...As we have sped into the 21st century, we have run into the issue of keeping up food supply with the demands of the growing population. To keep up with these new demands, large food companies have enlisted the help of scientists to engineer our foods to make them easier, faster, and cheaper to grow. Unfortunately, using Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is bad not only for the health of us humans, but also the health of our environments. I believe that we should stop using genetically modified foods so that we can avoid liver disease, kidney disease and an increased risk of cancer in humans, and stop the rise of antibiotic resistance in animals and on crops. Throughout the past several decades, as we have funded the genetic engineering of our food, the higher ups of the food companies have turned a blind eye to the health risks that consuming engineered food have to us, and have conveniently forgotten to inform the everyday consumer of these risks. In “Evidence Grows of Harmful Effects of GMOs on Human Health” by Helke Ferrie, who has a MA in Physical Anthropology and has spent much time working with the World Health Organization, states that according to Canadian research “93% of all fetuses and their mothers tested were found to be contaminated with toxins associated with GM foods” (Ferrie 2) and that there is proof “GM soy products cause pre-cancerous changes to the ovaries and uterus of animals that consume them” (Ferrie 2). To begin with, the most important stage of...
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...modified organism, or GMO, is an organism that has had its DNA altered or modified in some way through genetic engineering (Livescience). Genetically modified foods are becoming more and more popular around the world. There has been a big argument for years on whether genetically modified foods are safe to eat. Recently, the FDA approved farm Genetically modified salmon as a certified meal. This makes it the first genetically modified animal to be approved for consumption. It has been a long time coming, but after being accused of delaying the decision for years they finally said that you can safely eat the salmon. The inserted genes remained stable in the salmon over several generations. The decision might quiet down a debate...
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...legalizing it and therefore taking away the drug cartels number one source of income. The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy ... says that more than 60 percent of the profits reaped by Mexican drug lords are derived from the exportation and sale of cannabis to the American market (Armentano2). It is ridiculous to think that the United States can put out a statistic like this and ignore the fact that if they legalized the drug there would be less violence because there would be no point for Mexican drug cartels to try and smuggle the drug into the U.S. In the article “Blame Prohibition, Not Pot Smokers for Violence in Mexico”, published by AlterNet.org, Tony Newman tells us how the people who run the “Just Say No” campaign against drugs have a new scheme in which they plan to blame people who smoke pot for the violence in Mexico. They are hoping to stop younger people from smoking marijuana if they associate it with the murder of people by the drug cartels in Mexico. There are a few problems with these campaigns: They are inaccurate in some cases, and downright dishonest in others.Office of National Drug Control Policy It is disingenuous to connect the average American's marijuana consumption to the horrific violence of Mexico's drug war. The average pot smoker's growing and purchasing of marijuana has no relationship to the violence along the border that is the result of large-scale drug trafficking. It isn’t hard to understand that the legalization of marijuana...
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...Position Paper Khadijah Shabazz CNSL 5203 Dr. Sampson Prairie View A&M University 9/20/2015 The legalization of drugs is one of the most controversial and debated topics of the 21st century. There are both negative and positive reasons to legalize them as well as negative and positive reasons to keep them prohibited. According to LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, drug prohibition is the true cause of much of the social and personal damage that has historically been attributed to drug use. It is prohibition that makes these drugs so valuable – while giving criminals a monopoly over their supply ("Why Legalize Drugs? | LEAP").LEAP goes on to say that criminal gangs are driven by the huge profits from this monopoly, criminal gangs bribe and kill each other, law enforcers, and children and as such their trade is unregulated and they are, therefore, beyond our control ("Why Legalize Drugs? | LEAP"). It is LEAP’s belief that by eliminating prohibition of all drugs for adults and establishing appropriate regulation and standards for distribution and use, law enforcement could focus more on crimes of violence, such as rape, aggravated assault, child abuse and murder, making our communities much safer ("Why Legalize Drugs? | LEAP"). Another positive aspect of the legalization of drugs is financial gains. According to the International Business Times in a study for the Cato Institute, Jeffrey A. Miron, senior lecturer on economics at Harvard University and a senior...
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... But there have always been varying ulterior motives. According to Baylor University Professor of Sociology, Dr. Diana Kendall, the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was passed solely to criminalize marijuana by taxing it; this would dissuade migrant Mexican workers who smoked marijuana to seek employment elsewhere and not take jobs from U.S. citizens as the country struggled during the Great Depression (Kendall, 2010). Last year, voters in Colorado and Washington State approved legislation that supported the commercial growth, sale, possession and use of recreational marijuana. In response, United States Department of Justice, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, promulgated policy that established the posture for enforcing marijuana laws against people or organizations to that: Distribution of marijuana to minors; revenue from the sale of marijuana from going to criminal enterprises, gangs and cartels; the diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal under state law in some...
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...Global Politics: The feasibility of universal drug liberalization as an emerging phenomenon RWaterhouse Globalization & The War on Drugs: Assessing alternatives to criminalization The purpose of this paper is to address universal drug liberalization as a feasible alternative to the current drug control regime specifically in North America and potentially applicable elsewhere. With an in depth analysis of the historical regulation, implementation of law, and resulting consequences we will be able to see how nations are effected by complex drug politics and why there has been a global paradigm shift in looking spiritedly at the ideal of decriminalization. I argue in favor of liberalization by bringing to attention the violence associated with the commodification of illegal drugs, what the re-directed costs of control could mean for domestic investment into proactive drug awareness education, and finally recognizing Portugal’s success and weaknesses in the adoption of a compete legalization agenda. Following will be a discussion of concluding thoughts centered on the efficacy and feasibility of universal liberalization in today’s globalized world. Historical Context Libertarianism has almost always had position in political discourse but has been majorly popularized through public attention within the era of globalization. (article) Control of drug consumption has always been a contemporary ingredient in the political reform of Canada and the America’s and...
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...The so-called “War on Drugs,” as declared by the Nixon administration in the signing of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, marked the beginning of the current era of mandatory minimum sentencing, racism, privatized prisons, and a powerful constituency that profits as a result of the prohibition of drugs. Psychoactive substances have been apart of the human experience as long as humans have walked the earth. There is little hope that drug production will ever be curtailed, so long as there is a demand; a demand that has remained steady even though it has been forty years since the beginning of said war. As Judge James P. Gray from the Superior Court of Orange County has so plainly put it: “Where did this policy come from? Unfortunately I have conducted an inquiry into this and I have determined that drug prohibition laws came for reasons of racism, empire building, and ignorance.”(Booth) The War on Drugs is politically motivated as a means of profiting. One may ask them self how government can financially benefit from such policies. In fact, they benefit in a myriad of ways. The government spends an exorbitant amount of money in an attempt to combat drug production and drug usage. The U.S. government has spent over a trillion—that’s right a trillion—dollars in its attempt to eradicate the drug problem. With so much time, effort and money there should be something to show, right? Wrong. Today drugs are more prevalent, more potent and cheaper than...
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...techniques was the food industry. By genetically modifying foods, industries could improve yield rates which made it popular for business. A high surplus meant that companies could output and feed their citizens more efficiently than ever. However, uncertainty exists, and even the most careful of calculations cannot guarantee the effects of genetically modifying an organism, or in this case, food. This uncertainty scares people, and as a result, the argument of whether or not to use genetically modifying techniques to enhance food is a constant issue...
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...Research Paper 1 The issue of genetically modified organisms, often referred to as GMOs, is one of the most important arguments we can have as a society. A huge part of the argument stems from genetically modified foods. Some people regard genetically modified wheat and corn for their drought resistance and ability to feed millions of people in parts of the world that desperately need food. The other side of the argument stems from unwanted side effects caused by GMOs such as the creation of herbicide-resistant super weeds to the loss of biodiversity and uncontrollable transfer of modified genes into the environment (Whitman 4). The benefits vs. risks that GMO’s pose in regard to the environment and human health are still inconclusive. Only rigorous scientific research and time will yield conclusive results, along with possible advancements in technology that will help address most concerns. What is clear is that we need GMO’s to be able to feed the world’s population and that the potential risk GMO’s pose to human health and the environment can vary tremendously. The labeling of GM food is necessary will address the question of accountability of the impact GMO’s and large corporations have with their “proprietary crops” to the environment and health, along with minimizing potential risk. The argument that corporate driven agriculture and bio technology are ill suited to address global hunger...
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...The Non GMO Project is a stakeholder in support of labeling GMOs. The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization committed to preserving and building the non-GMO food supply, educating consumers, and providing verified non-GMO choices. They are known for their butterfly Non-GMO Project verification seal which indicates that the product bearing the seal has gone through their verification process. The seal was created in the absence of mandatory GMO labeling. The verification is “an assurance that a product has been produced according to consensus-based best practices for GMO avoidance” (GMO Facts). The Non-GMO Project argues there is a growing body of evidence connecting GMOs to health problems, environmental damage, and violation of farmers’...
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...public and when using GMO products. This shows that she knows what she is talking about and that she is also well prepared to talk about this topic. This is article is found in the book of American Journal of Law and Medicine. The intended readers of this article would be the general public as well as those looking for information of the regulations against GMO’s. The position of this article is for less restrictions on...
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...accomplished in traditional cross breeding. For example, DNA from cold-water fish can be put into tomatoes to make them better able to hand cold weather. This new technology has cause people to ask questions about the negative impact of GMOs. Is this going against my religion? Are there any significant differences as to how they will affect humans and the environment? There are a great deal of scientific and legal issues being discussed everywhere. Although this issues are important, other problems have emerged. People have different opinions on whether or not using GMOs are morally correct. With religion and health being a big part of how this country is run, the concern lies in both these subjects. Their concern is not only GMO going against their religion but possible health risk as well. The environment is a big priority as well, not knowing what effects it will have posses big issues for many. Everyone knows the positive GMO can bring such as, better health for many but what will the long term effects be on the environment and people is of concern. The deeper ethical reasonings underlying this debate are very critical. If we want to understand ethical and moral controversies related to GMOs, it is key to acknowledge the different arguments, and then discuss in depth the specific...
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...proponents of GMO labeling believe, GMOs actually bring with them many benefits, some of which are already being seen. With the increase of genetically modified corn and soybeans in the united states, the amount of chemical usage has been greatly reduced, and farmers have made more money because they don’t have to buy pesticides (Lusk and Miller 2). GMOs also have promising benefits for solving the problems of the future. Out of the 7.5 billion people in the world today, nearly 1 billion are starving. The number of starving people is estimated to increase to an amount of 10 billion by 2050 (Mosely 578). The United Nations estimates that in 2050, the world will need to have increased its food production by 70% to keep up...
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...today, personal as much as in society as a whole. The question is, how can we solve them? The answer is, soft skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. These are arguably the most effective weapons we have against combatting these problems. Let’s explore two examples of real-world scenarios: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Gun Violence. A recent study confirmed a direct link between tumors and Genetically Modified Organisms (Food Chem Toxicol, 2012). The scientific method was used to observe, hypothesize, experiment, and verify this conclusion, via a controlled experiment with rats over the course of two years. That’s not to say that all tumors are caused solely by GMOs, but rather that at least one of the causes for tumors have been identified. As a result of this study, many countries have banned the importing, development, and sales of GMOs, including (but not limited to) Italy, Switzerland, and New Zealand (for confirmation, search “GMO Ban” from the University of Phoenix Library). The scientific method has also been used to study the toxicity of chem trails in the air, fluoride in the water, and preservatives in food products. So why has President Obama signed into law the Monsanto Protection Act, which protects Monsanto (a large American GMO company) from federal courts? With so much evidence, one must wonder why the government is turning a blind eye (or even worse, “protecting”) these companies, at the expense of our health. Many speculate that the motive...
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...Why GMO’s are Beneficial Are genetically engineered/modified organisms dangerous, neutral, or beneficial to human health? Genetically Modified Organisms have been used for thousands of years, dating back to the times where farmers were using techniques such as grafting. Studies have shown that opposition to GMOs are on the rise. Despite the many negative connotations of altering the genetic material of a plant, it has been statistically proven that GMOs have not posed harm to human health (Digging for seeds of truth in GMO debate). Through the utilization of GMOs, humanity has the opportunity to benefit our health through creation of potential vaccines, ability to create a sustainable food source to end human hunger, and the ability to create more nutritious disease and pesticide-free foods. GMOs have been very helpful in creating vaccines for many diseases. For example, during the 1980s, humanity was blessed with the first genetically engineered vaccine to fight STDs. Benjamin Hall of University of Wisconsin and then-postdoctoral researcher Gustav Ammerer fused a gene-controlling antigen that fought HIV and Hepatitis into yeast cells. With this biotechnology, they were able to create one of the first vaccines to fight Sexually Transmitted Diseases (A Triumph of Biotechnology). This has proven highly important, because without the use of such technology, this life-changing vaccine would not have been created. In another case, INB Biotechnologies of Philadelphia created...
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