Spreading The Poison

by Victoria Olson, 6th grade
Ecker Hill Middle, Mrs. DeKoff's writing class.

You might think  GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism but really it stands for something much worst: a Gruesome Monstrosity of an Obliterator. Well, that is what it should stand for. A Genetically Modified Organism is a fake, a secretly evil force and a Brobdingnagian size destructor that is brought into our food with the hopes that “what we don’t know, won’t hurt us”.

 Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) are everywhere.  We’ve grown up eating them without knowing it.  So what is a GMO? A GMO is what results when large food corporations manipulate natural food sources in a lab, sneaking poisons into foods, and wait to see what happens.  For example, the companies genetically change the make up of carrots to see if a super carrot can repel cold temperatures;  chemicals are poured into cereal for longer shelf life; and they poison fruits to see if it will transform into a super fruit. But they didn’t stop to think what would happen to humans after years of eating mutated foods until the government stepped in. The government tried to require GMO producing food companies to label their products. In blind terror, the corporations refused and threatened to sue the government. What are they hiding? If they are just doing it for the money, what is so bad? Why shouldn’t we know what we’re eating?

 There are two sides to every story, this one is no different. GMO’s make a company’s job a lot easier.  Putting Genetically Modified Organisms in some vegetables will make them weather worthy. It is a lot easier to leave the vegetables to fend for themselves in a snow storm instead of putting them in a greenhouse.  GMO crops produce a higher yield, solving a food shortage problem.  Some GMO’s stop weeds from pushing growing vegetables and fruits out of the way. Problems appear to be solved, so who cares if it poisons America?

Additionally, GMO’s are causing a lot of health problems in society, such as obesity. You might argue that the obesity isn’t correlated with GMO’s.  This is not true. Japanese, living in a country that bans Genetically Modified Organisms, are healthier and the obesity rate is lower. The United States, which is prospering with poisonous food, has a huge number of obese people. About forty years ago, the obesity rates began to increase when GMO’s started to appear.  It isn’t hard to reach this logical conclusion.

 Food allergies are also increasing. Bringing these unpredictable and unnatural mutations into our food is causing people to react. Wheat intolerance and ciliac disease, virtually unheard of in our grandparent’s generation, are also on the rise.  Coincidence?

 Eating poisonous food has never been good for you, so what has changed? Nothing, nothing but our minds as we’ve gained knowledge. Those who know about GMO’s and choose to continue to eat modified foods are making an informed decision. Those of us who choose not to eat food laden with GMO’s have the right to know as well.  You have to wonder, why won’t the companies that make foods containing GMO’s freely label them?  Are they trying to secretly poison us? Are they more concerned about the bottom line then what is happening to people who ingest these toxins? 

What you don’t know will hurt you. 

Deborah DeKoff teaches the 6th grade Language Arts class at Ecker Hill Middle School, Park City, UT. She is working with EarthWell to provide recognition and exposure for the writings of her students and to help encourage their awareness and involvement with topics that concern their future and the future of their planet.