The internet is full of sites that will help to confirm your own biases many times and trying to figure out what is vetted and what isn’t is really tricky for the majority of folks. That is regardless of anyone’s educational level, especially when it comes down agricultural and food issues.
If you are ever commenting on an article on FB or other social media sites, there are a few cardinal sins of posting links as your evidence.
Cardinal sin number 1: Monsanto
If you ever mention the name in any of your postings, you have automatically shown that you have not done your due diligence in research. You have completely shown where your state of mind is at and this would be a good time to see why. (Be sure to read the links below the posts in RationalWiki and Wikipedia as they are the sources of the statement.) Post anything and put that name there and you have disqualified any and most of your arguments. Someone will be shaking their head reading your comment.
Cardinal sin number 2: Bad links as your evidence
If you don’t want to be mocked, avoid the following sites:
The Organic Consumers’ Association
The Union of Concerned Scientists
Institute for Responsible Technology
If you ever try to use these links as your reasons against GMOs, you will be not take seriously. In fact, that person reading your comments with these links will actually start to get snarky with you for doing so because these are not legitimate sites with actual links to the studies that they use as evidence. If you ever find something on these sites, type in their name and follow it with “debunk” and you will find a completely different side of information. These sites are known offenders of half okole information where they take only part of the actual study and publish what they want for it and never providing the source. That’s the cardinal sin of the A’oles on the social media when it comes down to a debate with a pro-GMO person.
Cardinal Sin number 3: Movies
Another sin of the A’ole GMO club is using movies as your proof of dangers. There are two movies that they love to use as proof which is far from the truth. Don’t want to be mocked? Here’s a helpful list to go by:
Movies are never substitutes for real evidence. If you just watch any of these movies and feel scared, then it has done its job to work on your emotions. That’s the motive of a movie is to get you to feel something and in this case, fear it. So many have been left scared after watching this because majority of the general public have no clue as to what basic genetics really is and these movies prey on that unknown. The more you know (not conspiracies) the less fearful you can be.
Cardinal Sin number 4: Facebook Memes
If you get tidbits of “facts” from a meme and repost what it says, prepare to be barraged by criticism. These nice graphics and short statements provide no data or sources of where they are getting their statement from. Anyone with a bit of photoshopping experience can get a stock photo and put some words on it and voila, you got something to spread around to supposedly educate. These will leave you stuck when you are asked for evidence because you won’t know how to get that evidence. Pictures may tell a thousand words but they can’t give you your evidence. Avoid the memes as your sources of information at all costs. Someone will be pounding their head reading your statements.
The Worse Cardinal Sin of All: Babes Against Biotech & Hawaii GMO Justice Coalition
If you got your information from these folks, that says it all already. You’re done and there’s no hope for you if you are following them. And if you can’t figure out why this is a sin, go back up to the top and start reading what was posted earlier.
“We Love Science!”
It’s interesting how there is a sudden movement by the A’oles to claim that they are scientists and profess out loud their unknown BSc degrees on television. I used to think that A’oles were anti-science but the reality is that they have little to no science and no knowledge of researching what they read and watch. A healthy dose of skepticism would be good but they have a hard time knowing how to be skeptical and lean more towards conspiracy, which is much more seductive. Yes, they can sure Google for “researching” but can’t go beyond that. They have been fear mongered beyond belief that they have gone from being in a fearful state to one of being angry and irrational. It is pretty obvious what state of minds these folks are at when commentaries like this one popping up on the social media.
Related articles
- 1000 Good Reasons to Label GMO Food: A Guide for Politicians (hawaiifarmersdaughter.com)
- Christi A’ole GMO aka Kauai A’ole GMO (nogmomeansnoaloha.com)
- Put Up a Pro GMO Page & They Will Come! (nogmomeansnoaloha.com)
Aole GMO Means Aole Aloha 