I would like to thank Peter Ryersbach for his letter concerning GMO labeling laws, in which he answers a letter from David Van Vleck who feels it is a needless waste of money. When I first read Van Vleck’s letter I thought he was just a completely uninformed nimrod who had no idea what a GMO was. To find out he is a retired science teacher, who ought to understand the difference between genetic selection and genetic engineering, puts him into a whole new category.
The reasons for labeling GMOs are many — they contain systemic insecticides, the farming techniques used are harmful to the environment, they are just plain different from normal plants, they are killing pollinators, etc. If all farms sprayed their entire fields with Roundup pretty soon nothing else will grow but GMOs. They found Roundup in the poop of day-old infants. And GMOs are outlawed in several countries, ones who don’t have Monsanto lobbyists pouring cash into corrupt politicians’ pockets.
When Vermonters voted to label GMOs the state government performed the will of the majority of their people — how can that be a waste of their salaries?
Edward Amirault
Ferrisburgh