Look Out Monsanto The Global Food Movement Is Rising

A group of Rarámuri Indians from Bocoyna Municipality, who marched into the governor’s palace in 2008 to demand that genetically modified corn not contaminate their native seeds. Photo by David Lauer.

Chewing on a mouthful of locally grown lettuce, I wondered if the claims I’d heard about the global food-justice movement were true. Was there a line to follow, however crooked, between my purchase of these greens, land reform in Brazil and opposition to genetically modified seeds in California. Or was it all just empty calories?

Reading about how people transform the way they farm and eat makes you want to cook up your own plans with your neighbors.

As a somewhat conscientious consumer and occasional Taco Bell boycotter, I’ve hoped that the movement was real. But it hasn't always been easy to perceive the connection between marching for improved farmworker rights, signing a petition against factory feedlots, and cooking up beets from a CSA (that is, community supported agriculture, which usually comes in the form a box of assorted veggies delivered to people who contribute to a local farm’s financial well-being).

Those connections form a tight weave in the new book, Harvesting Justice: Transforming Food, Land, and Agriculture in the Americas. Using “food sovereignty” as the secret sauce, the book sautés the individual ingredients of sister movements into a coherent, flavorful whole.

Young Rarámuri women select corn for next year´s seed after a farmer-to-farmer workshop on seed selection in the community of Rekusachi, Chihuahua. Photo by David Lauer.

The book was created for the U.S. Food Sovereignty Alliance—a network of organizations allied with La Via Campesina, which advocates for culturally appropriate (think tortillas in Mexico instead of bread), ecologically sound (no GMOs), and small-farmer friendly food systems.

The book’s authors, Tory Field and Beverly Bell, do a lot more with food than just write about it. Field is a farmer who co-manages the Next Barn Over Farm, a CSA program in western Massachusetts. Bell has worked for decades with small farmer organizations in Haiti, including those who set fire to agricultural aid after the 2010 earthquake. The farmers didn't see the donated seeds as aid, but as a Monsanto “trojan horse” undermining their control over their own food.

Both authors are also members of Other Worlds, an organization that educates the public about citizen movements and builds community alternatives to corporate globalization. Introducing us to farmers speaking in their own voices, they describe how fighting the dominance of agribusiness and relocalizing the food system are indeed two sides of the same coin.

The book merges five years of field research and interviews, and describes more than 100 case studies of advocacy campaigns and alternative food systems in the United States and around the world. The authors interview New Mexican farmer and teacher Miguel Santistevan, who insists that “We don’t like the way the food system treats the earth and its negative health effects on the people, [and] we are working to actualize an alternative.”

They introduce us to Rosnel Jean-Baptiste of Heads Together Small Peasant Farmers of Haiti (Tèt Kole Ti Peyizan Ayisyen), who says, “It’s not houses that are going to rebuild Haiti, it’s investing in the agriculture sector.”

And they encourage consumer action through the words of Ben Burkett, president of the National Family Farm Coaltion. “No matter what us farmers plant, the consumer’s got to change the system, ” Burkett says. “As long as they don’t complain, there’s no need even talking about it. The marketplace dictates.”

A group of Haitian peasants meets to discuss strategies for rebuilding agriculture after the earthquake of 2010. Photo by Roberto (Bear) Guerra.

Designed for use as an organizing tool

Accompanying the book is a curriculum of teaching exercises called "Sowing Seeds," intended for use in community and academic settings. The curriculum is dizzyingly comprehensive, a kind of “best of” in food systems education culled from sister organizations.

The book connects the dots between community groups doing related work and breaks up any sense of going it alone.

Have you ever wondered how many tons of tomatoes a picker needs to pick each day to earn minimum wage, or what the salary of David Novak—the CEO of the company that owns Taco Bell—would add up to in tons of tomatoes at the same rate? It’s all in here. Consumer, producer, and retailer perspectives are all explored through engaging exercises. Suggested workshop formats may come in handy if you are an educator or organizer.

 

Care about Your Food? Then Care about Your Farmworkers Too
It’s organic. It’s local. But did the workers who picked it have health insurance?

You may want to nudge your local bookseller to carry Harvesting Justice. I'm guessing they won't be sorry. It’s not only highly readable but may catalyze actions such as getting local food into school lunches. The stunning photos serve up inspiration to get off your duff and transform the local food system.

Because it provides that kind of inspiration, this is the kind of book that your local food co-op, farmer’s market, or anti-hunger organization might consider using as a study guide. It can help connect the dots between community groups doing related work and break up any sense of going it alone. The appendix fills nearly fifteen pages, introducing us to groups like the Food Chain Workers Alliance, First Nations Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative, and the Honduran Garifuna organization.

 While these organizations are scattered around the planet, they form the foundation of a localized, alternative food system.

Reading about how people transform the way they farm and eat makes you want to reach for a big soup pot, cut up some onions, and cook up your own plans with your neighbors. Harvesting Justice gives you more than the recommended dose of civic engagement.

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Daniel Moss wrote this article for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas with practical actions. As a consultant, Daniel works with communities and organizations around the world to advance democratic and sustainable stewardship of our shared commons.

Interested?

• A Future for Agriculture, A Future for Haiti
  Haiti's way forward is tied to food sovereignty and a renewed focus on local agriculture.
• Farmers, Workers, Consumers, Unite! New Visions in Food Justice
  How do we make sure that our food contributes to the health of our communities and ecosystems?
• Feeding the World: It’s Not About Quantity
  The resilience of our food supply is as much about the quality and diversity of our food sources as it is about how much we produce.

Amazon People Theaten War Against Brazil's Dam Projects Destroying Rivers

 

Brazil dam row – local activists march past machinery being used in the construction of the massive Belo Monte hydroelectric dam.

 

An Amazonian community has threatened to "go to war" with the Brazilian government after a military incursion into their land by dam builders.

The Munduruku indigenous community in Para state say they have been betrayed by the authorities, who are pushing ahead with plans to build a cascade of hydropower plants on the Tapajós river without their permission.

Public prosecutors, human rights groups, environmental organisations and Christian missionaries have condemned the government's strong-arm tactics.

Helicopters, soldiers and armed police have been involved in Operation Tapajós, which aims to conduct an environmental impact assessment for the first proposed construction, the 6,133 MW São Luiz do Tapajós dam.

The facility, to be built by the Norte Energia consortium, is the biggest of three planned dams on the Tapajós, the fifth-largest river in the Amazon basin. The government's 10-year plan includes the construction of four larger hydroelectric plants on its tributary, the Jamanxim.
Under Brazilian law, major infrastructure projects require prior consultation with indigenous communities. Federal prosecutors say this has not happened and urge the courts to block the scheme which, they fear, could lead to bloodshed.

"The Munduruku have already stated on several occasions that they do not support studies for hydroelectric plants on their land unless there is full prior consultation," the prosecutors noted in a statement.

A similar survey in November led to deadly conflict. One resident, Adenilson Kirixi, was killed and several others were wounded in clashes between local people and troops accompanying the researchers in Teles Pires village.

The ministry of mines and energy noted on its website that 80 researchers, including biologists and foresters, would undertake a study of flora and fauna. The army escort was made possible by President Dilma Rousseff, who decreed this year that military personnel could be used for survey operations.

Missionaries said the recent show of force in Sawré Maybu village, Itaituba, was intimidating, degrading and an unacceptable violation of the rights of the residents.

"In this operation, the federal government has been threatening the lives of the people," the Indigenous Missionary Council said. "It is unacceptable and illegitimate for the government to impose dialogue at the tip of a bayonet."

The group said Munduruku leaders ended a phone call with representatives of the president with a declaration of war. They have also issued open letters calling for an end to the military operation, "We are not bandits. We feel betrayed, humiliated and disrespected by all this," a letter states.

One of the community's leaders, Valdenir Munduruku, has warned that locals will take action if the government does not withdraw its taskforce by 10 April. He has called for support from other indigenous groups, such as the Xingu, facing similar threats from hydroelectric dams.
Environmental groups have expressed concern.

The 1,200-mile waterway is home to more than 300 fish species and provides sustenance to some of the most biodiverse forest habitats on Earth. Ten indigenous groups inhabit the basin, along with several tribes in voluntary isolation.

With similar conflicts over other proposed dams in the Amazon, such as those at Belo Monte, Teles Pires, Santo Antônio and Jirau, some compare the use of force to the last great expansion of hydropower during the military dictatorship.

"The Brazilian government is making political decisions about the dams before the environmental impact assessment is done," said Brent Millikan of the International Rivers environmental group.

"The recent military operations illustrate that the federal government is willing to disregard existing legal instruments intended to foster dialogue between government and civil society."

Dept Of Interior Endorses Removal 4 Dams Klamath River

 

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The four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River that block salmon migration and cause toxic algae blooms in stagnant lake water should be removed, concludes the most comprehensive environmental study ever done on the river system that flows from Oregon through California to the Pacific.

If the dams go - still no sure bet - 420 miles of historic habitat would open for the first time in more than a century.

The final environmental impact statement on what would be the biggest dam-removal project in California history was released Thursday by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It supports removal of the dams: Iron Gate, Copco 1 and Copco 2 in California north of Yreka (Siskiyou County), and J.C. Boyle in Oregon.

The study predicts dam removal would employ 4,600 people during 15 years of work, and result in an 81 percent increase in chinook and similar increases in steelhead trout and coho salmon.

The project, which would cost about $1 billion, including habitat restoration and sediment removal, would nevertheless cost less over time than maintaining the reservoirs and building federally mandated fish ladders, according to Interior Department scientists.
The report "represents the most comprehensive scientific, engineering and environmental evaluation of facilities removal ever undertaken in the Klamath Basin," said Ken Salazar, secretary of the interior, in a statement.

The secretary, who will have to sign off on the plan, said removing the dams would resolve a lot of water-related problems among Indian tribes, farmers and utilities in the Klamath Basin while restoring historic fish runs.

Wild and scenic river

The mighty Klamath, a federally protected wild and scenic river, flows 255 miles from Oregon through California to the Pacific Ocean, draining 12,600 square miles of mountains, forests and marshlands that some have called the Everglades of the West.

The dams have blocked salmon migration along the California-Oregon border since the first one was built in 1909. The Klamath is the third-largest salmon run in the lower 48 states, behind the Columbia and Sacramento rivers.

Destructive parasites and blooms of toxic blue-green algae also contaminate the water behind the dams during the summer. Water diversions to cities and for agriculture exacerbate the problem, according to fishery biologists.

Serious talk of removing the dams began in 2002 after a federally ordered change in water flow led to the death of 33,000 salmon in the river.

About 40 parties, including American Indian tribes, farmers and fishermen, signed the 2010 Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, which laid out the process of removing the dams operated by the PacifiCorp utility beginning in 2020. The groups also approved the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, which would appropriate $800 million over 15 years to divide up water and restore the habitat.

"The scientific and common sense conclusion is clear," said Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. "We should tear down these dams."

Congress' approval needed

The problem is that both agreements need the approval of Congress, which appears reluctant to approve large expenditures for restoration and other costs. Supporters are now calling on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to call hearings on the matter.

"Dozens of groups came together and, despite their very different perspectives, were able to hammer out these agreements," said Curtis Knight, the conservation director for California Trout, a conservation organization. "Congress must do its part to turn this proposed local solution into reality."

There are opponents

Still, opposition remains, particularly among the 100 or so owners of lakefront property created by the dams. The value of 668 parcels is expected to go down as the reservoirs are drained.
In addition, customers of PacifiCorp in Oregon and California would pay an extra 2 percent on their monthly electric bills to cover the cost of dam removal. PacifiCorp has agreed to pay the first $200 million, and California will cover any costs above that, according to the removal agreement.

Read the report

The final Environmental Impact Statement is available at
www.klamathrestoration.gov.

Almost third of US West Coast newborns hit with thyroid problems after Fukushima nuclear disaster

 

A boy receives a radiation scan at a screening center in Koriyama in Fukushima prefecture (AFP P

Researchers have discovered that the Fukushima nuclear disaster has had far-reaching health effects more drastic than previously thought: young children born on the US West Coast are 28 percent more likely to develop congenital hyperthyroidism.

In examining post-Fukushima conditions along the West Coast, researchers found American-born children to be developing similar conditions that some Europeans acquired after the 1986 meltdown of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

“Fukushima fallout appeared to affect all areas of the US, and was especially large in some, mostly in the western part of the nation,” researchers from the New York-based Radiation and Health Project wrote in a study published by the Open Journal of Pediatrics.

Children born after the 2011 meltdown of Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant are at high risk of acquiring congenital hyperthyroidism if they were in the line of fire for radioactive isotopes. Researchers studied concentration levels of radioiodine isotopes (I-131) and congenital hypothyroid cases to make the association.

Just a few days after the meltdown, I-131 concentration levels in California, Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon and Washington were up to 211 times above the normal level, according to the study. At the same time, the number of congenital hypothyroid cases skyrocketed, increasing by an average of 16 percent from March 17 to Dec. 31, 2011. And between March 17 and June 30, shortly after the meltdown, newly born children experienced a 28 percent greater risk of acquiring hyperthyroidism.

In 36 other US states outside of the exposure zone, the risk of congenital hyperthyroidism decreased by 3 percent – a finding that researchers believe may serve as further proof that Fukushima had something to do with the unusually high results found on the West Coast.

The disease is usually rare, but can manifest into a serious condition if left untreated. Affected fetuses and children may suffer serious developmental delay – and a recent report found that 44.2 percent of 94,975 sampled Fukushima children have had thyroid ultrasound abnormalities as a likely result of their exposure to the radiation.

Americans often doubted that radiation from the meltdown would affect the US West Coast, but the latest research sheds light on alarming scientific data that indicates otherwise. Radioactive iodine that enters the human body typically gathers in the thyroid, which release growth hormones. Radiation exposure can therefore stunt the growth of a child’s body and brain.

Exposure can have long-lasting effects, which scientists have studied in those who were near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant during its 1986 meltdown. Decades after the accident, a 2011 study by the National Institutes of Health found that higher absorption of I-131 radiation led to an increased risk for thyroid cancer among victims of Chernobyl radiation – a risk that has not diminished over time.

The children who were unfortunate enough to be exposed to Fukushima radiation on the US West Coast, Alaska or Hawaii could face similar risks of congenital hypothyroidism or thyroid cancer throughout their lives, although the Radiation and Health Project Researchers said they are still investigating further to see what other factors might be involved in their findings before drawing any solid conclusions about the effects of Fukushima.
 
NOTE:   If you haven't reviewed this page, please inform yourself on how radiation travels and how Fukushima radiation will be circling the world for generation after generation after generation.,

<a href=http://www.natural-health-home-remedies.com/radiation.html>RADIATION</a>

You are not without options, that need to be continued for the rest of your life.

Radiation Detox

Locked and Loaded in Indiana?

Do You Do What's Right?

What Is Government?

The Elite's Elixir Of Death

Water is amazing, a cleanser, a life giver, an object of beauty and we, as human beings, consist of around 80% water. Some scientists are now beginning to take a closer look into the qualities of water and finding some quite remarkable attributes that exist in our life giving elixir.

As reported on the Natural News website, Dr. Jacques Benveniste discovered certain scientific properties of water that cannot be explained by conventional physics. He found that water has a memory that we can digitally record. Also of interest here is that Dr. Masaru Emoto has proven that water is affected by thought. So what is this life sustaining liquid on our planet? I am sure there are many more exciting discoveries for us to uncover. So why in the name of goodness was Sodium Fluoride added to our drinking water en masse.

The story of Edward Bernays propaganda campaign to get Sodium Fluoride into our drinking water is well documented. This action should be understood and researched, as it really does start to uncover the mass mind control we are under from the TV and main stream media outlets.

This is all to protect the ‘self termed ‘Elite’ class of people, to maintain their control on the common man, and to carry on living in a manner of great privilege, at our expense. Once you understand this position, then you can see why Sodium Fluoride was introduced into the water. It truly is ‘The Elites Elixir of Death’. It is also found in many other substances such as toothpaste and insecticides for example. We are ingesting this toxin without even knowing about it

I am pleased to report that Walter Graham has agreed to be an adviser to the Committee of 100 Ministry of Health department on Sodium Fluoride and Electro Magnetic Frequencies. I asked him ‘What are the detrimental effects of consuming Sodium Fluoride?’

To understand fluoride and fluoridation, let me start with a summery of the issues it raises, followed by an outline of the main issues:

Firstly, it is a breach of Human Rights to drug a population against its’ will. Secondly, fluoride is not what the government is dumping in British drinking water. They use hydrofluosilicic acid, the toxic waste of the fertilizer and aluminum industries, which is contaminated with lead, mercury, arsenic, uranium, strontium, chromium, aluminum and 22 other cumulative substances including fluoride.

 The government pretends this chemical cocktail is fluoride and that it has no side effects other than Dental fluorosis, which is characterized by pitting, white flecks and brown staining of developing teeth. Typically 50% of any fluoridated area gets this damage to their teeth.

There are in fact thousands of published studies proving harm and none proving fluoride safe. The side effects range from thyroid dysfunction, irritable bowel syndrome, bone damage, cancer, neurological damage and lower IQ. This is the reason why 98% of Europe has rejected fluoridation.

 Since 99% of the water is lost in underground leaks, used by industry and farming, as well as flushing toilets, it is economically senseless as well. This is legalized dumping on a massive scale, without any environmental impact study or proof of safety.

Lastly the dose can not be controlled as it is in all food and drinks using the water supply, as well as toothpaste, mouth wash, drops, tablets, chewing gum, used as a killing agent in pesticides, herbicides and rat poison, coal burning, unleaded petrol fumes, prozac, rohipnol, etc., thereby accumulating in bones, the pineal gland and other tissue. Fluoride is more toxic than lead and its forced addition to water is an affront to humanity.

DENTAL FLUOROSIS

The one side-effect the government do admit to is Dental Fluorosis, which 50% of the population get, in any fluoridated area. The following dental fluorosis photo shows how much structural damage fluoride causes. Amazingly the government claim that fluoride MIGHT reduce dental caries in a few children, while giving 50% of the entire population a new oral disease that is a sign of skeletal poisoning!

As the teeth are the only visible part of the skeleton, if it is doing damage to the teeth isn`t it possible that it is also doing damage to the bones? There are a growing number of published studies that show increased hip fractures in fluoridated areas compared to non-fluoridated. The government put in 1 part per million fluoride, which is like a pin dot in a swimming pool.

According to the BMAs Guide to New Drugs and Medicines, fluoride causes dental fluorosis at 2ppm! And at “very high levels (over 8ppm) may also lead to bone disorders and degenerative changes in the kidneys, liver, adrenal glands, heart, central nervous system and reproductive organs.”

FLUORIDE BRAIN DAMAGE
 

What do pesticides, herbicides, rat poison, anesthetics, Saran the nerve gas, Rohypnol (the date rape drug), and Prozac have in common? They all work on the central nervous system and they contain FLUORIDE!

A recent Harvard University study has shown that fluoride can lower children’s IQ. It is the 33rd study to find a link to lowered IQs in fluoridated areas. Here is the opening line from a Chinese IQ study: “It has been reported that fluoride can penetrate the blood -brain barrier and accumulate in cerebral tissue before birth, thereby apparently affecting children`s intelligence.”

Do we really want to allow the unaccountable government to dump fluoride acid into our drinking water with proven side-effects like this! Or should we get active and bring this issue to our politicians, churches, unions, schools and any other group that will help before this madness goes ahead.

POISON WARNING

All US toothpaste tubes have a poison warning on them by Federal law. Our tube says; keep out of the reach of children… supervise brushing… don’t swallow… use no more than a pea sized amount. The US tube continues on with; IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY SWALLOW MORE THAN THE PEA SIZED AMOUNT, CONTACT A POISON CONTROL CENTER IMMEDIATELY! <br><br>

The reason this warning appears is because there is enough fluoride in a tube of toothpaste to kill a child! The amount in the tube is 1/5th of a level teaspoon. Amazingly fluoride is a cumulative poison and is more toxic than lead. However, you have a choice whether you use it or not. Once it gets dumped in your drinking water all choice goes out the window.

What they are proposing to dump in is not fluoride… it is hydrofluorosilicic acid

 Which is the toxic waste of the phosphate fertilizer and aluminium and nuclear industries. It has uranium, strontium, lead, arsenic, mercury, aluminum, and 25 other contaminants, as well as toxic fluoride. It is a toxic cocktail being promoted as FLUORIDE. They get away with this because the government and industry are keeping you in the dark and getting you to pay for their toxic waste, which would cost them money to safely bury it.

EU & FLUORIDE

98% of Europe has banned or rejected water fluoridation. Why, don`t they want good teeth?

 A lot of European countries have better teeth than the Republic of Ireland, who have been fluoridated for 45 years! What is worse, Spain and Holland have a fluoride toxic dumping problem caused by their industries and their solution is to ship it to Britain and Ireland and get you to eat it!

 Holland stopped adding fluoride after a group of doctors carried out a double blind study proving that fluoride caused osteoporosis and arthritic pains, IBS, thyroid dysfunction, Skin rashes and dental damage called Dental Fluorosis.. After these doctors ended fluoridation, they fought on and got the Constitution rewritten to prevent fluoride from ever being added again!

TOXIC WASTE OF MONEY

Economically, fluoridation makes no sense. The water department admit to loosing 40% of its water in underground leaks – that is 40% of our tax money wasted! Out of the 60% that`s left, industry and farming use 7/8ths of the water – more tax money wasted! Out of the 1/8th that comes into your house, you drink 1%. The rest is flushed down the toilet, washing clothes, dishes, etc

The small target audience of children with the really bad teeth make up 3% of the population. So the massive dumping of fluoride acid into our water is a total waste of our taxes.
Most importantly, Fluoridation is a breach of FREEDOM of CHOICE. Why should you drink someone else’s drug for the rest of your life just because a small group of kids don`t brush their teeth? This is a breach of European Human Rights, but your government don`t care because they haven`t signed up to them.

FLUORIDE FACTS

• Fluoride acid added to water is mass-medication.
• Fluoride acid has never been tested for safety or effectiveness.
• Fluoride acid is contaminated with uranium, lead, mercury, arsenic, and 25 other chemicals.
• Fluoridation is environmental pollution on a grand scale.
• There is enough fluoride in a tube of toothpaste to kill a child.
• 98% of Europe has rejected water fluoridation.
• Fluoride has been shown to cause an increase in cancer.

I`m writing this article to help the Committee of 100 warn as many people as possible of this impending disaster. We need another form of government that doesn`t give in to pressure from rich industries and put our health at risk. Join groups fighting fluoride and help stop this before it gets going!

Walter Graham gives a very comprehensive and easy to understand argument on why we shouldn’t have fluoride in our water. I also asked Dounne Alexander, another advisor to the Ministry of Health, about her knowledge on the use of fluoride and she answered with this.

FLUORIDE IN WATER:

The best way to remove fluoride and 99% of all impurities from our drinking water is by ‘reverse osmosis filtration’. Our water supply is so heavily polluted, plus as it’s essential to drink ‘PURE Water’, I always recommend reverse osmosis filter. Fresh Water Filter manufacturers we use, gives 15% discount to our customers. Therefore, if your readers quote GRAM033377, they will also receive the discount (www.freshwaterfilter.com : TEL 0208 558 7495). Additionally ‘activated Charcoal Powder’ will also remove fluoride from our body. I’ve included a short extract on fluoride below. It’s not only in our drinking water but also toothpaste and mouthwash.<br><br>

1. FLUORIDE POISONING

• FLUORIDE was first introduced and given to the Jews during ‘world war ll and was put in their drinking water to make them complacent, docile and easy to control. It is also used in today’s prisons to dumb-down prisoners; keep them docile and under control.

• FLUORIDE is the main ingredient in rat poison (as sodium fluoride) and is also in the anti-depressant drug ‘Prozac’.

* FLUORIDE is actually an industrial toxic waste product manufactured by fertilizer industries (producing millions of tons annually) and contains aluminum, phosphoric acid and phosphates. In the 1930′s the manufacturers used to discharge it in the air and waterways, which caused serious health damage (such as destroy the immune, digestive & respiratory systems, cancer, blood circulation, liver, kidneys, thyroid, brain function and premature aging); resulting in expensive lawsuits.

Therefore, instead of paying out millions for disposal, the manufacturers cleverly convinced the Government, Medical Institutions to brain wash the general population that FLUORIDE is safe and beneficial for oral hygiene. It is now used throughout the world.

• FLUORIDE also causes hyperactivity and lowers IQ in children. Fluoride also affects unborn babies when ingested by the mother. The babies blood brain barrier is not fully developed and this allows fluoride, a neurotoxin, to penetrate and damage the brain more easily.

So why is it being including in our drinking water, toothpaste & mouthwash?

Exactly, why is fluoride being added to our drinking water. Here at the Ministry of Health are looking for activists who want to start up a campaign to bring fluoride awareness to the masses. You can contact us through the website.

NOTE:  One of the most effective ways I've seen corporations and government agencies sit up take notice, and change legislation is through change.org  

This is where anyone can start a petition and good causes typically gather supporters, and groups of supporters in the 5 and 6 figures!

Agenda 21 Mind Control and Smart Growth

Do you cherish your God-given constitutional right to own property? So do I! UN Agenda 21′s Smart Growth is in full bloom across our nation. In East Tennessee the five county local “Regional ” program is called Plan East Tennessee, (Regional Plan for Livable Communities), a plan which will eliminate private property rights in these five counties. Link<br><br>

  It is a plan for Smart Growth. Rosa Koire, author of, “Behind the Green Mask,” defines Smart Growth on her website, as “Human habitation as it is referred to now is restricted to lands within the Urban Growth Boundaries of the city. Only certain building designs are permitted. Rural property is more and more restricted on what uses can be on it.”<br><br>


In my recent article, Taxed Enough Already, I explained how our former Knoxville City Mayor, Bill Haslam (now Tennessee’s Governor) hired his Democratic opponent, Madeline Rogero to work in his Republican Mayoral administration since the election was very close. He wanted a second term without her running against him. Rogero is now the new Knoxville City Mayor. While she was in Haslam’s administration, she apparently received permission and applied for a federal grant from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities. In fact, Governor Haslam has refused to even sign a resolution against Agenda 21 even though a Resolution has absolutely no power of law. <br><br>


These grants, part of the Obama administration’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities, bring together HUD, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Two types of grants were awarded — those to update existing plans, and those to develop sustainability plans from scratch. Knoxville’s Plan ET is from scratch and Knoxville received $4.32 million from the HUD grant. Another $2.5 million came from a Consortium of partners which includes non-profits.
 <br><br>

Knoxville is also a dues paying member of ICLEI since 2007. From Tom DeWeese’s article, Agenda 21 in One Easy Lesson, ” ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (formally, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives). Communities pay ICLEI dues to provide “local” community plans, software, training, etc. Additional groups include American Planning Association, The Renaissance Planning Group, International City/ County Management Group, aided by US Mayors Conference, National Governors Association, National League of Cities, National Association of County Administrators and many more private organizations and official government agencies. The Foundation and government grants drive the process.” <br><br>


Community Forums and The Delphi Technique

From the Plan ET website, “Over the three-year PlanET process, three phases will lead to a targeted, meaningful outcome. Phase One (August 2011 – July 2012) will bring East Tennesseans together to establish a shared identity and vision (alleged data gathering). Phase Two (April 2012 – March 2013) will take that vision, and while educating and engaging the public, will develop a shared direction.(framework) Phase Three (January 2013 – December 2013) will produce and report the final product and focus on implementation activities.” (Action plan for Smart Growth) <br><br>


Series II of Plan ET held a week of six forums in every one of the five “regional” counties (Blount, Knox, (2) Anderson, Loudon and Union) asking for “community input.” Yet, Plan ET’s definition of “community input” seems to be neutralization of any expressed opposition to their plans of eliminating private property ownership under the guise of Smart Growth. Their “community consensus” is scripted for their pre-determined outcome via their use of the evil Rand Corporation’s mind-control Delphi Technique. RAND developed the Delphi method in the 1950s for the U.S. Department of Defense. It was originally intended for use as a psychological weapon during the cold war. <br><br>



These forums are headed by trained Delphi Technique facilitators at small table groups of 6 to 8 people. The facilitators or change agents are always likeable people who will smile and agree with your comments. The discussion consists of issues previously decided upon by the leadership of these forums. The facilitator manipulates the discussion in the desired direction, isolating and demeaning opposing viewpoints. <br><br>

Rarely does anyone ever challenge the process, thinking they were probably in the minority with their answers. Actually, the conclusions were established in the back room long before the meeting ever took place. The general public believes this program was theirs, but in fact, the outcomes had all been decided long before the meetings ever took place. The Delphi Technique is being used again and again to change our representative republic, given to us by our Founding Fathers, into a “participatory democracy.” <br><br>



Who Are The Facilitators?

Wallace, Roberts, and Todd (WRT) architectural firm, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the Plan ET partner chosen to head the forums. They are paid $1.7 million to accomplish the pre-determined outcome of these forums through facilitation of the Delphi Technique. WRT was established in 1963 by David Wallace and they are expert “regional planners” with the firm’s origins rooted in “sustainability.” The American Planning Association (APA) has continually recognized this firm and their principal leaders for their contributions to sustainability and Smart Growth. The APA even has a “Policy Guide on Smart Growth.” In Tom DeWeese’s article, Lies and Doublespeak of the APA, these APA Sustainablists are teaching their planners to lie through their teeth to the opposition of their UN Agenda 21 Smart Growth policies. <br><br>


The American Planning Association and their allies are countering the anti-Agenda 21 movement with these lies, double speak and stealth. Why? Aren’t they proud of their policies? I guess Seattle planner J. Gary Lawrence said it best when he admitted several years ago that “participating in a U.N. advocated planning process would very likely bring out many…who would actively work to defeat any elected official… undertaking Local Agenda 21. So we will call our process something else, such as comprehensive planning, growth management or smart growth.” Now, even those words have caught up with their secret agenda. So now they’re having to invent more new words. <br><br>



All of the following leaders from WRT are members of the American Planning Association.
The leading facilitator and principal from WRT is John Fernsler. John’s bio states, “John is particularly adept at creating consensus among competing interests and in communicating Smart Growth planning concepts to diverse audiences.” It also states he is adept at helping communities “striving to contain sprawl.” Yes, they don’t want you living in the rural areas, and they hate the suburbs. Plan ET’s website contains pictures of downtown Knoxville, nothing of the rural community, suburbs, or Smoky Mountains.<br><br>

 Fernsler has been the driving force from WRT since the very first Plan ET meeting in Knoxville last summer. I met him there and spent an hour talking with him. He said WRT had just “finished” Austin, Texas. He also said to me, “Maybe you’d understand a bit better if we called what we’re doing, “stewardship.” Now I see on their website they are using God’s Word for “care of the earth” as a euphemistic term for their total control of our lives and property through Smart Growth. <br><br>


Another facilitator and Senior Associate from WRT is Rob Kern. Rob’s area of expertise is Transit design (they want us out of our cars and using public transportation, bicycles, or our feet). He is also adept, as they all are with Smart Growth planners, in urban design. (Once again, forget suburbia and rural communities). <br><br>


Another WRT principal is David Rouse. His bio states, “David has a special interest in planning and design for sustainability, community engagement in the planning process, and capacity-building for implementation.” (Capacity building is the stack-em and pack-em mega multi-family high rises built in the urban landscape after you’ve been moved off your suburban or rural property.) <br><br>


From WRT’s website, “Principal David Rouse is one of 11 members of the American Planning Association’s Sustaining Places Task Force, established earlier this year to address the use of the comprehensive plan as the leading policy document and tool to help communities of all sizes achieve sustainability.<br><br>

 The Task Force is part of the Sustaining Places Initiative, announced in March 2010 by APA President Bruce Knight and Chief Executive Officer Paul Farmer at the United Nation’s Fifth World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sustaining Places is a multi-year, multi-faceted program to define the role of planning in addressing all human settlement issues relating to sustainability.” <br><br>

David Rouse, UN Smart Growth architect of Wallace, Roberts and Todd stated in the Times Free Press newspaper last fall that he is “committed to an open process, and that property rights won’t be impacted without the public’s consent.” (Note: He said “without the public’s consent, not the property owner’s.) <br><br>

Knoxville’s Metropolitan Planning Commission

Mark Donaldson, the MPC Executive Director has been at every single forum meeting and is trained as a Delphi facilitator. At one of the first meetings in Series I, he did not present himself as Executive Director of MPC, but said he was Mark from Minnesota. Other members of MPC were also at many of the Plan ET meetings as well as countless members of Knoxville’s Energy and Sustainability Task Force. Also present at all the Series II forums was Knoxville’s “Regional” Transportation Planning Coordinator, Jeff Welch who, like Mark Donaldson is trained as a Delphi facilitator. <br><br>

Invitees and Paid Attendees
Here’s the real rub with this whole “community input” nonsense this UN Agenda 21 Smart Growth bunch is pulling. At the majority of meetings, there were18 to 23 Plan ET members present who are Delphi facilitators, along with WRT and MPC staff. Then there were 20 to 25 invitees from local governments including local government Planning Committees, Community Development, Oak Ridge National Labs, University of Tennessee, etc. All of these invitees are employed by government and have a vested interest in this Plan ET coming to full fruition. I have attended nearly all of the Plan ET forums, and at every table, the “shills” who were invited answered all the questions with the pre-determined and ordained outcomes the Smart Growth facilitators desired. <br><br>

 Then there are another 18 to 25 people who know what Agenda 21 really is all about. The majority of meetings have approximately 40 to 45 people, not counting the facilitators, but if those of us against UN Agenda 21 did not attend, the only people giving “community input” would be the invited government shills who have a vested interest in Smart Growth and should not be voting at these Delphi meetings as it is a conflict of interest! At one meeting, one of the invitees admitted she was a paid participant. By the way, these attendance numbers were also given by the Plan ET staff present at all the forums. <br><br>

At the Plan ET South Doyle Middle School forum on Wednesday, April 25th, I sat across the table from a woman named Linda. She works for Knoxville County Mayor Burchett’s administration. Her boss, Grant Rosenberg, Community Development Director, was the invitee, but couldn’t attend, so he sent Linda. I made a comment about UN Agenda 21 at this table and Linda adamantly stated that she loved everything about UN Agenda 21.<br><br>

 What a shocker to hear one of these planted shills actually speak the truth. Most of them tell you they never heard of Smart Growth or UN Agenda 21. I asked her if she agreed with the 85% population reduction of Agenda 21 and she answered that was a total lie. How about limiting our usage of water to 28 gallons a day? She said that was a lie too. She should have gone to see one of my friends across the room who had the UN Agenda 21 book with him and he could have shown her the truth. <br><br>

At the 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Plan ET forum at the Loudon County Technical Center on Thursday, April 26th, the leaders of the forum were in a hurry to usher us out of the building. One of our participants called the Tech Center the next day and asked if there was a time limit on how long we could be there chatting after the meeting. The person she spoke with told her there was no rush to close the building, but the Plan ET people had been there since 8 a.m. They had actually been taking the leading children in this Technical Center School and putting them through the Delphi Technique all day long! <br><br>

 These are minor children. Then she called Public Affairs of Knox County Schools and found out children in other high schools in these counties were being Delphied as well. When she asked if the parents had given permission, she was told the school board had okayed the forums.
Finally, at the last meeting on Saturday morning, April 28th, at Union County High School in Maynardville, Tennessee, (video) there were only six invited local government employees and about 10 or 12 of us. <br><br>

 At one table, one of our people was tossed out of the forum for asking too many questions. Then his daughter was tossed out. When I began to scream that this was a community forum and we were allowed to ask questions, I was threatened with being thrown out. Another woman was asking questions as well, and Jack Rhyne, the City Manager of Maynardville, kept pointing at her and telling her to get out. She kept saying, “No, I want to hear what the gentleman is asking.” Rhyne actually took her elbow in an effort to grab her and escort her out of the building when facilitator Rob Kern of WRT stepped in to move her to another table. As an aside, this woman is a survivor of 9/11 at the Pentagon. <br><br>

Conclusion

At the Board of Mayors meeting, which was the kickoff of Plan ET’s Series II, several of us in the audience stood to ask questions of WRT’s Rob Kern and the Mayor of Anderson County after the initial presentation. There must have been 10 or 15 people asking questions and raising hands and stating they wanted to hear answers. Both the Mayor and Rob Kern said, “We’ll answer questions outside.” We didn’t want the questions outside in the foyer, we wanted them in the main room. Needless to say, these two men ended up running out of the room. At other meetings they would allow questions after the meeting in a corner with no microphone, but then we forced open mic questions and there were plenty. <br><br>

Our property rights and God-given constitutionally guaranteed freedoms are being lost at exponential rates today. The 20 year anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio occurs next month, June 2012. The planners intend to make UN Agenda 21 into hard law. This plan has existed for decades and was written about by six Russians in a book entitled, The Ideal Communist City. It was translated into English in the 60s. It is all about Smart Growth. I would urge you to buy Rosa Koire’s book, Behind the Green Mask. It is available on Amazon.com, and from the Post Sustainability Institute and clearly and succinctly tells the whole story of the damnable UN Agenda 21.

Effects of Digital Milennium Copyright Act on Blogs

 Greetings

The following "take down" notice and action was taken on an article that I republished in its entirety, but someone claimed that I had plagiarized the article.  The article that I posted, with videos, related to Dr Chris Busy and his positions on Radiation and claims that the Military Industrial Complex personnel were libeling him and sites posting information related to that were being given DMCA notices in an effort to silence him.

Definitions have not changed, plagiarism,  would be the case IF I had claimed the published work as my own......which I did not.

The notice below from GOOGLE is standard format and should be chilling.

Truth matters not, the content of the article does.......the watchers are everywhere if they are able to fund staff that searches out names, words or topics that could be offensive to the Dominant Society. 

Imagine, this tiny, unimportant Blog earning a DMCA take down......crazy world....and just who's money is that doing this funding, hmmmmm?

I just checked out Chilling Effects website, quite an interesting world happening out there.

Thanks

Toni

take down notice below
______________


Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog is alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others. As a result, we have reset the post(s) to \"draft\" status. (If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.) This means your post - and any images, links or other content - is not gone. You may edit the post to remove the offending content and republish, at which point the post in question will be visible to your readers again.

A bit of background: the DMCA is a United States copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement. If you believe you have the rights to post the content at issue here, you can file a counter-claim. In order to file a counter-claim, please see http://www.google.com/support/bin/request.py?contact_type=lr_counternotice&product=blogger.

The notice that we received, with any personally identifying information removed, will be posted online by a service called Chilling Effects at http://www.chillingeffects.org. We do this in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You can search for the DMCA notice associated with the removal of your content by going to the Chilling Effects search page at http://www.chillingeffects.org/search.cgi, and entering in the URL of the blog post that was removed.

If it is brought to our attention that you have republished the post without removing the content/link in question, then we will delete your post and count it as a violation on your account. Repeated violations to our Terms of Service may result in further remedial action taken against your Blogger account including deleting your blog and/or terminating your account. DMCA notices concerning content on your blog may also result in action taken against any associated AdSense accounts. If you have legal questions about this notification, you should retain your own legal counsel.

Sincerely,

The Blogger Team

Affected URLs:

http://natural-health-home-remedies.blogspot.com/2013/02/christopher-busby-libeled-by-military.html

FDA Finally Admits Chicken Meat Contains Carcinogens

  After years of sweeping the issue under the rug and hoping no one would notice, the FDA has now finally admitted that chicken meat sold in the USA contains arsenic, a cancer-causing toxic chemical that's fatal in high doses. But the real story is where this arsenic comes from:It's added to the chicken feed on purpose!  

Even worse, the FDA says its own research shows that the arsenic added to the chicken feed ends up in the chicken meat where it is consumed by humans. So for the last sixty years, American  consumers  who eat conventional chicken  have been swallowing arsenic, a known cancer-causing chemical. 

Until this new study, both the  poultry industry  and the FDA denied that arsenic fed to  chickensended up in their  meat.  The fairy-tale excuse story we've all been fed for sixty years is that "the arsenic is excreted in the chicken feces." There's no scientific basis for making such a claim... it's just what the poultry industry wanted everybody to believe.  

But now the evidence is so undeniable that the manufacturer of the chicken feed product known as Roxarsone has decided to pull the product off the shelves (http://www.grist.org/food-safety/20...). And what's the name of this manufacturer that has been putting arsenic in the chicken feed for all these years? Pfizer, of course -- the very same company that makes vaccines containing chemical adjuvants that are injected into children.

Technically, the company making the Roxarsone chicken feed is a subsidiary of Pfizer, called Alpharma  LLC. Even though Alpharma now has agreed to pull this toxic  feed chemical off the shelves in the United States, it says it won't necessarily remove it from feed  products  in other countries unless it is forced by regulators to do so.

"Scott Brown of Pfizer Animal Health's Veterinary Medicine Research and Development division said the company also sells the ingredient in about a dozen other countries. He said Pfizer is reaching out to regulatory authorities in those countries and will decide whether to sell it on an individual basis.

Arsenic? Eat more!

But even as its arsenic-containing product is pulled off the shelves, the FDA  continues its campaign of denial, claiming arsenic in chickens is at such a low level that it's still safe to eat. This is even as the FDA says arsenic is a carcinogen, meaning it increases the risk of  cancer.

TheNational Chicken Councilagrees with the FDA. 

In a statement issued in response to the news that Roxarsone would be pulled from feed store shelves, it stated, "Chicken is safe to eat" even while admitting arsenic was used in many flocks grown and sold as chicken meat  in the United States.

What's astonishing about all this is that the FDA tells consumers it's safe to eat cancer-causing arsenic but it's dangerous to drink  elderberry   juice! The FDA recently conducted an armed raid in an elderberry juice  manufacturer, accusing it of the "crime" of selling "unapproved drugs." 

 Which  drugs  would those be? The elderberry juice, explains the FDA. You see, the elderberry juice magically becomes a "drugs" if you tell people how it can help support good health.

The FDA has also gone after dozens of other  companies  for selling natural herbal products or nutritional products that enhance and support  health. Plus, it's waging a war on raw milk which it says is dangerous. So now in America, we have a food and drug regulatory agency that says it's okay to eat arsenic, but dangerous to drink elderberry juice or raw milk.

Eat more poison, in other words, but don't consume any healing foods. That's the FDA, killing off Americans one meal at a time while protecting the profits of the very companies that are poisoning us with their deadly ingredients.

Oh, by the way, here's another sweet little disturbing fact you probably didn't know about hamburgers and conventional beef  : Chicken litter containing arsenic is fed to cows in factory beef operations.  So the arsenic that's pooped out by the chickens gets consumed and concentrated in the tissues of cows, which is then ground into hamburger  to be consumed by the clueless masses who don't even know they're  eating  second-hand chicken sh*t.

Smart Meter Dangers Video

Rogue Cop on the Lam Becomes Folk Hero to Some: LAPD Appears to Want Dorner Dead, not Captured and Talking

Let’s not be too quick to dismiss the “ranting” of renegade LAPD officer Chris Dorner.

Dorner, a three-year police veteran and former Lieutenant in the US Navy who went rogue after being fired by the LAPD, has accused Los Angeles Police of systematically using excessive force, of corruption, of being racist, and of firing him for raising those issues through official channels.

By all media accounts, Dorner “snapped” after his firing, and has vowed to kill police in retaliation. He allegedly has already done so, with several people, including police officers and family members of police already shot dead or wounded.

Now there’s a record huge “manhunt” involving police departments across California, focussing on the mountains around Big Bear, featuring cops dressed in full military gear and armed with semi-automatic weapons. (Some 40-50 senior LAPD officers specifically threatened by Dorner are also being heavily guarded by LAPD cops.) Dorner has so far skilfully eluded his pursuers, despite a $1-million bounty on his head and thousands of people in the posse hunting for him. He has meanwhile developed a large and growing following of people who are actually rooting for him, with some comparing him to the Batman of “Dark Knight,” striking terror into, and wreaking vengeance on a corrupt police culture.

Few would argue that randomly killing police officers and their family members or friends is justified, but I think that there is good reason to suspect that the things that Dorner claims set him off, such as being fired for reporting police brutality, and then going through a rigged hearing, deserve serious consideration and investigation.

The LAPD has a long history of abuse of minorities (actually the majority in Los Angeles, where whites are now a minority). It has long been a kind of paramilitary force -- one which pioneered the military-style Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) approach to “policing.”

If you wanted a good example to prove that nothing has changed over the years, just look at the outrageous incident involving LAPD cops tasked with capturing Dorner, who instead shot up two innocent women who were delivering newspapers in a residential area of Los Angeles. The women, Margie Carranza, 47, and her mother, Emma Hernandez, 71 (now in serious condition in the hospital), were not issued any warning. Police just opened fire from behind them, destroying their truck with heavy semi-automatic fire to the point that it will have to be scrapped and replaced.

The two women are lucky to be alive (check out the pattern of bullet holes in the rear window behind the driver’s position in the accompanying photo). What they experienced was the tactics used by US troops on patrol in Iraq or Afghanistan, not the tactics that one expects of police. Their truck wasn’t even the right make or color, but LAPD’s “finest” decided it was better to be safe than sorry, so instead of acting like cops, they followed Pentagon “rules of engagement”: They attempted to waste the target.

Local residents say that after that shooting, which involved seven LAPD officers and over 70 bullets expended -- with nobody returning fire -- the street and surrounding houses were pockmarked with bullet holes. The Los Angeles Times reports that in the area, there are “bullet holes in cars, trees, garage doors and roofs.”

In roofs?

What we had here was an example of a controversial tactic that the military employed in the Iraq War, and still employs in Afghanistan, called “spray and pray” -- a tactic that led directly to the massive civilian casualties during that US war.

We shouldn’t be surprised that two brown-skinned women were almost mowed down by the LAPD--only that they somehow survived all that deadly firing directed at them with clear intent to kill.

The approach taken by those cop-hunting-cops of shooting first and asking questions later suggests that the LAPD in this “manhunt” for one of their own has no intention of capturing Dorner alive and letting him talk about what he knows about the evils rampant in the 10,000-member department. They want him dead. Locals understand this, and a cottage industry has sprung up of people wearing signs saying "Don't shoot! I'm not Dorner!"

When I lived in Los Angeles back in the 1970s, it was common for LAPD cops to bust into homes, gestapo-like, at 5 in the morning, guns out, to arrest people for minor things like outstanding court warrants for unpaid parking tickets, bald tires, or jaywalking.

Police helicopters also used to tail me -- then an editor of an alternative news weekly -- and my wife, a music graduate student, as we drove home at night. Sometimes, they would follow us from our car to front door with a brilliant spotlight, when we’d come home at night to our house in Echo Park. It was an act of deliberate intimidation.

(They also infiltrated our newspaper with an undercover cop posing as a wannabe journalist. Her job, we later learned, was to learn who our sources were inside the LAPD -- sources who had disclosed such things as that the LAPD had, and probably still has, a “shoot-to-kill” policy for police who fire their weapons.) The LAPD brass were really angry at us for being first to expose their rampant shooting and killing of unarmed residents--a story that later got picked up by the LA Times and some of the local electronic news media.

Friends in Los Angeles tell me nothing has changed about the LAPD, though of course the police weaponry has gotten heavier and their surveillance capabilities have gotten more sophisticated and invasive.

It is clear from the LAPD’s paramilitary response to the Occupy movement in Los Angeles, which included planting undercover cops among the occupiers, some of whom reportedly were agents provocateur who tried to encourage protesters to commit acts of violence, and which ended with police violence and gratuitous arrests, as in New York, that nothing has changed.

In other words, Dorner may be irrational, but he ain’t crazy. And his “army-of-one” campaign against the LAPD has already scored one success, as the department’s chief announced that he is going to re-examine the hearing that led to Dorner’s dismissal from the department to see if it had been fairly and properly handled.

A black military veteran, Dorner joined the police because he reportedly believed in service. Unable to go along with the militarist policing he saw on the job, and the racism all around him, he protested through channels and was apparently rewarded by being fired.

Now, in his own violent way, he is trying to warn us all that something is rotten in the LAPD, and by extension, in the whole police system in the US. Police departments almost everywhere in the US, have morphed, particularly since 9/11/2001, from a role of providing public safety and law enforcement into agencies of brutal fascist control, often using the LAPD's paramilitary model to work from.

As Dorner says in his lengthy manifesto (actually quite explicit and literate, but described as “ranting” in corporate media accounts), in which he explains his actions and indicts the LAPD, “The enemy combatants in LA are not the citizens and suspects, it’s the police officers.”

That could be said of many US police departments, I’m afraid.

Example: Last fall, I had the experience of trying to hitchhike in my little suburban town. A young cop drove up and informed me (incorrectly, it turns out) that it was illegal to hitchhike in Pennsylvania. When I expressed surprise at this and told him I was a journalist working on an article on hitchhiking, he then threatened me directly, saying that if I continued to try and thumb a ride, he would “take you in and lock you up.”

When I called a lawyer friend and said I was inclined to take the officer up on that threat, since I was within my rights under the law hitchhiking as long as I was standing off the road, he warned me against it, saying, “You don’t know what could happen to you if you got arrested.”

And of course he’s right. An arrest, even a wrongful arrest, in the US these days can lead to an added charge -- much more serious -- of resisting arrest, with a court basing its judgement on the word of the officer in the absence of any other witnesses. It can also lead to physical injury or worse, if the officer wants to lie and claim that the arrested person threatened him or her.

If I had been in Los Angeles, I would most likely have been locked up for an incident like that. Forget about any warning. You aren’t supposed to talk back to cops in L.A. And if you are black or Latino, the results of such an arrest could be much worse.

I remember once witnessing LAPD cops stopping a few Latino youths who had been joyriding in what might have been a stolen car. There was a helicopter overhead, and perhaps a dozen patrol cars that had converged on the scene, outside a shopping mall in Silverlake. I ran over to see what was happening and watched as the cops grabbed the kids, none of whom was armed, out of the vehicle and slammed them against the car brutally.

It was looking pretty ugly, but by then neighbors from the surrounding homes, most of them Latino, who had poured out onto their lawns because of the commotion, began yelling at the cops. One man shouted, “We see what you’re doing. These boys are all healthy. If anything happens to any of them after you arrest them we will report you!”

The cops grudgingly backed off in their attack on the boys, and took them away in a squad car. I don’t know what happened to them after that, but they were most certainly saved, by quick community response, from an on-the-spot Rodney King-style beating that could have seriously injured them, or worse.

As things stand right now, with the LAPD clearly gunning for Dorner, and wanting him dead and silenced, not captured, the public has to worry that it has more to fear from the LAPD than it has to fear from Dorner himself. At least Dorner, in his own twisted way, has specific targets in mind. The LAPD is in “spray and pray” mode.

Hopefully, Dorner will realize he can do more by figuring out a safe way to “come in from the cold” so he can try to testify about LAPD crimes, than by killing more cops. If he does manage to surrender, he’d better have a lot of support lined up to keep him safe while in custody.

11 Scariest Things Called Food

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I always tell my daughters they can make a difference in the world, even at their tender ages of 10 and 7. To them, I probably sound like the teacher from Peanuts—they're more interested in soccer and American Girl right now—but I hope the lesson eventually sinks in.

My latest example of a kid heroics for them: 15-year-old Sarah Kavanagh from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who gathered more than 200,000 signatures in her online petition asking Gatorade to remove a controversial flame-retardant chemical.

 Last week, Gatorade announced that they would be removing the ingredient, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), within the next couple of months. That's great news—especially for me personally, because I love the stuff! Actually, so do my daughters.

While Gatorade spokeswoman Molly Carter said the decision wasn’t in response to Sarah’s petition, the teen is claiming victory. Either way, we all win.

Truth is, chemicals that are used as weed killer, flame retardant, and sunscreen are startlingly common in your supermarket. But you won’t find “carcinogens,” “paint chemicals,” or “beaver anal gland juice” on the back panel. They’ll be hidden under names like “Butylated HydroxyAnisole” or “natural flavoring.” Break through the science experiment to find out what you’re really eating.

Here are the 11 scariest ingredients in your food:

Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame-K)

WHAT IT IS: A calorie-free artificial sweetener 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is often used with other artificial sweeteners to mask a bitter aftertaste.
FOUND IN: More than 5,000 food products worldwide, including diet soft drinks and no-sugar-added ice cream. Click here to discover The Strange Reason Diet Soda Makes You Fat.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Although the FDA has approved it for use in most foods, many health and industry insiders claim that the decision was based on flawed tests. Animal studies have linked the chemical to lung and breast tumors and thyroid problems.

Aspartame

WHAT IT IS: A near-zero-calorie artificial sweetener made by combining two amino acids with methanol. Most commonly used in diet soda, aspartame is 180 times sweeter than sugar.
FOUND IN: More than 6,000 grocery items including diet sodas, yogurts, and the table-top sweeteners NutraSweet and Equal. (Did you know that most flavored yogurt is a step above ice cream? Find out the 25 New Healthy Foods That Aren’t.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Over the past 30 years, the FDA has received thousands of consumer complaints due mostly to neurological symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, memory loss, and, in rare cases, epileptic seizures. Many studies have shown aspartame to be completely harmless, while others indicate that the additive might be responsible for a range of cancers.

STRANGE BUT TRUE: If beating asthma with sweet potatoes sounds too good to be true, wait till you read these 14 crazy-sounding (but completely true) health tips!

Titanium Dioxide

WHAT IT IS: A component of the metallic element titanium commonly used in paints and sunscreens. The food industry adds it to hundreds of products to make overly processed items appear whiter.
FOUND IN: Processed salad dressing, coffee creamers, and icing.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Titanium is a mined substance that's sometimes contaminated with toxic lead. Plus, most white dressings (like creamy ranch) aren’t great for you anyway. Both your health and your waistline will fare better if you go with an olive oil- or vinegar-based salad topper instead.  

Glyphosphate

WHAT IT IS: The active ingredient in the popular week killer Roundup. It’s used on corn and soy crops genetically engineered to withstand a heavy dousing of the chemical.
FOUND IN: Most nonorganic packaged foods containing corn- and soy-derived ingredients. Because it’s a systemic herbicide, it’s taken up by the plant—meaning you eat it.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Glyphosphate exposure is linked to obesity, learning disabilities, and infertility.
BONUS TIP: For simple steps to live a longer and healthier life, check out Dr. Oz's 25 Greatest Health Tips Ever.

Butylated HydroxyAnisole (BHA)

WHAT IT IS: A petroleum-derived antioxidant used to preserve fats and oils.
FOUND IN: Beer, crackers, cereals, butter, and foods with added fats.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Studies have shown BHA to cause cancer in the forestomachs of rats, mice, and hamsters. The Department of Health and Human Services classifies the preservative as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."

Interesterified Fat

WHAT IT IS: A semi-soft fat created by chemically blending fully hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated oils. It was developed in response to the public demand for an alternative to trans fats.
FOUND IN: Pastries, pies, margarine, frozen dinners, and canned soups.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Testing on these fats has not been extensive, but the early evidence doesn't look promising. A study by Malaysian researchers showed a 4-week diet of 12 percent interesterified fats increased the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol. Furthermore, this study showed an increase in blood glucose levels and a decrease in insulin response.

Red #3 (Erythrosine) and Red #40 (Allura Red)

WHAT THEY ARE: Food dyes that are orange-red and cherry red, respectively. Red #40 is the most widely used food dye in America.
FOUND IN: Fruit cocktail, candy, chocolate cake, cereal, beverages, pastries, maraschino cherries, and fruit snacks. (Confused by now about what you can eat? We scoured the supermarket for the 125 Best Packaged Foods in America.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The FDA has proposed a ban on Red #3 in the past, but so far the agency has been unsuccessful in implementing it. After the dye was inextricably linked to thyroid tumors in rat studies, the FDA managed to have the liquid form of the dye removed from external drugs and cosmetics.

Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) and Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow)

WHAT THEY ARE: The second and third most common food colorings, respectively.
FOUND IN: Cereal, pudding, bread mix, beverages, chips, cookies, and condiments.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Several studies have linked both dyes to learning and concentration disorders in children, and there are piles of animal studies demonstrating potential risks such as kidney and intestinal tumors. One study found that mice fed high doses of sunset yellow had trouble swimming straight and righting themselves in water. The FDA does not view these as serious risks to humans.

Castoreum

WHAT IT IS: Beaver anal gland juice. Really. Beavers combine it with their urine to mark their territory.
FOUND IN: Vanilla or raspberry flavoring in processed foods, labeled only as “natural flavoring.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: It’s beaver anal gland juice.
You won't believe what else you've been putting in your body.

Personal Journey Losing 100 lbs By Juicing

NOTE: Amazing to me that people refer to this as fasting....how is it fasting? It's a selective use of delicious, nutrient dense, all natural food in a blended form! Luscious!