Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Why I hate Codex....(stepping up on my soapbox once again)

I had an interesting experience this week.  I posted an ad about my classes on a local online "bulletin board".  I received a rather nasty response from a "Dr," who accused me of fear mongering for greedy purposes.  You know - scare them into taking my class so I can earn TONS of money by insinuating that herbs and vitamins may be difficult to find under Codex. (Riiiiiggghhhht - that happens....like I can scare them into that whole tons of money thing...)  My knowledge of herbs was also called into question because of my beliefs about Codex and I was informed that Codex will not address vitamins, minerals or herbs.


I though perhaps y'all could benefit from my answer (Yes, I had to respond!) and perhaps that would explain how I feel about Codex and our country's involvement with the U.N. and W.T.O.  I'd love my students to chime in on whether I scared you into taking my class (I'm so powerful that way) and what your opinion of my class was.  Be warned - I'll probably use your comments on a page I am working on for my website....names removed of course...to protect the innocent...or guilty - whatever the case may be.


This person also took umbrage that I insinuated that our President quietly signed an Executive Order that begins to place the U.S. under Codex...against the wishes of the American people.  I wasn't too worried - Ron Paul happens to agree with me on most of this - gotta love being in his company!


Let me know what you think :)


Dear Dr.,
Thank you for your email. It appears that rather than attempt to educate me about something you believe I have misunderstood, you chose instead to insult and demean. I think it falls under the category of an Ad Hominem attack (covered by our English Grammar lesson last week). 
I hope you will read my reply as I attempt to share with you what I have learned about Codex and why I do what I do. The following are excerpts from my notes over many years and links to several organizations listed at the end.
When a document that affects the private and personal choices of every single person in the United States is signed with little to no media coverage, I consider it as being done quietly.  I also understand that the apathy of the citizenry plays a great role in allowing the federal government to increase beyond the scope of what the Constitution allows. This Executive Order goes so far beyond the Constitutionally allowed reach of the Federal Government into our private lives as to be laughable if it wasn’t so sad.
I have not liked the attempts to limit my freedoms made by our current administration, the previous administration or even several before that.  To be able to protect our freedoms, we must first understand them.  I highly recommend the Constitution class taught in Greene County by local attorney Jeff Cobble.
The implementation of Codex has been attempted through Congress, under different administrations, several times... but the people of the United States have forcefully rejected the idea of a global organization making determinations on our food, vitamin and supplement choices down to a “micro-management” level.  
As a free people, the ability to choose our food, vitamins and herbs should be made by us as individuals and not dictated to us by a governing body of any kind, much less a global authority.  Our local Greene County Farmer’s Market has come under fire this last summer because of government regulations which adversely affected many small businesses and the customers of the market as the government intervened to make sure our choices were what the government deemed safe 
If I want to buy a cake from Miss Martha, the government won’t allow it unless Miss Martha has her kitchen inspected and approved or chooses to use an “approved facility”.  Of course, this costs money that Miss Martha can't afford to pay on her fixed income. So now...I can’t enjoy Miss Martha’s wonderful cakes and Miss Martha can’t earn a few extra dollars to supplement her SSI check each month. Oh goody! I feel so much safer now.
As a grown woman, I have the good sense to make my own decisions and should not have my food choices limited by my government.  The government programs that are attempting to control these choices under the guise of  “taking care of us and protecting us” are unconstitutional and there are way too many of them. ( “Hello, I’m from the Gov’ment and I’m here to help you!”) Codex, USDA, NAIS are trampling on our freedoms....just to name a few.
I have been following Codex for many years now.  I believe it is a dangerous thing.  I don’t believe our government has a right to give a global organization (United Nations and the World Health Organization) any authority over the lives of American citizens.   Under the terms of the Uruguay Round of GATT, which created the WTO, the US agreed to harmonize its domestic laws to the international standards.  This includes standards for dietary supplements being developed by the United Nations’s Codex Alimentarius Commissions’ Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary use. The Uruguay Round Agreements carry explicit language indicating that the US must harmonize to international standards! 
"Members are fully responsible under this Agreement for the observance of all provisions.... members shall formulate and implement positive measures and mechanisms in support of the observance of the provisions.... by other than central government bodies." [WTO TBT Agreement at Article 3.5]".  This will require our federal government to not only change federal law but it will have to require state and local governments to change their laws to be in accordance with international law.  Not only that, but Codex Alimentarius is now enforceable through the World Trade Organization (WTO). If a country disagrees with or refuses to follow Codex standards, the WTO applies pressure by withdrawing trade privileges and imposing crippling trade sanctions. Congress has already bowed to this pressure several times and so have the governments of many countries.
While the exemption clause (USC 3512(a)(1) and (a)(2) was created to supposedly protect our laws from harmonization to international standards, it has proven to be totally ineffective. The United States has already lost seven trade disputes despite the exemption clause. Due to the enormous pressures put on them by lobbyists from multinational corporations (who contribute millions to congressional campaigns), Congress bowed to pressure and changed U.S. laws.”
Codex benefits big business.  It is profitable to the pharmaceutical industry and big agri-businesses but not to small businesses, who cannot hope to financially meet the changes necessary to be in compliance.  Many small businesses could disappear under Codex. And it certainly isn’t here to help us.
Although I believe that Codex is often misunderstood and many rumors abound - there are dangerous precedents that need to be addressed.  An excellent article can be found here,
Codex will address vitamins, minerals and supplements.  However those decisions have not been finalized as far as I can tell.  The problem with trying to keep up with Codex is that it is constantly being changed and amended.  This portion of Codex can be found under GUIDELINES FOR VITAMIN AND MINERAL FOOD SUPPLEMENTS CAC/GL 55 - 2005.   
According to the National Health Federation, at the meetings held earlier this month in Dusseldorf, Germany the proposed NRV from the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) have been lowered to;
[2] The proposed Codex NRVs are: Vitamin A (dropped from 800 mcg to 550 mcg); Vitamin D (5 mcg or 200 IUs); Vitamin E (8.8 mg); Vitamin K (60 mcg); Vitamin C (dropped from 60 mg to 45 mg); Thiamin (dropped from 1.4 to 1.2 mg); Riboflavin (dropped from 1.6 mg to 1.2 mg); Niacin (dropped from 18 mg to 15 mg); Vitamin B6 (dropped from 2 mg to 1.3 mg); Folate (raised to 400 mcg); Vitamin B12 (2.4 mcg); Pantothenate (5 mg); Biotin (30 mcg); Calcium (raised from 800 mg to 1000 mg); Magnesium (dropped from 300 mg to 240 mg); Iodine (150 mcg); Iron (14.3-43.1 mg depending upon bioavailability); Zinc (dropped from 15 mg to 3.6-11.9, depending upon bioavailability); Selenium (30 mcg); Phosphorus (700 mg); Chloride (2.3 grams); Copper (900 mcg); Fluoride (3.5 mg); Manganese (2.1 mg); Chromium (30 mcg); and Molybdenum (45 mcg).”
What has happened in Europe may very well set a precedent as to what happens here - low doses of vitamins unless you have a Dr’s prescription.  Certain herbs either outlawed or requiring a Dr’s prescription. etc.  Although I don’t agree with everything on each of the following sites, I believe they can be a good place to continue your research.  

Federal Register where the FDA states its intention to harmonize with Codex standards: http://iahf.com/codx-fda.txt
Personally, I have a problem with the following issues outlined:
  • Codex’s support for the global trade of simplified, nutritionally-inadequate, chemically-contaminated and increasingly genetically-modified foods
  • Codex’s lack of support or interest in community-based farming and food supply infrastructures which are known to offer high quality foods better adapted to local environments
  • The increasing ‘dumbing down’ of organic agricultural principles making them less environmentally sustainable while making them more amenable to large agri-businesses
  • Codex's lack of interest in the agricultural self-sufficiency of poorer countries
  • Codex’s support for hazardous food technologies such as GMO’s, chemical additives, pesticides and irradiation
  • Codex’s desire to limit beneficial and therapeutic nutrients delivered as supplements
  • The acceptance of risk analysis principles that are fundamentally defective scientifically when it comes to the consideration of nutrients, and foods with health benefits
  • Codex’s attempt to harmonize health claims using excessively onerous criteria to support claims which flies in the face of approaches that support the education of consumers in the field of healthy eating and nutritional supplementation
  • Pressure from World Trade Organization (WTO) for countries to harmonize to Codex recommendations, guidelines or standards, or face sanctions which might be sufficient to cripple the economy of smaller countries
The great American Founding Father, and the United States first President, George Washington once said, “Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession.”  
I’ve always admired George.
"If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." Thomas Jefferson (1762-1821), Third President of the USA, author of the Declaration of Independence.

I believe that Mr. Jefferson was a very. wise. man.

You may think that Codex is a harmless or perhaps even a wonderful thing.  That’s your right and I won't insult you for believing that.  I choose to disagree with you. I don’t often trust the UN or the WHO.  My students are encouraged to do their own research and make their own decisions - funny thing is that most of them have already done so....and it is one of the reasons they choose to take my class. Many of them have educated me in areas of Codex. Because you disagreed with me about the dangers of Codex, you chose to assume that my motivation was to use fear because of “greed”.  However, you used nothing but your opinions sandwiched with some assumptions and insults to attack my small advertisement. Back to that Ad Hominem attack thing!
I teach classes.  I do not charge a lot of money  - I hardly think “greed” could be considered my motivation when many others on the fear bandwagon would charge hundreds of dollars for the same presentation.  I don’t pressure people to come. I’m not teaching thousands...I’m teaching small groups occasionally. Although I inform them of my opinions about the possibility of things to come,  I certainly don’t use fear to solicit students.  I also don’t incite fear in my classes.  I’ve never had a student leave unhappy or dissatisfied - in fact most of my students have been referred to me by other satisfied students.
I teach people how to use herbs in their own homes to make simple remedies - just like my great-grandmother did and, depending on your age, perhaps your great-grandmother did also. Just as millions of people continue to do today in Native American communities, third world countries, people here in Appalachia and yes...in the kitchens and homes of people all over this country.
I agree with one thing - you probably wouldn’t enjoy my classes.  You see the world through different eyes and respond in kind.
Sincerely,
Cheri
Tomorrow I'll post a video that I found very interesting.  It is narrated by Judi Dench which makes it a pleasure to listen to because of her lovely accent - it also happens to be filled with facts about Codex.


So....dear students of mine....what do you think about Codex?


Blessings,


6 comments:

  1. Nicely done. I'm pretty sure he'll learn a few things. LOL Now we'll see how much of a man he is by whether he responds with a courteous apology and thankfulness for the time you took to respond and the information you gave him.

    ~Faith

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  2. I can't wait to read his reply.
    While I have never taken one of your classes (it would be a long, long drive as I live North of the 49th!) but I would have to say that after reading your blog - you never fear monger -- you provide facts and offer advice on how to regain skills that many have lost. I wonder what the Dr was a Dr of?

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  3. Cheri,

    Great post and well worth sharing with others who may not read your blog. Do you mind if I post a link to this post on my Facebook page?

    Mary Jo Barlow
    hotfence@gmail.com

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  4. Mary Jo,
    Great idea - feel free! The more people that know the better!
    Cheri

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  5. I just completed Cheri's herb class wherein she taught us how to make teas, infusions, tinctures, oils, compresses, salves, syrup, capsules,and more out of medicinal herbs. She also demonstrated the simple process of making your own colloidal silver. I have also attended her soap-making class. Her purpose for these classes is to share her wealth of knowledge and information gained not only from books and teachings, but also from her years of experience. I try to keep abreast of things that are being discussed in our Congress and I am constantly contacting my legislators to let them know my thoughts on what is in the works. I can tell you that Cheri did not "scare" me into taking her class. I have had an interest in, and have been using herbs for many years in medicine, as well as in cooking. I certainly prefer natural healing as opposed to any synthetic drugs created by the pharmaceutical companies. And what scares me the most is the thoughts of having to eat food from China. We are already being forced to buy only products produced in China, which are of the poorest quality of anything I've ever seen in my life. China has already proven they are interested the the almighty dollar and not in anyone's health. I am thankful that there are people like Cheri who offers her classes and wants to help others in this way. You certainly come away with more information than you pay for!

    Tam Fair
    Greeneville, TN

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  6. Tam!
    Class was so much fun this last weekend. I was so surprised to find this sweet comment - thank you so much. Truthfully, I have as much fun as all of y'all do :) Mind if I put this on my website?
    Blessings,
    Cheri

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