Posted: Saturday, December 29, 2007 6:00 pm
OK, so Nebraska is a big ag state. I read the newspaper, and watch the news every day. I have yet to see any coverage of an issue I would think everyone, most especially people in an agriculturally based state, would be up in arms about: the patenting of our food.
People, do you realize that this very minute, biotech companies are suing farmers for saving their own seeds, and not buying the companies’ genetically modified seeds.
In Canada, farmer Percy Schmeiser was sued by Monsanto for planting patented seed after Monsanto’s genetically modified canola seeds blew into his field. And Monsanto won.
In North Dakota, Nelson Farms was sued because Monsanto accused them of growing their genetically modified soybeans. They hadn't.
As the patent laws stand now, if a farmer’s non-genetically modified crops cross with Monsanto’s genetically modified plants, and that farmer saves his seeds. The next generation of crops, any plants that have the patented gene, belong to Monsanto. Do you realize what this means for agriculture?
In addition to genetically modified plants, Monsanto is actively patenting non-GM plants. The only requirement is that the plant has never been patented before. Do you realize what that means for the world’s food supply? It means that one company can own and control who grows food, and who does not.
I find it unbelievable that this issue is being completely ignored by the media.
Folks, I guess it’s up to us to do something. The patent laws must be changed to exclude anything living, plants, animals, or seeds. The future of farming, and the basic right to grow food, is what's at stake.
Janet Snider, Raymond
Judgment of Bush off-base
As I read Wayne Simpson’s letter stating “Bush on the right path” (LJS, Dec. 23), I could not help but wonder how much right-wing talk radio Simpson listens to each day. My goodness, let us, indeed, take a look at just the two examples Simpson cites.
Deficit spending: Yes, the Democratic party has fought for a 7 percent increase in the federal budget. They ask for increases for children’s health insurance, education, social programs that help the poor and aged and other increases in programs that will help lower-income and middle-class people in the United States.
The reason they fight is for the funds to assist those who are in need and suffering because of the unconscionable Bush administration tax cuts that gave extremely deep cuts to the super wealthy in our nation.
The disparity between rich and poor has never been greater, and it is because of the Bush administration’s deference to the wealthy at the risk of all others.
As to the war in Iraq, this nation, as continuing reports reveal, was misled into a war that has taken 3,900 American lives (whose caskets we cannot honor and see returned) and countless thousands of Iraqis. To what end? It seems it is to control oil and to manipulate governments. This is not who we as Americans ought to be.
Yes, we were attacked by terrorists. Most were from Saudi Arabia whose leader’s hand George Bush held as they walked into his home in Texas. Osama bin Laden (if alive) or his cohorts have sanctuary in Pakistan whose leader George Bush and Dick Cheney support.
And perhaps the saddest revelation of Simpson’s diatribe is that there is no mention that the reason Saddam Hussein (who was an enemy of bin Laden and not one who funded terrorists against the United States) was in power is because Ronald Reagan, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and other neocons wanted him there.
If Bush is on the right path, I hope he comes to a fork in the road soon and remembers that his legacy will be forever tarnished because the path he has chosen is one of self-delusion, myopia and bull-headedness.
Kenneth G. Leischner, Columbus
Follow N.J. on death penalty
As a taxpayer I am concerned that our state government uses its revenue in the most effective way. That’s why I was heartened to read that the New Jersey legislature voted this month to end the death penalty in their state.
The New Jersey vote came after a thorough review of the use of the death penalty. Their Death Penalty Study Commission included representatives of law enforcement, prosecutors and victims’ family members.
They found the death penalty to be a failed policy that that is exorbitantly expensive. Not only is it costly, but despite countless reform efforts the use of the death penalty remains arbitrary, full of errors, hard on murder victims’ families and fails to deter those who would commit this horrific crime.
I’m pleased to read that the Nebraska Legislature will be considering following New Jersey’s example. The money spent on pursuing death sentences would better be used for tax relief or supporting victims’ services and effective crime prevention measures.
Mark Weddleton, Lincoln
Zoning rules being violated
My wife and I are avid Husker volleyball fans. With that aside, the recent Lincoln Journal Star story on four volleyball players living together in the same house illustrates a common problem in the city of Lincoln.
The area where the four volleyball players live is zoned as an R-3 residential area. R-3 zoned areas permit single-family dwellings, which is a dwelling having accommodations for and occupied by one family (Lincoln Municipal Code 27.03.190). A family is defined as one or more persons immediately related by blood, marriage, or adoption and living as a single housekeeping unit in a dwelling (LMC 27.03.220). However, a family may not include, in addition to the family members, more than two more persons who are unrelated (LMC 27.03.220).
This means that no more than three unrelated persons can live in the same dwelling unit, so the four volleyball players are in violation of the city zoning ordinances.
The problem is one of density. The article even pointed out the obviousness of other college students living on the same block as evident by all of the cars parked along the street.
The new housing division referred to in the article is dealing with the effects of new homes rented to four or more nonrelated tenants. Cars are parked too close to or block driveways, sidewalks and mailboxes. In addition to vehicular problems, yards are partially planted, overgrown with weeds, and not maintained. Erosion from rain water leaves mud and dirt covering sidewalks. Sidewalks are not cleared of snow.
While I enjoyed reading the story on the four volleyball players whom I have tremendous respect for, the Lincoln Journal Star should publish an article about how property owners are ruining a new housing division by spreading rental units throughout the neighborhood and knowingly violating city ordinances, thereby further draining already depleted city resources.
Go Huskers, roof, roof, roof!
Brian Nehe, Lincoln; President; Stone Bridge Creek Home Owner’s Association