Large multinational corporations, such as Monsanto, have had the cards stacked in their favor for years, all at the expense of the American people and our country’s domestic policy, ultimately compromising national security.

Maine’s congressional delegation should support mandatory labeling of food containing genetically modified organisms.

U.S. Supreme Court protection of Monsanto life-form patents is not only an abomination, I believe it’s unconstitutional and violates anti-trust law.

Life patents for seeds such as Monsanto corn and soy, with Round-Up Pesticide in the plant’s DNA, are pervasive in our food supply, and their effects on the consuming public are only beginning to be understood.

The court decision also leaves Monsanto immune to health-risk liability claims now and in future.

Just as the tobacco industry had prior knowledge and research about the deleterious nature of its product, Monsanto could have studies suggesting risks and concerns for public health, but has chosen not to share them.

Unlike the tobacco industry, however, it avoids liability and a costly settlement for its risky market. That’s not a free market; that’s a coercive market, with the government choosing to shore up large corporations against its voting public’s interest.

Corn and soy, used for virtually everything we eat, surely would not be wholesome or healthy if laced with pesticides at the DNA level. What does it do to us once we ingest it, especially over time?

I think it’s reasonable for the American public to demand to know what food contains genetically modified organisms, so we’ll know what to avoid, since no one else will be held accountable. Only then will the market truly depict what it is willing to bear. I think the fact that we might have a choice would be scary to Monsanto.

Jo Ann Lariño-Greves

Augusta