Article: A sinful view of Ann Veneman, Obama's possible choice for VP

Ann Veneman is Monsanto.

For those liberals who do not yet know who Monsanto is in your own lives, the following view through the lens of sin may help to begin to throw the appropriate "hellish" light on it and Obama's considering Veneman.

The Catholic Church has new seven mortal sins, the first among them - genetic engineering.

Monsanto is the largest genetic engineering corporation in the world.

It may be unfamiliar to most, but it is driving force behind controversial laws to ban labeling of milk,

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business/09feed.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2017

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/ 2008/01/indiana-may-ban.html

http://www.consumerist.com/363935/ monsanto-is-trying-to-ban-hormone-labeling-at-the-state-level

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_10660.cfm

http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=564 asiseeit.austin360blogs.com/entry. aspx?q=fa79c216-76f3-465f-91cc-9a5f016acaee ga3.org/campaign/Ohio_rBGH3

- and also ban labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food, cloned meat. It has sued farmers for honest labeling; Ben and Jerry's has fought them for years to label their ice cream rBGH-free.

Monsanto has already genetically engineered corn and soy and cotton, it is a major pharmaceutical company, it is a chemical company, selling pesticides used around the world: it is an immense presence in our lives, without most of us having ever heard of it.

(1) GENETIC MODIFICATION

"Pope John Paul II said ... using genetically modified organisms to increase production was contrary to God's will. He told farmers worldwide to

"resist the temptation of high productivity and profit that work to the detriment of the respect of nature ... when (farmers) forget this basic principle and become tyrants of the earth rather than its custodians ... sooner or later the earth rebels. ... [Iif modern farming techniques} don't reconcile themselves with the simple language of nature in a healthy balance, the life of man will run ever greater risks, of which already we are seeing worrying signs.

http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/GEessays/PopeGMO.htm

Others agree:

"The large-scale release of transgenic organisms is much worse than nuclear weapons or radioactive nuclear wastes, as genes can replicate indefinitely, spread and recombine. There may yet be time enough to stop the industry's dreams of turning into nightmares if we act now, before the critical genetic 'melt-down' is reached." -- Mae-Wan Ho

"I never imagined people would patent plants and animals. It's fundamentally immoral ... That violates the integrity of life itself, and our deepest sense of morality." -- President, Guaymi General Congress

http://home.clara.net/heureka/gaia/genetics.htm

"GMOs threaten Kenya’s environment. ...We believe that God created life, and no one can own it, not even Monsanto ..."

The Thika Declaration on GMOs. Statement from the Kenya Small Scale Farmers http://www.grain.org/h/?id=93

(2) HUMAN EXPERIMENTATIONS

Monsanto is conducting the largest biologic experiment in the history of the world, on all its people, without their knowledge or consent. In blocking labeling - at state, national and international level - Monsanto is performing global experimentation on millions of people, who, in being prevented from knowing, are prevented from escaping.

Ethical Guidelines for Biotechnology: "Responsibility for future generations requires maintaining the genetic integrity of all peoples and not using or studying their genes or those of their indigenous species without their express permission, truly informed consent and suitable compensation." http://environmentalcommons.org/cetos/articles/codeethics.html

"Transgenes transferred into the wider environment cannot be tracked down ... A ripple effect on other species will take place, even if it cannot be predicted when such an effect will occur, to what extent, or in which species." -- Ricarda A Steinbrecher

"... [T]hese newly introduced microbial proteins is uncertain, unpredictable and untestable." -- Dr Nestle

http://home.clara.net/heureka/gaia/genetics.htm

Marc Lappe, ethicist: ... [T]he major issue ... often missed in informed consent, ... that goes back to the Nuremberg Code: you can't ask somebody for informed consent unless they're freely situated to give that consent. ...[I]n this country, and particularly in other countries ... being bound ... to take [GE] food crops without disclosure ...they are doing so, people are not ...[free] to say yes or no." http://www.21stcenturyradio.com/NP-11-25-99.htm

Monsanto knows people have refused consent. From a leaked internal Monsanto report: "There is substantial opposition from the public, from the media, and not least, from retailers."

(3) POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT

Monsanto is linked to 56 Superfund toxic dump sites in the US alone.