Good to read the truth for once on Prakash's pro-GM Agbio list and of course it was subsequently shown that Genetic ID's tests were absolutely spot on - and those, like AVENTIS, who had sought to smear and dismiss had to shut up - though not all did!
Prof Cummins' references to race are also interesting as it is hard to understand the hate attacks so frequently aimed at GE critical academics like Drs Mae-wan Ho and Vandana Shiva without taking into account some elements of racism and misogyny.
It's an alarming thought that Joe Cummins could be right when he concludes that, "Sadly, the academic society seems to made up, for the most part, of greedy, self serving bigots", but certainly anyone who's tracked the output of the agbio brigade could be forgiven for thinking him entirely justified in that opinion!
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From: AgBioView <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Subject: AGBIOVIEW: "Raw bigotry among pro-GM academics" Subj: Re: AGBIOVIEW: Taco Bell and Genetic ID
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 10:39:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: "jcummins" This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
September 21, 2000
Prof. Joe Cummins
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
"Raw bigotry among pro-GM academics"
Yesterday the Ag Bio View discussion group included a support of the Cryl 9 GM corn in Taco Bell products even though the product was approved for animal but not human use. The support mainly consisted an attack on the character, spiritual beliefs and moral values of the founder of the Genetic ID company that detected the Cryl 9 product in products sold for human consumption.
Not surprisingly, the article failed to mention (actually concealed) the fact that Prof. John Fagan was an outstanding chemistry student at the University of Washington (I taught biology and genetics at that University at that time and was awe struck by his ability). He later was an outstanding graduate student at Cornell and a leading cancer researcher at The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
His religion and personal philosophy should not be an issue, indeed, the Ag Bio View report was simply hate literature.
Recently, I rebuffed a Professor from a major US university for using demeaning racial slurs that effected my family. Such slurs may become the best answer that GM advocates have to evidence that their experiments are dangerous.
Finally, Prof. Trewavas ,of Edinburgh, recently proposed that the US Congress should investigate those who oppose GM foods. Unfortunately, an investigation of that type is likely to engage in smears and focus on religion and race. Sadly, the academic society seems to made up, for the most part, of greedy, self serving bigots.