Not many weeks ago, I wept tears of joy with much of the rest of the world over the historic election of Barrack Obama. I’ve never been one to pay much attention to politics, because I always come away depressed and angry, but this was an exception. I supported the symbolism of our nation breaking ties with our bigoted past, and I must confess, I found Obama’s message of change and hope appealing.
Well, today I learned of a change I don’t want to believe in. When I heard that Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is to be our next Secretary of Agriculture, my barely-dare-to-hope faith in Barrack Obama was snuffed out like a newly lit candle. I feel that layer of cynicism hardening around my heart again. I absolutely detest that feeling of making myself hope for the best, against all odds, and then being proved wrong. The choice of Vilsack as the man in control of our food supply simply couldn’t be more wrong. More than anything, I resent this choice being sold in the following manner to the American people:
“Obama said his administration will ensure that policies in the two departments — which oversee federal farming and lands policies — are designed to serve ‘not big agribusiness or Washington influence peddlers but family farmers and the American people.”
I don’t appreciate having the choice of a Monsanto supporter billed to me as an alternative to serving ‘big agribusiness’. If Monsanto isn’t big agribusiness, who is? A statement like the above, made to the American people, is terribly insulting in light of the appointment of anyone who has anything to do with world enemy #1, Monsanto. I truly feel insulted, disappointed and can almost feel the hope draining out of me in a physical way. What a huge letdown.
The LBAM spray victims I’m in contact with are appalled. If we had any hope of getting new people into office who would listen to California’s story of free citizens being sprayed with pesticide against their will, I am afraid things are looking very dark now. No one loves pesticides like Monsanto nor has a lesser regard for human rights, and though we expected these ghouls to be running the country under the Bush administration, I think so many of us hoped that change was really, truly coming with Obama.
Is Obama ignorant or a bad guy? I just don’t know. He can’t afford to be ignorant, and I really cringe at labeling him a bad guy. How could he do this, though? How could he?
I am just feeling so chagrined right now at the direction this selection of Vilsack points for our country to go in over the next few years. I was hoping Obama might be our friend, but a choice like this can only make him the opponent of organic farmers like myself, of mothers who are trying to protect their children from autism, of families who don’t want to be force fed pesticides as we were here in California in 2007, of anyone who doesn’t want their food supply controlled by the demonic predators operating under the name of Monsanto.
What can we do?
We can phone the office of President-Elect Obama at 202-540-3000 and tell the staff why the appointment of Vilsack is a betrayal of Obama’s promise to protect the American government from being controlled by corporations.
We can go write our story of being sprayed or threatened with pesticides in California at Change.gov.
We can start by telling everyone we know that BIOTECH MEANS GENETICALLY MODIFIED. The word ‘biotech’ was dreamed up my marketers to try to bring a new image to the GMO industry because most people were scared of genetic modification. I guess the marketers came up with ‘biotech’ because they thought it would slip by as one of those words like Techron or something that few people really understand or pay much attention to because it sounds both high tech and uninteresting. ‘Biotech’ sounds so generic…not like GENETICALLY MODIFIED which sounds like something only Frankenstein could love.
Any time you hear of any government employee, business person or product attached to the modifier biotech, it means genetically modified, and this is something the American people had better learn quickly, because with Vilsack at the head of AG, it’s a word we are likely to start hearing all the time from now on in this country.
I just don’t know what to really do with this deflated feeling I have today. Were Obama’s convincing promises no more than a nice dream while they lasted? Is this what thousands and thousands of people donated for, volunteered for, prayed for? Did we give a piece of our hearts to this man, only to be betrayed by the appointment of the very people he promised to kick out of Washington?
What do you think?
5 users commented in " Obama Blows It With Monsanto’s Vilsack – LBAM Spray Victims Beware "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackbacki think i instinctually wandered over here after reading a couple of articles about the choice of ag sec’y which were a lot more vague than your article and now i have a better understanding of the depressing news.
i think i understand more how the gay community feels after his pick of that pastor. insulted, disappointed, trying not to be compleltely disillusioned after we got to feel happy and hopeful after 8 long years. this is not utopia, it’s america and maybe some things will get better but not everything. not by a long shot.
i knew he and hilary favored gmo’s so i am not completely surprised but i think i will still have to leave the state. i hope you get some good news soon, about anything.
Hi Donna,
Yes, I can completely relate to that feeling of not wanting to become completely disillusioned. People are trying to give Obama the benefit of the doubt, because people genuinely do want change. Change is what he promised. But if he is not the man to deliver change, the people will know it soon enough.
Thanks for stopping by. It’s always so nice to see you here.
Mim
this is the very most important thing to consider. our food, our health, and the health of the whole planet could be destroyed.
people are considering other things while genetic engineering is being forced on us behind our backs.
most people, for instance, are unaware that biofuel crops are GE crops, or frankencrops, and though some see those crops are using up food space, they have no idea of the harm done.
this agriculture appointment is dangerous.
people were duped. something should be done to change this right away.
I tried telling people he’s just telling you what you want to hear. The only way there will be any real change in this system is with a 3rd party, or pretty much anyone the media doesn’t support, like Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich or Ralph Nader, as examples. But obviously the government doesn’t listen to us after the bailout. The people were so opposed, but they looted us anyway. I called, e-mailed, mailed and faxed my senators and rep, but they all favored it anyway. Now we’ll have to pay with even more massive debt and inflation, they just held it off a little, but the agony will be prolonged. Good luck wiht your efforts!
Please give more specifics on a direct connection between Vilsack and Monsanto. I do know that the Biotech Industry Organization named Vilsack governor of the year, which is a pretty obvious indictment of Vilsack, but details would be helpful in convincing the unconcerned, ignorant (like me), or simply those who are allies of agribusiness.
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