Fwd: New web site home page for The Campaign!

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" News Update from The Campaign "

New web site home page for The Campaign!

Wed, 3 Sep 2003 18:14:32 -0500

 

News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

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Dear News Update Subscribers,

 

I hope you all had an enjoyable Labor Day Holiday!

 

Now it is time to get down to business and get HR 2916, the " Genetically

Engineered Food Right to Know Act, " passed into law. This e-mail will

explain how we can accomplish this important goal.

 

We are pleased to announce that The Campaign to Label Genetically

Engineered Foods has a new home page on our popular web site at:

http://www.thecampaign.org

 

You will find the new home page is geared for ACTION in the effort to

get HR 2916, the " Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act, "

passed into law.

 

The current 108th U.S. Congress runs until October 2004. So we have well

over a year to gather congressional support for this landmark legislation.

 

In order to get Congress to pass the " Genetically Engineered Food Right

to Know Act " into law, we will most likely need to generate between

500,000 and 1,000,000 letters into Congress. That is a lot of letters,

but it is a goal easily obtainable with a focused effort by the organic

and natural products industry, the environmental community and concerned

citizens.

 

Over a period of a few months in 1998, nearly 280,000 comments were sent

to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) complaining about their

attempt to include genetically engineered and irradiated foods in the

definition of organic. If we duplicate that type of concentrated effort

now, there is an excellent likelihood that the 108th Congress will act

to pass the " Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act " into law.

 

There are many factors that are working in our favor. For example, in

July 2003, a new ABC News poll indicated that 92 percent of the public

said " the federal government should require labels on biotech foods. "

With that type of overwhelming recent statistical evidence on our side,

any politician who starts to receive hundreds of letters sent to him or

her via the U.S. mail is unlikely to oppose labeling legislation.

 

If the polls were showing 60% of the American public are for labeling

and 40% are against labeling, then our job would be much more difficult.

But when a poll from a highly respected news agency such as ABC News

reports an overwhelming 92% want labeling, if a politician starts to

receive hundred of letters from the voters who have the power to elect

him or her, it is political suicide to not go along with the will of the

people.

 

As a matter of fact, members of congress who get flooded with letters

sent by U.S. mail on an issue that has broad popular appeal will often

co-sponsor the bill to show they are on the right side of the issue.

Remember, all 435 voting members of the House of Representatives are up

for re-election in 2004.

 

The key factor in getting the " Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know

Act " passed into law is the power of DUPLICATION. If 10 people tell 10

other people and you take this down just five levels, watch what

happens:

 

10 x10 = 100

100 x 10 = 1,000

1,000 x 10 = 10,000

10,000 x 10 = 100,000

100,000 x 10 = 1,000,000

 

To help facilitate such duplication, on The Campaign's new web site home

page there are " Three Basic Action Steps " we are asking everyone to take:

 

Step Number One: Mail a letter to your U.S. House Representative asking

him or her to co-sponsor bill HR 2916, the " Genetically Engineered Food

Right to Know Act. "

http://www.thecampaign.org/letters_house.php

 

Step Number Two: Print out at least 10 additional form letters and give

them to your friends and associates to mail to their House

Representative.

http://www.thecampaign.org/letters_house.php

 

Step Number Three: Go to our Tell A Friend web page and send an e-mail

message to your friends and associates that informs them about The

Campaign's web site and asks them to mail a letter to their

Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.

http://www.thecampaign.org/tellafriend.php

 

Our web site also features numerous " Advanced Action Steps " and

" Activist Action Steps " for people who want to do more than just the

" Three Basic Action Steps. "

 

Folks, if you are still reading this far, listen up: We have a GOLDEN

opportunity to pass HR 2916 into law. NOW is the time to start spreading

the word to your friends.

 

Let's show Monsanto and the biotech industry that it is NOT okay to

contaminate organic agriculture in the United States. Let's show

Monsanto and the biotech industry that the American public will NOT

continue to be guinea pigs in the largest feeding experiment to ever

take place on planet earth.

 

And how do we show them? By passing the Genetically Engineered Food

Right to Know Act, HR 2916, into law during the current 108th Congress.

 

WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN, but not by simply wishing for it. It will ONLY

happen if we each take the responsibility of getting our friends, relatives

and neighbors to send letters to their members of Congress.

 

Please be aware that we are not talking about sending e-mail to members

of Congress. The letters need to be sent in the U.S. mail to have the

proper impact. Why?

 

It is much more time-consuming and labor-intensive for a member of

Congress to response to letters they receive by U.S. mail than those

they receive by e-mail. Elected officials get so many e-mails that such

electronic messages often don't stand out. On the other hand, letters

that arrive by U.S. mail get maximum attention, especially in these

modern times when e-mail is so common.

 

A one-size-fits-all generic sample of our new form letter is posted below.

 

Please go to The Campaign's home page and follow the instructions to

print out a customized form letter addressed to your House Representative.

 

Simply sign and complete the letter and then mail it to your Representative's

Washington, DC office by the U.S. Postal Service. That is Basic Action Step

One. Remember to do Basic Action Step Two and print out 10 more

letters to give to your friends. And take Basic Action Step Three by sending

e-mails to your friends telling them about The Campaign's web site.

 

It is ONLY through the power of ACTION and DUPLICATION that we will get the

" Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act " passed into law.

 

Thanks for your continued activism and support!

 

Craig Winters

Executive Director

The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

 

The Campaign

PO Box 55699

Seattle, WA 98155

Tel: 425-771-4049

Fax: 603-825-5841

E-mail: label

Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org

 

Mission Statement: " To create a national grassroots consumer campaign

for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass

legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered

foods in the United States. "

 

***************************************************************

 

Please Co-Sponsor H.R. 2916, the

Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act of 2003

 

 

Representative _________________________

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

 

Dear Representative _________________________,

 

I am writing to ask you to support and co-sponsor H.R. 2916, the

Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act of 2003.

 

It is shocking that the FDA considers genetically engineered foods

" substantially equivalent " to non-genetically engineered foods.

Genetically engineered crops contain antibiotic-resistant marker genes,

viral promoters and foreign proteins never before consumed by humans.

These are not found in crops produced through normal means of

hybridization.

 

Further, the FDA is not testing these products itself. The agency is

relying on edited summaries provided by the very companies that have a

financial interest in bringing these biotech crops to market. And under

current FDA law, the companies are not even required to provide

summaries!

 

The major producer of genetically engineered crops is Monsanto -- a

company that was found guilty in 2002 in Alabama of negligence,

wantonness, suppression of the truth, nuisance, trespass and outrage.

Monsanto suppressed the truth about PCBs. How do I know they won't do

the same thing when it comes to their genetically engineered crops?

 

Labeling is essential for me to choose whether or not I want to consume

genetically engineered foods. Genetically engineered foods are required

to be labeled in the 15 European Union nations, plus Japan, China,

Australia, New Zealand and many other countries around the world. As an

American, I firmly believe I should also have that right to know if my

foods have been genetically engineered.

 

A poll released July 15, 2003 by ABC News found that 92 percent of the

American public wants the federal government to require mandatory

labeling on genetically modified foods. The figure was 93 percent in a

poll ABC News conducted in 2001, so support for mandatory labeling is

strong and consistent. As ABC News stated, " Such near-unanimity in

public opinion is rare. "

 

I hope you will listen to me and the other 92 percent of the American

public who want mandatory labeling (and not to Monsanto and a handful of

biotech companies) and show your support for American consumers by

co-sponsoring H.R. 2916, the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know

Act.

 

I look forward to a written response confirming your support. Thank you!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

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