Leave My Food Alone!

Another overreaching federal gov't initiative has come to my attention. HR 875, or the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, is yet another way the gov't is saying, "You can't take care of yourselves, so we'll take care of you for you." Here is the text of the bill. It's lengthy. I've scanned it.

Overall, yet another bureaucracy will be established to make sure all food establishments, including small farms, local growers and restauranteurs, etc. are following gov't imposed safety guidelines in dealing with our food. I know, many of you think, "Great. I am all for not getting food poisoning, etc.!" However, let's delve a little deeper here. How do you know that what the gov't's standard for safe food is is really what's best? They will probably require more preservatives, more pesticides, more chemically altered food, etc. because that will supposedly make food "safer". This could be death to organic farmers and local growers. Not only that, but I am not convinced that all these chemicals we keep pumping our bodies with aren't doing long-term damage. What the gov't says is best may not be best for us.

I have no desire to leave it in the hands of the Federal Gov't to decide what kind of food is best for me. I am a responsible adult who can research for myself, take risks for myself (AKA, eating food that is deemed "not safe" by the gov't) and being accountable for the consequences of my decisions, thank you very much. I've signed this petition and urge you to do the same if you feel strongly that we need to keep the gov't from getting its hands any further into the food business.

Grrrr! I feel like there are so many battles, on all fronts: cap and trade, the Federal Reserve, health care reform, food safety. Can't they leave us the $#%@ alone to make our own decisions and deal with our own consequences. That is a large premise upon which this country was founded. It's called LIBERTY. Enough already!