You know that genetically-modified seed can be borne by the wind to farms that aren't growing it. You know this not merely because you know that plants reproduce by creating airborne pollen, but because you know a Washington state farmer couldn't sell his alfalfa overseas because GMO seed had contaminated it, and because you know Monsanto has become infamous for suing organic farmers for intellectual property theft when their Frankenseed contaminates other farms. Yet the USDA is taking comments in an apparent effort to learn how conventional/organic seed and genetically-modified seed can peacefully coexist -- which, given that organic farmers have to jump through a lot more hoops when someone else's Frankenseed contaminates their crop, sounds a little like asking how the bullied and the bullies can peacefully coexist. Hence Food and Water Watch helps you tell the USDA that GMO Frankenseed and conventionally-grown/organic seed can't, in fact, coexist peacefully.
Meanwhile, I remember posting about removing Bishop Robert Finn from his position as head of the Kansas City, MO Catholic diocese back in 2012, and I'm more than a little shocked to learn that Mr. Finn still heads up the diocese almost 18 months later, given that a judge convicted him of covering up Father Shawn Ratigan's possession of child pornography. Hence Catholic church-goer Jeff Weis of Kansas City has started a petition on change.org calling for Pope Francis to remove Bishop Finn from his post. As to those who suggest that removing Mr. Finn would somehow violate the good Catholic's mandate to "forgive" sinners, Mr. Weis splits that particular knot fairly cleanly: "As a Catholic, I believe in forgiveness, and I think Bishop Finn should be forgiven. But as a father, I don't think he should keep a job where he could put more children in danger." I'd add only that folks don't get to pick the price they pay for their sins.
Finally, if you've missed previous opportunities to tell the FCC to stop the Comcast-Time Warner merger, Common Cause still helps you do that. If you've had doubts that the Comcast-Time Warner merger will affect you, then Free Press helps dispel certain myths for you. You might think if you're someone who uses the internet to watch TV, the deal won't affect you -- until you consider that the same corporation that provides cable TV in your town is also the one that provides your internet. You might think Time Warner's customer service might improve -- until you consider that virtually no one thinks Comcast is a customer service maven, and that with more monopoly power in more major media markets they'll have no incentive whatsoever to improve. My all-time favorite, though, is the whole "there are so many sources of media now to choose from" canard, which you hear from right-wingers all the time, and which ignores the fact that one corporation could have the power to do all the providing of those sources -- or none of it. if it so chooses.
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