BuzzFlash Mailbag for July 2, 2009

BUZZFLASH MAILBAG

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Subject: Sighted, Peace On Earth & Goodwill To All Living Beings

"Peace on earth? How?"

"Troops out now from the Afghanistan/Iraq/Pakistan War along with our help in securing justice for the Palestinians."

"What about goodwill to all living beings?"

"The start-up is Medicare for all."

"Anything else?"

"Yes we can."

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Oklahoma Embarrasments on the Hill and Dem Wimps

oh for christ sake! even if the democrats had 99 senators they would still curl up in the fetal position and pee their pants if the lone republican senator said BOO to them! by the way...... how embarrassing for the people of oklahoma to have their senator call the new senator from mn. THAT CLOWN FROM MN.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Big Ag and Processed Food in the Heartland

Organic Foods? Sorry! Not on MY dime!

The State of Michigan along with many other states, does not allow WIC mothers to purchase any organic products. See WIC food card at this link provided. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/wic_card_e_224418_7.pdf The Woman, Infant and Children Supplemental Food Program (WIC) is set up to help safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age five who are at nutritional risks by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating and referrals to health care. This is one of the most successful government feeding programs with many notable successes. Pregnant and postpartum women and children (under 5 years of age) participating in WIC receive food coupons for milk, cheese, eggs, cereals, peanut butter or dried beans or peas, and fruit or vegetable juices. Women who exclusively breastfeed their babies may also receive extra food, including carrots and canned tuna fish. Not one of these products can be ORGANIC. Special formulas or nutritional supplements are also available to participating women and children who have certain medical conditions. Sample Food Package for a child for one month: . 4 gallons of milk . 1 pound of cheese . 2 dozen eggs . 36 ounces of cereal . 16 ounces of dry beans or 18 ounces of peanut butter 4 cans of juice When the Michigan Department of Community Health was questioned as to why they disallow the purchase of organic products in the WIC program the answers were astounding. Excerpts from letter below (in red): “Should consumers buy organic? This question has no definite answer to date. While more organic products are available on store shelves, experts are not in agreement about the benefits of organic foods. The American Dietetic Association spokeswoman, Dr. Keecha Harris, says that there is no evidence that organic food is superior to traditional food products. She goes on to mention that multinational companies sell some of the foods labeled organic, and they are trucked across the country, giving them a negative environmental impact because of the use of gas and packaging to make them transportable. Dr. Harris says that experts agree that consumers should eat a diet with many fruits and vegetables in it. The health benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables will outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. The USDA makes no claims that organic foods are safer, healthier or more nutritious than foods that have not been grown organically. The government does limit the amount of pesticides in food for infants and children. Should WIC provide food that is labeled organic in the WIC food package? Organic food may cost 20% to 100% more than food that is not organic. In order to provide organic food in the WIC food package, Michigan would be serving as many 100,000 less participants a month depending on what products were approved.”

So let’s break this down point by point. We are being told the following…… 1- The health benefits of organic are not recognized. 2- Organic products are trucked too far, giving them a negative environmental impact. 3- The USDA makes no claims that organic foods are safer, healthier or more nutritious. 4- Organic food is too expensive.

1- The health benefits of organic are not recognized. If avoiding “known or probable carcinogens” (things that cause cancer), “suspected hormone disruptors” (things that mess with normal development), “neurotoxins” (things that are poisonous to our brains or nervous systems), or “developmental or reproductive toxicants” (things that are poisonous to mothers and their babies) could be called a health benefit then, Yes; there are health benefits to eating organic. [Quotation marks in this previous sentence refer to phrases and terms chosen by the United States Department of Agriculture Pesticide Data Program.] (Please visit www.whatsonmyfood.org for more information.) Organic foods are free of, or at least negligible in the presence of, any of these chemical substances. Most of these chemical substances are the result of pesticide use, which are, of course, applied to plants in the attempt to ward off pests and diseases. Any toxic substances present in organic foods are the result of air and water pollution as opposed to intentional application. 2- Organic products are trucked too far, giving them a negative environmental impact. Are you kidding me? Wow! We have brand name, large food manufacturers now producing organic cereals with the same amount of food miles as their non-organic counterparts. Additionally, the audacity of this statement in somehow reasoning that organic foods have more of a negative environmental impact than non-organic foods is almost laughable. Organic chemicals used in conventional farming spread far beyond the fields where they are applied and have unintended consequences. Many synthetic pesticides have been linked to developmental and neurological problems. Organics eliminate synthetic pesticides and the damage they do to farmers, land, and drinking water. 3- The USDA makes no claims that organic foods are safer, healthier or more nutritious. While this is still an issue of hot debate, you can still argue organic products are less processed, which means they may contain fewer chemically adulterated ingredients (think hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives). Many of these processes are under scrutiny for their contributions to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Let’s take one of WIC approved cereals. Frosted Mini Wheats.- first 3 ingredients include: Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup. (Please visit www.labelwatch.rom for more information on your favorite foods.) 4- Organic food is too expensive. Because organic foods are not the lowest priced foods available in grocery stores; because the government wants its WIC card users to buy as much of the cheapest foods as possible in order to make the WIC dollars go the farthest. But what kinds of foods are the lowest priced foods at the super market? Are they the most nutritious? The freshest? The healthiest? Yes, organic is still viewed by many in the USDA as an expensive, niche market. However, I argue basic economics 101. We all know that in our economy it takes market demand to drive prices lower. With that argument, couldn’t the purchasing power of a government program as large as WIC assist in making this a reality? What if government programs started to recognize organics not as a niche or alternative, but just as normal option or even perhaps more beneficial than chemically laden processed foods? WIC programs could drive up the demand for organics and therefore, drive down the prices for everyone. Perhaps, the government could begin to subsidize the organic farmers, not just the large industrial size farms.

Bottom line, much of the scientific and political forces in our country are still arguing the benefits or lack of, organic foods. Let me ask this one question. If I was to take you out for dinner tonight and offer to buy your meal, does that mean, because I’m funding your meal, that I should be able to dictate what you can and cannot order? Perhaps you are a strict vegan. Well, I’m buying this dinner, and I’m telling you that you can ONLY order the quiche that is made with white eggs from a caged hen and for you to ask for a choice is just way out of line!!! You can’t buy this stuff… not on my dime! We can do better than this! We can demand that regardless of income, regardless of assistance for food, that YOU can choose whatever foods you want. You can buy brown eggs if you want them. You are an adult and if you choose to purchase organic foods because YOU believe that they are better for you and your infant, your local economy and environment….. YOU should not be denied!

Marcia G. Booker

Subject: Medicare For All + President Obama's Owning Up To Any CIA Role In This Coup D'Etat In Honduras & It Welcome To The New World

"For sure!"

"Based on?"

"Two breakthroughs, each of which, by itself, has the potential to carry us forward, whereas both at the same time and the world has changed."

"Anything else?"

"Now or never."

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Impressions

I'm too busy to write the long letters I used to write to Buzzflash(I also noticed that other people write much better letters than I do). In order to be A RESPECTABLE RETIRED PERSON I have found that you have to (yeah, have to) go into a second field(s)--otherwise your kids think you're dumb. That, plus keeping up with grandchildren, leaves a dearth of time and opportunity. SO... as I embark on my historical and educational presentations, I am taking the time to say: please everyone, support Buzzflash to the best of your ability, and use your investigative/persuasive gifts to let'm have it (the Repuglicans,I mean!)! I live in a Republican snakepit--not quite as dire, but in some ways similar, to Shirley's quagmire of nutball relatives. My relatives are pretty good for the most part--except for the Christian-right brother-in-law who teaches creationism in Sunday school. But he's in Texas and I'm in upstate (right-wing)New York, so who cares--well, actually I do care about my sister,who lives with this every day; but she is one tough cookie! Anyway, back to the point: reading Buzzflash has emboldened me, and I am now able (despite a kind of polite person's selective mutism)to bust chops--even 90-year-old upstate New York dyed-in-the-wool Republican WWII veteran's chops!!!!! Mind you, I ALWAYS thank him for his service, which has helped safeguard my freedom of speech, but damn it, everytime he imposes an anti-Democrat, Obama-slamming e-mail to me, just because he happens to have my e-mail address, I GIVE IT RIGHT BACK TO HIM!! He sent me this list describing instances of Obama being "unaware." I slammed him back with how "UNAWARE" George and Condisleeza were, even after receiving considerable warnings that we were about to be attacked! Guess what--he asked me to forgive him! The point is, everybody: DON"T BACK DOWN NOW!!!!!!!! This is our time! Go after the blue dog and chicken-hearted Dems NOW!!! Do you really want to let the other side develop and implement their dirty tricks?~!!!Honest-to-God, we have "classy" friends who worship--ugh- that puke Limbaugh and think Sarah Palin is (egads!) intelligent!!!!!!!!!! Come on, people! I've been tempted to drop back and let Obama speak for us --he's eloquent and capable--but not invincible. Help him out! Help us out! For God's sake, don't drop the ball NOW!!!!!!!! Stop trying to be cool and balanced and fair by questioning every single thing Ibama is doing. You can write to him, you know!He is freaking TRYING TO DO TO A GOOD JOB!! Can he help it that he has built-in class? Could you do as well?

Sandcynch
Phoenix, New York

Subject: Donations and Huffington Post Rant

Are they connected? I've been using Buzz a lot less since someone there decided to go on a rant about Huffington Post. Attacking a progressive blog like that is something I don't ever recall witnessing before. And I've been watching these things since the start. I know it turned a lot of other folks off as well. I wonder if that has anything to do with the difficulty you find yourselves in regarding fund raising this month. Personally I would be much more inclined to donate had I not seen that particular rant. Am I alone?

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Religious Hypocristy of Sanford

A person’s sense of right and wrong is unknown, even to themselves, until the moment that person can gain something by being a low-life, lying creep. At such moments, the only thing you have going for you, the only stake in your corner is your simple and unvarnished sense that certain things are just wrong. Who knows how you get that sense, from mom and dad, from your first teachers, or from church No, not from church, as we can tell from the ever-growing list of loudmouth moralizers who are the first to point out everyone else’s failings, while ignoring the most basic lack of decency in their own lives. You have this week’s slimeball, SC Governer Mark Sanford, who admits to indiscretion after indiscretion, while comparing himself with a Biblical hero. You have last month’s slimeballs, who shamed gay men from their pulpits before running off to their muscle-bound boyfriends waiting in the wings. How do these religious men get so hypocritical? The louder and more self-righteous, the more likely the double-standard? It’s because they’ve grown up believing they are special men, God’s chosen, God’s elect, God’s messengers who are given a mission. These men believe that they are God’s anointed, sent to bring the light (Republican politics) to the world. Because they consider themselves so special and set apart, they honestly don’t believe that indulging in the sins that they are condemning, is particularly wrong. Because they are the special emissaries of God, normal morals don’t apply. That sense that you either have, or don’t have, that sense that certain things are just plain wrong, well, these Republican leaders have obliterated that. Instead, they have the visionary notion that God forgives whatever they do, because they are on a mission to tell the rest of us that we are going to hell if we do not become more like them. How’s that for twisted? Such convoluted craziness is probably why one religious leader initiated a relentless course of confrontation with the religious hypocrites of his day, a confrontation filled with rancor and vitriol, a brawl that took no prisoners, and ended in his being violently executed. That man was Jesus Christ, and my guess that if such a man appeared in today’s mega-churches and asked “Who do you think you’re fooling?”, the leaders would find a way to put him away as well.

Philliip Tofts

Subject: What's This About A Jobless Recovery?

"Whatever's gained goes to the few at the top."

"And the many at the bottom?"

"To be discarded."

"Based on?"

"The powerlessness of despair."

"The answer being?"

"That we rise up en masse."

"And then what sort of world?"

"It'll be up to us."

A BuzzFlash Reader

The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. You can write to Mailbag at http://www.BuzzFlash.com/contact/mail.html. Guidelines for submissions are at BuzzFlash FAQ #18.

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