67 lines
3.6 KiB
Plaintext
67 lines
3.6 KiB
Plaintext
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(word processor parameters LM=8, RM=75, TM=2, BM=2)
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Taken from KeelyNet BBS (214) 324-3501
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Sponsored by Vangard Sciences
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PO BOX 1031
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Mesquite, TX 75150
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There are ABSOLUTELY NO RESTRICTIONS
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on duplicating, publishing or distributing the
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files on KeelyNet except where noted!
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February 18, 1994
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BST.ASC
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This file shared with KeelyNet courtesy of Joel McClain.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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BST, or rbST, or BGH is the Bovine Growth Hormone which may now be
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legally injected into dairy cows. Dairies who elect not to use this
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manufactured hormone are allowed to state ONLY that the milk/cheese
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etc. comes from animals which were not treated with the substance,
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and cannot state that the products are rbST-free, even though this
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would be a true statement.
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I was living in Illinois, just seven miles south of Wisconsin, when
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the BGH scandal first made the news. According to news reports
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there, the USDA had sent agents to approach individual dairies,
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offering them the hormone. The farmers were told to expect a 40%
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increase in milk yield, BUT the injections were to be kept secret
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from the public and from the state's department of agriculture.
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All went along fine for the first few years, until treated cows
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began to drop dead from extremely agressive forms of cancers to
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their female organs. The farmers were unable to get compensation
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from the USDA for the cows, and took them to court. Once this
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happened, the state's agricultural people, and later the entire
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state legislature, figuratively speaking, had a cow. The farmers'
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customers switched to non-BGH dairies, and the state went to work on
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legislation to require labeling of any products from cows which had
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been treated with BGH.
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It was a case of David and Goliath, and David lost. Goliath had his
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own inspectors reclassify the deaths of the cows, so that there
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would be no mention of the hormone injections. The new federal law
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means that other states, who may wish to challenge BGH, cannot do
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so. So much for "states rights".
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The reason why this is ultimately of concern, is that humans are
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genetically very similar to cows...that's why we can drink cow milk,
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and why in times of war, we have used cow blood for transfusions.
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Trace amounts of BGH which theoretically could remain in the
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products, perhaps if the injections were given incorrectly, would be
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consumed by the end user of the product. Artificially manufactured
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hormones, which have been linked to fatal cancers, are not the best
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idea that I have heard this week!
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When we heard the news from Wisconsin, we switched to dairy products
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that were from Illinois only. Here in Texas, I've heard that Kroger
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plans to carry only non-BGH dairy products. Hopefully, this trend
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will continue. No matter WHAT the USDA says, we can VOTE with our
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DOLLARS, until this hormone is not used.
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Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet
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