Why I Voted Yes on I-522

I voted "Yes" on Washington's Initiative I-522.

A few months ago, I wrote about GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in our food and the efforts in Washington state to require food labeling through Initiative 522. While I had hoped to share more information on the topic, this blog has been on back burner for the past few months. However, I haven't forgotten about this important issue and I wanted to share with you why I voted to approve I-522.

Henry thinks the Voters Guide makes a good coloring book.

It really comes down to one simple fact: I want to know what's in the food that my family eats. Even if I end up buying foods with GMOs, I should be able to make that choice for myself and my family.

GMOs should not be allowed to hide in our food. If GMOs are great advancements in agriculture and technology, then food producers and manufacturers should not be scared to come out in the open. Secrecy only creates fear and I don't want to be afraid of the food I eat.

The big corporations that are funding the No campaign have tried to say this law is unnecessary, too complicated or has too many exemptions. In reality, the new regulations will simplify things for consumers, giving us a new tool to make grocery-buying decisions with a little more peace of mind.

Even Henry's great-grandma thinks we should have the right to know what's in our food.

My ballot is in the mail, but we won't know the election results until late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. If you are a registered voter in Washington state, I hope you'll join me in helping to pass this landmark initiative by sending in your ballot before Tuesday's election deadline.

Comments

The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook

UPDATE (10/2/12): Unfortunately, I did not hear back from our original winner. Congratulations to our alternate winner for "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook" -- Robin Pfefer. UPDATE (9/29/12): I am happy to announce that Kashia Clopper is the winner of "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook". When I was first thinking about using the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) model for Henry, I was unsure about whether it would really work. I was excited about BLW’s claims of less stressful meals that the whole family could share together. Plus, I was all for encouraging Henry to gain new skills by learning about the shapes, textures, colors, smells and flavors of food. This sounded ideal in theory, but would it work in practice? After some fun but ineffective attempts at letting Henry feed himself, I went in search of resources to learn more about BLW. I needed to learn how to prepare meals for our family in which Henry could participate. That’s when I found “ The Baby-Led ...

Do Your Kids Eat Everything?

UPDATE (3/15/2013): Congratulations to Kia as the random drawing winner in this giveaway! Thank you to all those who entered this contest. Before we began our food adventure with Henry, Daddy and I had many conversations about how to encourage Henry to become “a good eater.” After watching other parents constantly struggle with their toddlers, we wanted to know if there was anything we could do from the start to prevent picky eating. That’s when we read “ French Kids Eat Everything ” by Karen Le Billon . The book is an easy and enjoyable read about the year that Karen’s family spent in France and how it changed the way her family eats. The heart of the book explores the 10 French Food Rules for raising happy, healthy eaters. “French Kids Eat Everything” sparked numerous discussions at our dinner table about how our family eats. We have become more conscious of our assumptions about food and how that will influence Henry’s understanding of mealtimes. In addition,...

Please Don't Feed My Toddler Cheetos

Our family has started a new chapter -- last week I rejoined the paid workforce! I am very excited about my new part-time job at a local history museum, coordinating field trips and special events. As part of this transition, Henry is now going to daycare three days per week. Henry meets new friends and plays with new toys on his first day at daycare. Searching for quality childcare was a somewhat stressful experience. We visited 8 childcare facilities who had immediate space available for Henry to begin part-time care. I wanted to be confident that Henry would be cared for by experienced, nurturing staff in an environment that would challenge him to learn new skills and form friendships with other children. Of course, the added cost of childcare also had to fit within our family budget. While interviewing daycares, one aspect that I cared about was food. All eight of the facilities participate in the USDA food program , receiving reimbursement at a set rate for the meals ...

How to Feed a Henry

Search This Blog