning about the dark truths of food with my mom, who at the time was trying to point our family in a healthier direction. We began learning about the affects that pesticides, antibiotics, and , of course, GMO's have on the food we eat and ultimately, us. Around the same time my best friend, who was a vegetarian, shared with me paper she wrote on the use of factory farms. All of this new, and scary, information really put food into a whole new light to me and my family. I became a vegetarian for about a year (I had to start eating meat again for health purposes) and my family started choosing organic foods. Though my family and I are now much more conscious about our food choices, meal time is still family time and the kitchen is still making new, and healthier, memories.

Hi I'm Hannah. The first time I encountered my passion for whole food was when I was nine. It was the first time I had ever planted a garden. My step-dad and I turned part of our backyard into a vegetable garden and for the next two years we grew a lot of our own food. As a child I learned about how food is grown and I developed an appreciation for how long it took my carrots, tomatoes, butternut squash and lettuce to grow. I remember after months of care and love that I put into watering and feeding my plants, I was so excited to share my hard work with my family by making a salad, entirely from my garden, for dinner. A lot of the time, kids grow up not knowing where their food comes from beyond the shinny, packaged shelves of the supermarket. I was privileged enough to not only learn how food is grown, but also have the experience of growing it myself. Thats sort of where my food journey began.
When I was high school, I saw a movie called Food Inc. (which I highly recommend to everyone. I have posted a link to their website below. Seriously, you all should see it. It will open your eyes to how the food is produced in this country). After seeing Food Inc. I became a vegan, only eating organic and locally when possible. From that film I learned about the many dangers of GMOs and decided I didn't want to put those in my body. However, much to my dismay, without proper labeling, its darn near impossible to manage that in the Uniter States. When Prop 37 came around I was sure it was going to pass; everyone wants to know what they are eating!  I am sorry to say that I was wrong and Prop 37 did not pass. I hope that in the near future law in this nation will change and everyone will have the right to know what they are putting into their bodies.

Here is a link to the Food Inc. website. Check it out!
http://www.takepart.com/foodinc

Hi I'm Jordan, and I try to pick healthy, non-genetically modified foods to eat. Growing up with chronic Lyme disease and hypoglycemia has forced me to be conscious of the foods I put into my body. That hasn't been hard, because from the day I was born, my family has always tried to eat organic foods, and that includes my first jar of baby food. Voting "yes" on Proposition 37 was a no-brainer for me, but I was upset when it didn't get passed. Consequently, I'm even more aware of GMOs, and will make sure to purchase organic foods whenever possible. I hope Americans will become more aware of the harms of GMOs, which include tumors and cancer according to research done by scientists in Europe.

Unfortunately, the initiative to require labeling of those ingredients is sloppily written. It contains language that, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office,could be construed by the courts to imply that processed foods could not be labeled as "natural" even if they weren't genetically engineered. Most of the burden for ensuring that foods are properly labeled would fall not on producers but on retailers, which would have to get written statements from their suppliers verifying that there were no bioengineered ingredients — a paperwork mandate that could make it hard for mom-and-pop groceries to stay in business. Enforcement would largely occur through lawsuits brought by members of the public who suspect grocers of selling unlabeled food, a messy and potentially expensive way to bring about compliance.

These are all valid arguments for rejecting Proposition 37, but a more important reason is that there is no rationale for singling out genetic engineering, of all the agricultural practices listed above, as the only one for which labeling should be required. So far, there is little if any evidence that changing a plant's or animal's genes through bioengineering, rather than through selective breeding, is dangerous to the people who consume it. In fact, some foods have been engineered specifically to remove allergens from the original version. By contrast, there is obvious reason to be worried about the fact that three-fourths of the antibiotics in this country are used to fatten and prevent disease in livestock,not to treat disease in people. The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from overuse of pharmaceuticals poses a real threat to public health. So why label only the bioengineered foods? Because the group that wrote Proposition 37 happened to target them. What's needed is a consistent, rational food policy, not a piecemeal approach based on individual groups' pet concerns.

Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times

         This is a piece of an article taken from the LA Times. It is true how Bio-engineered food seem to be the main target of prop 37, but foods treated with all the chemicals and pesticides that are known to be bad for us are ignored according to the proposition. Just having genetically engineered food labeled will do nothing, because the food companies will still use the chemicals they always use to keep their crop away from bugs. Bio-engineered food is still bad for someone's health, but the chemicals, like the infamous agent orange from Vietnam, are far worse for someone.

-Juan

I found this picture, and thought of how gross food can be. Just imagine all of the gene splicing taking place in a lab. It would not be a surprise if a person is on the news because their "fresh" tomato had fish bones in it.

-Juan