Robert Cohen's Hungerstrike ************************** Sunday, November 7 - Day 1 Today begins the first day of my hunger strike. Many people have asked what foods or liquids will go into my mouth. Since this is a hunger strike, the answer is "no food," and let me tell you this, I'm pretty hungry. Right now, I am thinking about an apple I see sitting on my counter. That Macintosh looks delicious, and I am salivating. Salivation is a natural response to a desire for food. I begin my fast with 120 supporters. Five other people have pledged to continue this hunger strike for the "duration." My goals have been clearly stated, but for the purpose of this diary, I shall simply repeat my goal: FDA removes Posilac. The Food & Drug Administration revokes the approval for the cancer-causing, genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Today I began by drinking distilled water. At noon, I faced my first challenge-a little hill that I climb. Its name is prune juice. After running over the hill, I am certain to get the "runs." ______________________________________________________ I am now writing five hours after drinking a 32-ounce container of prune juice. My 5-minute intervals to the toilet have now decreased to once every 20 minutes as the natural colonic frees my GI tract of previous meals. I am hungry but the distilled water is filling. I have tremendous energy and intensity of thought. I intend to go to bed early this evening and will try not to imagine visions of sugarplums and tofu. ************************** Monday, November 8 - Day 2 I woke up today feeling no hunger and feeling refreshed. My normal morning routine includes a trip to the bathroom. A gallon of distilled water passes its therapeutic journey through my body but there was little or nothing of any digested food. I began my day and will continue to do so throughout this hunger strike with the fresh juice of a whole lemon in a tall glass of distilled water. I am not in this hunger strike to make a two-week statement and then die. I will remain alert and be filled with energy as a result of drinking fresh juice. However, I will limit what I ingest to only that amount of juice that is necessary to continue neural and cellular functioning. While humans do not eat grass, I have chosen the juice of one substance that provides more nutrition than any other food on planet.. Earth-wheat grass. The juice from wheat grass is life, and I intend to visit my local health food store and drink one ounce of this sustaining substance each day in addition to the distilled water. In 1930, the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to Dr. Hans Fischer who noted that chlorophyll and blood hemoglobin are nearly identical. The major difference is in the center atom. Chlorophyll contains as its center atom magnesium while hemoglobin has as its center atom iron. This one ounce a day will sustain me as it has many others on similar fasts. Today I had to deal with a dilemma. Many husbands and wives have signed pledges to fast for at least one day. My wife, Lisa, has also offered to do so. She has mixed feelings about my hunger strike. On one hand, the insurance money would be real nice should FDA decide not to revoke the use of the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH). On the other hand, my wife pointed out to me that Jennifer (14), Sarah (13), and Elizabeth (10) need a father and she needs a husband and they cannot support my decision which will lead me to a point in time, in the not so far future, when I look death in the face. The most pleasant and unpleasant aspects of a hunger strike are the changes that occur within the body. On one hand, I will cleanse my system and rid myself of diseased and not-so-needed layers of fat. On the other hand, my intestinal tract will be the depository for the by- product resulting from cellular metabolism of fat cells. How do I get rid of this gunk? The answer is in using daily enemas. Not a pleasant thought, but an absolute necessity for a hunger striker. Should I simply experience a hunger strike on just plain water with no enemas, I will shortly be bedridden and become too ill to communicate with the press. Our chances of victory are made greater by my ability to remain alert and to travel to various audiences. My pledge, I will not eat until Monsanto's poison is taken out of our food. *************************** Tuesday, November 9 - Day 3 I started my day with my usual glass of lemon juice in freshly distilled water. I feel stronger and more alert than I did yesterday and am highly motivated to begin today's work. The first thing on my schedule is a visit to my physician, David Goldstein, MD, a personal friend and gastroenterologist. Dr. Goldstein will give me a physical and draw blood samples so as to monitor my entire physiology during the duration of this fast. On the way back from his office, I will stop at my local health food store for my first one-ounce shot of wheat grass juice. (I hate the taste of this stuff, but it will sustain me as my body loses one pound per day for the next 100 days.) I have been reading books and searching the Internet for information about fasting. I will look in the book section of my health food store for additional information regarding fasting. ****************************** Wednesday, November 10 - Day 4 Today I received a letter from Scott Campbell who subscribes to an Internet talk group. He was actually admonishing many of the members of the group who were urging me not to continue my hunger strike because I'd be better alive than dead. Scott wrote: "Is this really necessary? This isn't the message we need to be sending Robert right now. It's fine what you think, but by telling him he's going to die and filling him with the dismay that people who share his ideals don't have faith in him does not help anyone." I responded to his letter: "Dear Scott, I want your support! I welcome your doubts! I admire your passions!!! Every comment fuels me. Those who begin hunger strikes hope for tremendous publicity. They sacrifice their health with expectations that those who run things be connected to the universal wisdom associated with their goal and cause. Yesterday, my doctor drew blood and suggested that he also do a physical. I agreed and we set the appointment for next Monday. On the way out, we shook hands goodbye and I asked, "Why am I taking a physical? I am fasting to the death." He smiled. I loved his response. "It's for my benefit," he said. This physician is a friend and I suggested he prepare a waiver for me absolving him of any responsibility for my physical well being as a result of my hunger strike." Today I am comfortable in saying that I am prepared to go the distance. I really cannot understand what the distance is and will only learn the power and strength of my will when I am within view of the finish line. This is the 4th day of my hunger strike and my 4th diary entry. I have made a vow to carefully reassess what I am doing on my next birthday, which works out to be the 114th day of my hunger strike. :>) *********************************** Thursday, November 11, 1999 - Day 5 Ignorance can last for an eternity while truth sometimes appears for just a moment in time; denial of truth can go on for a lifetime. Today is the fifth day of my hunger strike and I have learned a truth about my body that I have previously denied. Fasting is a healing process and as one's body cleanses itself, one becomes aware of each bone and muscle and organ. For the past year, I have had a right knee that screamed out to me every time I climbed the stairway. I have taken medication and seen doctors and have done all that I can through traditional medicine to identify and cure this ailment. Fasting has done that for me. It is said that nature's glues do not do well for the human body. Casein in milk is a tenacious glue, and I had eliminated that from my diet. However, I continued to eat bread. Wheat protein is gluten. The name alone should have told me something. I have removed the gluten from my system and the pain in my knee has miraculously disappeared. I feel strong in this fast. I have been drinking distilled water with lemon juice and my mind is alert and I am filled with energy. This week I plan to continue my intake of water and will be introducing one ounce of wheat grass juice into my daily regimen. I am my way now to a health food store to buy whole wheat berries that I will be sprouting and growing for that purpose. Next week presents many opportunities. On Thursday, November 18, I will be in Chicago to make a statement before the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the labeling of foods containing genetically engineered products. The following day, I will be in Rockville, Maryland at FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine to meet with scientists and present my petition to revoke rbGH from the market. ********************************* Friday, November 12, 1999 - Day 6 Today is Day 6 of my hunger strike. I have been reading and learning and talking to experienced fasters, coaches, and health professionals. It is important that I remain in complete control of my sensibilities. Therefore, I will soon begin to drink one ounce of wheat grass juice each day. Yesterday morning I visited a health food store and purchased a one-pound package of organic wheat berries. I also visited a local nursery and bought a 40-pound bag of dirt. Somebody will tell me whether it was Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer who tricked his friends into whitewashing the fence for him. I forget. I took inspiration by this story and got my youngest daughter, Elizabeth, to layer the dirt in trays, plant the seeds, cover them with another layer of dirt, and then water them. In a week I shall have fresh wheat grass to put into my juicer. We are now printing thousands of bumper stickers, and enlisting the aid of volunteers to place those stickers on cars, signs, and lampposts. If you would like some stickers, please contact us the Dairy Education Board at 201-871-5871. The stickers are free but we happily accept donations to cover their cost. On Thursday of next week, I travel to Chicago where I will be commenting before the FDA commissioner on labeling laws and policy regarding bioengineered foods. Donna Shalala, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has said that, "FDA makes sure that our food supply is among the safest in the world. Some consumers have concerns about the use of this technology in foods, and we need to ask why these concerns exist and how we can address them." I will be appearing before the new FDA commissioner, Jane Henney, MD. Dr. Henney was not the commissioner of FDA when rbGH was approved. She has written, "Our scientists are not aware of any reason to question the safety of currently marketed foods produced through genetic engineering." I will be giving the Commissioner reason to be very concerned. ***************************** Saturday, November 13 - Day 7 Today is the 7th day of my hunger strike. It has been a pretty lousy week for the dairy industry. Traditionally, the dairy farmer has gotten about $14 for every hundredweight (100 pounds) of milk he or she produces. That price jumped to nearly $20 last year and was $15 and change last week. The bad news hit hard. On Monday, the price of milk fell $4.77 to just over $11. Last summer, the dairy industry closed in Belgium for a month, and there was a panic at the supermarkets because unsafe levels of dioxins were found in their milk supply. This week, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream was tested and 200 times the safe level of dioxins were found. Every week new studies pound additional nails into the dairy industry's coffin. Milk hormones will be the story to link one millennium to another. Congress already has a bill that is seeking to label genetically engineered foods. As we end this millennium and begin another, you who have pledged your support and have joined me on this hunger strike do so for all of humanity. We will win and help all people discover the fountain of youth. *************************** Sunday, November 14 - Day 8 Today is the 8th day of my hunger strike. I have been continuing a dialogue with Neal Barnard, founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Dr. Barnard has been saying for many years that milk and dairy products are inappropriate for humans. This past week, I have agreed to join PCRM in a suit against the Food & Drug Administration to revise the current dietary guidelines for Americans and to shatter USDA's Food Pyramid and encourage healthy diets for all Americans. PCRM is seeking additional plaintiffs, and I urge you to join this suit. You will not incur any financial responsibility by becoming a plaintiff, but your voice can make a difference. If you would like to join PCRM and myself in the suit, please call or e-mail Tracye McQuirter. Her e-mail address is tmcquirter@PCRM.org or call her at 202-686-2210. Today, I made potassium broth that will insure that my cellular electrolyte fluids remain in balance. I will drink one 12-ounce glass per day of this filtered mineral-rich liquid. To a pot of water, I added a sliced potato, carrot, onion, celery, and beet. I boiled the vegetables for 30 minutes and strained the liquid. *************************** Monday, November 15 - Day 9 Today is Day 9 of my hunger strike. I have gained inspiration from the exploits of those men and women who have climbed Mount Everest. These past two weeks, I have read three books dealing with the subject of the 1996 ascent in which nine climbers died. Many people have asked why I wish to continue the hunger strike and what this protest means to me. One man who climbed Everest, Tom Whittaker, said, "Everest for me, and I believe for the world, is the physical and symbolic manifestation of overcoming odds to achieve a dream." Others have added their words of wisdom, which parallel the journey that many of us have chosen to take. "Everest is a matter of universal human endeavor, a cause from which there is no withdrawal, whatever loses it may demand" -G.O. Dyrenfurth "Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the willpower that is the most important. This willpower you cannot buy with money or be given by others...it rises from your heart." -Junko Tabei, after becoming the first woman to climb Everest. My wife, children, family, and friends have called me "crazy," and look to a time in the future when this hunger strike may very well take its toll on my health and safety. One of the greatest climbers who lived and died on that mountain, Rob Hall, uttered his last words via satellite radio phone to his pregnant wife in New Zealand as he lay dying: "Hey, look, don't worry too much about me." The great Austrian climber, Reinhold Messner, said, "I am nothing more than a single narrow gasping lung, floating over the mists and summits." Substitute the word "voice" for "lung" and Messner's words aptly describe the spiritual feeling that overtakes one after a week of having no food in his body. The most famous of quotes associated with the great mountain was made by George Mallory, a man who died in his attempt to scale the summit. His body remains on the mountain. Mallory was asked, "Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?" We have been asked, "What purpose is served in continuing a hunger strike when Monsanto's hormone will never be taken off the market?" We believe that FDA will revoke the use of Posilac. We climb our mountain for the same reason that Mallory climbed his: "Because it is there." ***************************** Tuesday, November 16 - Day 10 Today is Day 10 of my hunger strike. Many people are not aware that after climbing Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary built a hospital, schools, and an airport for the Sherpa people. Thanks to Beverly McManus who sent us Sir Edmund Hillary's favorite quote attributed to Germany's most famous writer, Goethe: "Concerning all acts of initiative and creation there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise not have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, do it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now." Good news comes in bunches and today is no exception. First, I received my copy of the November issue of Milkweed, a dairy industry newsletter. In that issue is news of the hunger strike. Columnist Pete Hardin writes, "Cohen's hunger strike is a device to gain attention to his cause. Many in dairy hate the guy. Over time, has Cohen harmed dairy more than Monsanto's biotech hormone? That jury's out." The second piece of good news is that WABC-TV in New York has been promoting my appearance on tonight's 11:00 news. I have even had people call me to tell me that they've heard radio spots. The third piece of good news is a story in today's Bergen Record newspaper, the third largest newspaper in the New York metropolitan area. BERGEN RECORD - Tuesday, November 16, 1999 Can the evils of seduction be tied to milk mustache? Ripper: Have you ever heard of a thing called fluoridation? Fluoridation of water? Mandrake: Ah, yes, I have heard of that, Jack, yes. Ripper: Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face? From the film "Dr. Strangelove" By SEAMUS McGRAW Staff Writer We now have Oradell real estate developer Robert Cohen to thank for bringing to light yet another insidious plot. Cohen for years has waged a lonely battle against what he calls the evils of milk, alleging it is the agent behind such maladies as breast and prostate cancers. But he made a startling discovery recently. The cartel that produces and promotes milk, Cohen claims, is leading teenage boys to seduce, or be seduced by, their teachers. His proof is an advertisement run by the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, the folks behind the "milk mustache" campaign. The ad in question features hunky teen idol Joshua Jackson of television's "Dawson's Creek" and follows an episode in which his character, Pacey Witter, has a sexual relationship with his high-school teacher. It shows Jackson sporting a milk mustache and bears the caption: I can't help it. Women of all ages look up to me. Why? I'm 6 foot 2. Thanks in part to milk. The calcium helps bones grow strong. Considering 15% of your adult height is added when you're a teenager, that's good to know. Especially if you want to impress, let's say, an older woman. Seems harmless enough. Although he plays a 16-year-old on television, Jackson in real life is well past the age of majority, his show's publicist says. He legally can flex his buff body at women from any demographic group the advertiser chooses. But Cohen says that's beside the point. He calls the dairy industry's ad an attempt to seduce teens into a world of depravity and dissolution. Cohen draws direct connections to high-profile, real-life instances -- among them, the case of statutory rapist Mary Kay Letourneau, who gave birth to two children fathered by a 13-year-old student of hers. He also sees the seeds in an incident last month in which a 24-year-old assistant teacher at a private high school in Englewood was charged with having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student. Never mind that Letourneau's case occurred before the ad in question ever appeared. Forget the fact that there is no evidence that the 17-year-old in the Englewood case ever saw it. Cohen is convinced that the ad at least is partly to blame for the boys' trysts with older women. "Like Eve offering the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge to Adam, the dairy industry's search for knowledge has become an enticement for children of all ages to have sex with their teachers," he says. "Wear a milk mustache like the star of 'Dawson's Creek.' Have sex with an older teacher like the star of 'Dawson's Creek."' Cohen is actively promoting his cause on his Web site, along with a letter on the subject from Cardinal John O'Connor, the archbishop of New York. In his letter, the cardinal says up front that he's never seen the TV series or the ad. But he says that, based on Cohen's description of both, it seems "another example of the misuse of media and its harmful effect on our young people." Representatives of the milk mustache campaign dismiss Cohen's frothy accusations as nothing more than the rantings of someone who has given new meaning to the phrase "lactose intolerant." "Every day of the year this guy comes up with some ridiculous thing," said Susan Ruland, the executive vice president in charge of the campaign. Recently, she noted, Cohen suggested that the milk mustache campaign was promoting obesity and other physical problems in an ad featuring Curly Howard from The Three Stooges. "It's not only ridiculous, it's old, coming from this source," Ruland said. "He's tried to think up the most outrageous thing he can. "But it's a free world." Julie Kingsdale, publicist for "Dawson's Creek," notes that in the series, Jackson's older lover suffered humiliation, lost her job, and had to leave town, hardly a ringing endorsement for cross-generational coupling. But perhaps the most stinging challenge to Cohen's allegations comes from a guy who, to some degree, sees some merit in them. To Bergen County Prosecutor William H. Schmidt, Cohen's insistence on blaming an advertising campaign for an offense as insidious as the sexual abuse of young males by older women trivializes a very real crime. In New Jersey, he says, law enforcement officials have long "recognized that when a woman has a sexual relationship with a male who is much younger, it is just as much of a crime as when it happens between a man and a young girl. It's just as prohibited." Society still has a tendency to look the other way when the victim is a boy, viewing the relationship as "sort of a macho thing," he says. But the long-term damage to a boy in such a relationship is real, he says. The "boys will be boys" attitude is latently sexist, Schmidt says. Unfortunately, however, Cohen's crusade probably will succeed only in milking the issue for a few giggles, he said. All the same, I'm still going to take my coffee black. ******************************* Wednesday, November 17 - Day 11 Today is Day 11 of my hunger strike. Andy Warhol said that every person gets 15 minutes of fame. Well, last night, I got 20 seconds on ABC News in New York. Reporter Diana Williams did a story on early sexual onset in young girls. Here is how my part went: Diana Williams pushed a shopping cart with a carton of milk in it down a supermarket aisle and said, "Robert Cohen, an anti-milk activist, believes that children should stop drinking milk." From the original one-hour interview taped in my office, a 20-second segment is what they chose to air. I said: "Got hormones? Every sip of milk has estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, prolactin, melotonin-we're talking about powerful hormones. These are responsible for early onset." Diana Williams then spoke. She said: "Hormones naturally occur in milk, but some are added. Five years ago, the FDA gave dairy farmers the go-ahead to inject cows with the bovine growth hormone to increase milk production, but the dairy industry says it is a myth that it has any effect on milk drinkers." ABC-TV then interviewed Dr. Greg Miller, the highest-ranking executive in the milk industry. Miller said: "When you drink a glass of milk, the levels in there are so low, relative to what we have naturally in our body, it's like spitting in the ocean. It's not even detectable." I've got some very bad news for Dr. Miller, for the dairy industry, for Monsanto, and for the Food & Drug Administration. The reality of Dr. Miller's "spit in the ocean" comment is this: the October 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association revealed that the levels of IGF-I increase by a factor of 10% in the blood serum of those who drink milk. If we added 10% to the volume of water in our oceans, the only survivors would be those prudent enough to build an ark. Perhaps that is our future with genetic engineering. ****************************** Thursday, November 18 - Day 12 Today is the 12th day of my hunger strike and I am writing this in Chicago. Soon, I will get on a plane that will take me back to New Jersey. Tonight I land at Newark Airport and immediately go to the Middletown (NJ) School District where I will speak about the ill effects of milk and dairy products. From there, I drive to a hotel room where I'll be lucky to get a few hours of sleep. I'll continue on to Rockville, Maryland before the sun rises, and will meet with scientists at the Center for Veterinary Medicine, FDA's investigative research center. Tomorrow, I will give an uninterrupted two-hour presentation. Today's session, however, is an insult to all Americans. This was a filibuster by those people whose agenda it is to promote genetic engineering. The entire morning has been taken up by rhetoric that we have heard before. This is why America has lost faith in the FDA and is skeptical of anything coming out of that office. The panel participants are "plants" whose roots have been nourished and fed by Monsanto's fertilizer. I will be recording my testimony and have it for you tomorrow. However, let me make one comment that you will probably not get to see. There are a dozen television cameras at the back of the room. Every network is represented. Runners will take the morning tape and get it into editing so that today's events are on tonight's news. Our testimony has been pushed off until late in the day, and FDA's pretense at openness has, in effect, become an exercise in self-gratification and self-abuse. **************************** Friday, November 19 - Day 13 On Thursday, the Food & Drug Administration delivered an enormous insult to Americans. We were invited to participate in a process that will determine whether foods containing genetically modified organisms be labeled as such. FDA took one day and one venue and stacked the deck against our freedom to relate our concerns. Instead of allowing a reasonable amount of time for each person to speak, FDA limited each speaker to two minutes. The event was covered by America's media who taped the entire morning's events, which included statements of support for biotechnology by FDA employees and Monsanto supporters. It is little wonder that the press did not return after lunch, having had more than their fill of boring speeches, statements, and propaganda. While pretending to offer the opportunity for dissent, FDA severely limited our freedom of speech. My testimony and the entire testimony of 84 other motivated individuals will be available on FDA's website one week from today (www.fda.gov). I sat through panel discussions from biotech representatives who have stakes in genetic engineering. The rhetoric from these biased speakers of falsehoods attacked critics of genetic engineering who have, in their words, "no real scientific facts." When it came time to make my presentation, I addressed the FDA commissioner and members of her staff: "You want real science? I'm here to give you real science! The greatest controversy in FDA history was the approval process for Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. FDA, for the first time, published something in a peer-reviewed scientific journal-Science (August 24, 1990)." I'm not going to reproduce the entire transcript here, but I made the key point about how genetic engineering does not work and how the system is flawed. I pointed out the little known fact that Monsanto created a "freak" amino acid when they incorrectly transcribed the bovine growth hormone. Laboratory animals developed cancers and rbGh-treated cows birthed calves with genetic deformities, and Monsanto never told FDA of this error. Their error was more than one of omission. Their act was an utter disregard and contempt for the rights of American consumers. That act of intentional omission should be considered a criminal action. Those who are in power to accurately judge Monsanto will one day, in the very near future, determine, not only Monsanto's fate, but also the fate of genetic engineering. On this day, I will meet with a team of FDA administrators at the Center for Veterinary Medicine in Rockville, Maryland. Tomorrow, I will let you know what happened at that meeting. ****************************** Saturday, November 20 - Day 14 On Day 14 of my hunger strike, I was in Cincinnati. There I met with members of EarthSave International, an organization founded by John Robbins. John's book, "Diet for a New America," has been more than an inspiration to millions of Americans. John's work is promoted by EarthSave's 50 chapters and tens of thousands of members. I lectured at the University of Cincinnati before a large and enthusiastic crowd, and did a number of radio and newspaper interviews that should continue to bring health and healing to people. I also did a book signing in a Barnes & Noble in Cincinnati, and was delighted to have Jane Heimlich visit to give me support for my continued hunger strike. I was driven all over town by Cincinnati EarthSave president Melissa Fannon. I was guest at the home of Linda and Ron Richardson. Linda rescues animals and her home is home to seven cats and four dogs. I awoke at 4:00 AM and went to the living room couch to catch up on my reading, which I found to be nearly impossible. Seven cats licked and snuggled and gently walked over me on "little fog's feet." **************************** Sunday, November 21 - Day 15 Sunday was Day 15 of my hunger strike. On Sunday, I was driven to the Blue Grass state where I was the guest speaker at the turkeyless Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the Lexington, Kentucky chapter of EarthSave International. My daughter Elizabeth accompanied me on my weekend trip, and we devised a very special way to communicate. The meal was a potluck dinner that included a most incredible variety of gourmet vegetarian dishes. Elizabeth would hold up a piece of sushi and say, "Taste this, Dad." As she did, I remembered the taste and texture of rice with pickled vegetables surrounded by nori. She would dip the sushi into shoyu and place a piece of pickled ginger into her mouth. I would take pleasure in each bite. She tasted the curried lentils and the vegan lasagna and the sesame noodles, but her greatest joy came with her slice of milk-free pumpkin pie. With each taste, Lizzy shared the moment and used every bit of ESP-sending ability to deliver her pleasure to my tastebuds. I spoke to the group of about 200 diners and received a very warm and enthusiastic reception to my message. Many in that crowd have agreed to support our hunger strike for a day or longer, and I love them for it. Lexington EarthSave president Terri Fann set Lizzy and I up at the home of her father and mother, Bert and Linne Doyne, and we were treated like royalty. **************************** Monday, November 22 - Day 16 Today was Day 16 of my hunger strike. I left Lexington early and learned the meaning of the word "fog" as it relates to the word "airport." Elizabeth and I exhausted every opportunity to explore Lexington's gateway to the world. We met a woman at the airport who is a marathon runner with asthma. Lizzy helped me explain to her that the mucus one gets from cheese and milk is an internal fog that "lifts" about one week after giving up all dairy products. Thank goodness Newark Airport's fog lifted in only three hours. We arrived home and I downloaded approximately 2600 e-mail messages, which kept me busy long into the night. Forgive me if I haven't answered yours, but, as you can imagine, things are quite busy. My parents live in the same town as I do and I went over to drop off a few things. If you are lucky enough to have a Jewish mother, you'll enjoy the following interaction that I had with my mom. We saw each other for the first time in a week, kissed, and my mother asked, "Are you coming for Thanksgiving?" I said, "Of course." She asked, "What can I make for you?" I said, "Ma, this is a hunger strike, I'm not eating." Her response was, "How long is this hunger strike going to last?" I said, "It's going to last until I die, Mom." She looked at me with her "I know you're making fun of me" look on her face and asked, "I'll make you some vegetables?" "No, Mom." "You've got to eat something, Robert, or you'll starve." "That's the point, Mom. Gandhi went on hunger strikes and changed the world. So will I." "You're not Gandhi, you got to eat something," she said. "Thank you, Mom. See you on Thanksgiving. Bye." And with that, I went home, went to bed, and as I write this, it is Tuesday morning and I am ready to change the world. ***************************** Tuesday, November 23 - Day 17 Today is the 17th day of my hunger strike and I have three radio shows and an appointment with a major New York City television news show. Last Thursday's appearance before FDA was well reported in the Chicago area, but received little or no press attention in New York. Quite frankly, I went to Chicago hoping that things had changed with the new FDA commissioner. They have not. The FDA presentation and panel discussions were a sham designed so that America's press received heavy doses of brainwashing in the morning with little or no dissent. The room was intimidating with a strong presence of Secret Service agents rimming the perimeter. FDA and panelists sat on a raised dais, and the first three rows of the audience were reserved for FDA employees, not guests. We were separated from FDA by a rope. At one point, FDA presented a slide show of the basics of biotechnology. We 85 who came to speak in Chicago were well versed in the issues, and the slide show was a stalling technique that kept our comments down to two minutes each. At one point, the FDA lecturer could not get anyone to shut off the lights, and a thirty-second delay grew into a minute while the presenter struggled. He again asked if anybody could flip off the switch, and I took that moment to express myself. I turned around and yelled to the crowd, "Let Monsanto turn off the lights. They know the right buttons to push." The crowd laughed and applauded. I was given the opportunity to be the first person to speak after lunch. I should have spoken before lunch. After lunch, the press left. The room was not very well attended. I walked out of the room to catch a flight back to New Jersey and prepared my mind for Friday's meeting with the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), FDA's investigative branch. CVM approved Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH) in 1994. I drove five hours from my home to the CVM for 10:30 AM meeting. I was surprised to recognize Kimberly Gorall in the lobby. Actually, she noticed me. Kimberly is also on a long-term hunger strike and this is also her 17th day. She drove down from Rochester, New York and became the note-taker at our meeting. Kimberly incorrectly assumed that my session with FDA was a public hearing. I am fortunate to have had Kimberly there because she ended up being a witness to the two-hour hearing and a very good note-taker. These are the four FDA representatives at that meeting: Dr. Andrew Beaulieu, Deputy Center Director; Dr. Claire Lathers, Director of New Animal Drug Evaluation; Dr. Linda Tollefson, Director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance; and Dr. Marcia Larkins, CVM Ombudsman. I feel that all of the issues and reasons for this hunger strike were clearly and completely communicated to these four FDA employees. I also feel that there is no way that Monsanto's hormone will remain on the market. We protest with science as our tool and evidence, not emotion. We are dedicated to complete our mission. We trust that these four individuals will recognize their mission and fiduciary to the American people. ******************************* Wednesday, November 24 - Day 18 Today is Day 18 of my hunger strike. Tomorrow is the day of giving thanks. I'd like all of those who read this to take a moment during your Thanksgiving meal and reflect upon why we do the things we do. I am motivated to seek the health and safety of my children and your children. When I see a sick child, I do all I can to become an advocate for that child. Nothing will ever deter me from that course. Five days ago, I attended a session at the Center for Veterinary Medicine and presented my argument for revoking Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone from the market. Kimberly Gorall took notes of my presentation and FDA's responses. It is a luxury having the gift of an eyewitness reporter, and I now reproduce her notes for you. My presentation began and I said that there was an "open door policy between FDA and Monsanto and that is the public's perception." Furthermore, I said that "Monsanto's experiments were poor science and FDA accepted them. Monsanto lied and defrauded the FDA." The major part of my presentation revealed that "Monsanto acknowledged the creation of a 'freak amino acid' in an obscure British journal. The reason to take the drug off the market is that the hormone that is on the market today is not the one that was approved." I also discussed scientific evidence and reason for concern. After cows are injected with rbGH, levels of IGF-I in their milk increase by about 80%. I gave FDA studies from peer-reviewed scientific journals indicating that IGF-I has been named as a key factor in breast, prostate, and lung cancers. I also furnished a study revealing that IGF-I levels increase by a factor of 10% in people who drink milk. I also discussed mandatory labeling of food products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Dr. Tollefson, Director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance, asked, "How would you insure compliance with mandatory labeling?" My response was that it is up to FDA to find those who don't comply. Dr. Beaulieu, Deputy Center Director, asked, "Where do you think you'll ultimately go with the milk argument?" I went into about a sixty-minute discourse consisting of studies indicating that bovine proteins have allergenic effects on humans, and that bovine hormones survive digestion. Beaulieu asked, "How is it that mammals have evolved in the presence of this substance?" I responded, "Milk is nature's perfect food for infants and there is a different formula for every species. One should not drink milk from another animal and certainly not as an adult." Beaulieu then asked, "What about meat?" I responded, "IGF-I is in meat but gastric acidity breaks down proteins in meat. Milk buffers gastric pH." Tollefson asked, "What about products other than fluid milk?" I responded, "Those hormones are very powerful and casein is a tenacious glue and very allergenic." Beaulieu asked, "Would milk from rbGH-treated cows qualify for this label? The milk itself is not genetically engineered." I responded, "Of course, it would, as would all cheese and ice cream." Beaulieu then asked, " Would you call biotech-created insulin genetically engineered?" I responded, "I love genetic engineering, I don't love mistakes." Beaulieu asked, "What's the purpose of the hunger strike? To get rbGH off the market?" I responded, "Yes, and I don't want to die. I don't question your right to put things on the market. I just want the right to know what I am eating." Dr. Lathers, Director of New Animal Drug Evaluation, asked, "What are you seeking from us?" I responded, " Let's explore a process in which everyone wins." I do not hate Monsanto and I have no fear of biotechnology. When mankind makes errors, we must correct them. To not do so is to not act as a fiduciary. When we betray people, we commit a crime. Monsanto betrayed FDA and, in doing so, betrayed all Americans, and their drug must be immediately removed from the market. That is why I and nearly 200 other people are fasting for one day or longer. I hope that you hear us and fairly examine our petition. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and say a prayer for those who continue to consume the genetically engineered and unlabeled poison. ****************************** Thursday, November 25 - Day 19 Today is the nineteenth day of my hunger strike. Happy Thanksgiving! Let us give thanks! Here's to the Pilgrims, who stole the seed corn from the Abenaki Indians as they sailed up the coast towards their Plymouth Rock landing. Here's to the 15 Pilgrim mothers who died the first winter because the 100 Mayflower Pilgrims were forced to sell their food, 4000 pounds of butter before leaving England. (Fifteen out of eighteen married women died, while only one out of eight single women died). Here's to Miles Standish, who married one of the single women a few months after his wife's death! Here's to thousands of Wampaunoag Indians who fell in love with rancid butter at the first Thanksiving feast, and then died of Yersinia bacterium (bubonic plague). Yersina is one of many bacteria found in today's milk. Here's to all of you who eat turkey, thankful that somebody other than you has what it takes to slice through the throat of the bird you eat. Here's to the bird herself, whose life and painful death brings you indigestion and extra weight. Here's to the glass of milk you drink with your apple pie and the Tums you take for the inevitable upset tummy. Here's to one hundred and eighty people who have fasted for at least one day in support of our protest. Here's to the ten people who are fasting long-term. Here's to the FDA, who have given all of us an enormous gift...I will tell you all a BIG SURPRISE on Monday. Each day we accomplish something, and that becomes a tiny step towards changing the world for the better. One-hundred tiny steps add up to a giant stride for mankind. FDA has done something wonderful, but I must keep the secret, as promised, until Monday evening. At that time, in my journal entry, I will reveal some very exciting news! Here's to you and your loved ones: Happy Thanksgiving! **************************** Friday, November 26 - Day 20 Today is the twentieth day of my hunger strike. I harvested the wheat grass that I started a few weeks ago...about eight inches tall! I wish that I had a wheat grass juicer...my Acme juicer was a bit inefficient. I juiced the greens and got about 1/2 ounce. I ran the pulp through the machine for a second, then third time. I managed to squeeze out one full ounce of juice which went into a shot-glass. Remembering the tequila-drinking days of my youth, I quickly downed the dark green fluid. WOW! That was intense...a real brain cleanser. Anyway...I treated myself to a movie this evening, INSIDE JOHN MALKOVICH. There was one scene in this brillantly written movie, in which J.M. enters the portal to his own brain. This was easily the funniest thing I have ever seen...There was a moment in which I was laughing so hard, that I entered my own body...felt my heart beating and brain throbbing...everything moved in slow motion. Does a 20 day hunger strike make one more aware of his senses? I smell perfume from long distances and know meat eaters by their scent. I am more aware of whispers and my hearing has become sharper. All senses are keener, and I have more energy than when I was eating. Rather than suffer from discomfort, I enjoy the unique perspectives coming to me. I feel that I can travel outside of my body. Those who have experienced what I am now experiencing also report a sharpening of the senses...a keenness of sight and vision and hearing... This unexpected gift is more than spiritual... I feel so very alive! ****************************** Saturday, November 27 - Day 21 Today is the twenty-first day of my hunger strike. I have received a wonderful response to my appeal for you to fast for one day or more and support our hunger strike. Ultimately, my wish is to present thousands of supporting names to FDA. The genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH) should immediately be taken off of the market. Monsanto tricked the FDA. They have a completely different drug on the market than the one that FDA approved. They changed the formula and did not tell FDA. Never before has an insult like this occurred. Monsanto should be fined and their executives jailed. Laboratory animals got cancer from this hormone (Richard, Odaglia and Deslex study) and FDA should act immediately to revoke rbGH. AMERICA has been betrayed. FDA must immediately act. As each day passes, and rbGH remains on the market, the MONSANTO lie continues. Many of you have asked: What can I do to make a difference? 1) Join us for a fast of one day or more! 2) Send the HUNGERSTRIKE.COM link around the world! 3) FAX a letter to the FDA! 4) Alert your local media! We have before FDA a petition seeking the removal of the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. The Deputy Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine is Andy Beaulieu, MD. Dr. Beaulieu has the petition to revoke Monsanto's hormone. Send a letter to Dr. Beaulieu. Your letter becomes a permanent part of FDA'S file. His fax number is: 301-594-1830. The petition number is 99P-4613. **************************** Sunday, November 28 - Day 22 Today is the twenty-second day of my hunger strike. In tomorrow's journal entry I will reveal an exciting secret. I have promised to wait until Monday... you will understand tomorrow. Today I discovered the essence of an apple. How much we take for granted that very special fruit. I bought a bushel of apples... Winesaps and Cortlands, Maintosh and Delicious, Gala and Granny Smith. I washed them and quartered the fruit and ran them through my juicer. Oh, the bouquet that filled my kitchen. I strained any residual pulp and took a sip of fresh apple cider. Heaven. Boiled apple juice is an insult to the apple's wonderful nectar. Pasteurized apple cider sold in supermarkets is a crime against Mother Nature's gift. Apple cider, freshly made, is filled with live enzymes and nutients. One can taste the life! I drank the juice... no, I ate the juice, keeping each mouthful in my mouth... imagining the life-sustaining compounds to be absorbed into my cheeks. The tastebuds of my tongue were alive. I swallowed, and delighted in the smell and taste of this sweet liquid. I made a gallon of fresh cider in the afternoon. In the evening, I juiced one bag of fresh cranberries... brain food, say the juice books. Mixing the apple and cranberry juices togther, that became my dinner. I fast, and continue to burn away fat cells and protein. The juice will keep my brain strong, and allow me to reason. I will not be confined to a bed. This hunger strike may not be so, in the strict sense of the word. I produce juice, therefore I am. Would Gandhi have done the same if he had access to Juiceman infomercials? Perhaps... Tomorrow I prepare for my Washington adventure. More tomorrow. **************************** Monday, November 29 - Day 23 Today is the 23rd day of my hunger strike. I promised you a major announcement on this day and I'll give it to you at the end of this column. First, I'd like to tell you about a magazine that I subscribe to called "American Dairy Farmer." The November issue just arrived at my house, and I am stunned by what I read. The headline of the front page story is "Holiday Butter Prices to Benefit Consumers." The headline appears next to a picture of an obese dairy farmer, wearing a plaid shirt and a big smile. Last year, the wholesale price of butter reached $2.81 a pound and now the price is under $1.00. The dairy industry has been brainwashing the American public with their unhealthy milk mustache campaign and now they're attempting to brainwash their own readers into believing that things are rosier than they really are. Demand for milk continues to plummet. That was reflected a few weeks ago when the wholesale price of milk that farmers were receiving (for 100 pounds of liquid milk) fell from $16.49 to $11.72. The front page of this magazine also includes an advertisement from a company that sells organically grown garlic, which is used as a natural antibiotic for cows. In the ad, a farmer claims that the somatic cell count (number of pus cells in one quart of milk) has been reduced from 600 million to 180 million in just four months. A page three story reveals that the milk processors will be funding a new $180 million television ad campaign geared to children ages 6 to 11. Now for the very big news that I promised you last week. I have been asked to keep the secret by top level administrators at the Food & Drug Administration. On Thursday, November 18, I was in Chicago testifying before the FDA's Biotechnology and Food Labeling Committee. I was angry and offended by the entire process. The morning was spent listening to a panel discussion, and the panel unfairly represented the issues. Many of the panel members had relationships with Monsanto. A few times I was so incensed that I left my chair and walked out of the auditorium. The following day at the Center for Veterinary Medicine, I spent two hours presenting the science behind my petition to revoke the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone to FDA scientists and administrators. On Monday of last week, I returned home and spent the entire day calling and criticizing FDA personnel for the extremely biased treatment that was given to America on that day in Chicago. I spoke with Robert Lake who is America's delegate to CODEX, an organization made up of 134 nations seeking to standardize food labeling issues. I told Mr. Lake that I felt that he was "in bed with" Monsanto. I called "Monsanto's whore." Let this be my apology to Mr. Lake. The following day, Robert Lake called me at home after consulting with FDA Commissioner Jane Henney, MD. They asked me: "How would you like to be on the panel in Washington? We will allow you 5 to 10 minutes to address your comments and then participate in a panel discussion that will be heard by 500 people in the room." I may be fasting and may not have as much energy as when I am eating, but I could have done a double flip over my house when I heard those words. I know that America's media will be at that meeting. CNN will cover it as will the major networks and newspapers. FDA has changed and is now about truth. By giving me this opportunity to tell America about Monsanto's fraud, Monsanto's lies, and Monsanto's deceit, FDA has made this a better world and leveled the playing field. ***************************** Tuesday, November 30 - Day 24 Today is the 24th day of my hunger strike, and I'm calling this one in from Washington, DC. I must have done about two dozen interviews with major media outlets including radio, television, newspapers, and magazines. The world will soon know of Monsanto's scientific fraud and deceit. There is absolutely no reason for Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone to remain on the market. I taped my ten-minute presentation and I'll be returning home tomorrow. I'll get the transcript on-line in a few days. Meanwhile, I feel great. Rachel came down from Philadelphia and helped hand out flyers to the crowd of 500. Thanks to her for all her help. ****************************** Wednesday, December 1 - Day 25 Today is Day #25 of my hunger strike. I have spent an enormous amount of time and energy criticizing our Food & Drug Administration (FDA). During yesterday's panel discussion in Washington, I found out just how real FDA employees are. While I am on a hunger strike and not eating, I sat in on a breakfast and lunch buffet for the panelists and FDA administrators, and had the opportunity to discuss the issues on this hunger strike with many of those people "in power." The Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine is Steven Sundlof, MD. I have previously accused Dr. Sundlof of being one of the "good old boys," and have criticized the appearance of his favoring Monsanto. In my book MILK--The Deadly Poison (p. 124), I reproduced a letter that Dr. Sundlof had written to the president of the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament after that body had placed a moratorium on the use of rbGH. Dr. Sundlof's letter to Frederich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf reflected anger and frustration. It seemed to me at the time that Dr. Sundlof was as unhappy about Europe's bad news as was Monsanto. In a small room, while breaking bread (I drank bottled water), I had the opportunity to discuss with Dr. Sundlof the mechanisms by which protein hormones in milk survive digestion. The same proteins in steak would be easily digested. Milk buffers gastric acidity and homogenization makes fat molecules 10 to 100 times smaller. These micronized liposomes (smaller fat molecules) envelope protein hormones, giving them safe passage through the intestines where they are absorbed intact into the bloodstream. I further discussed recent evidence with Dr. Sundlof proving that levels of IGF-I increase by a factor of 10% in blood serum of those who drink milk. Furthermore, I rehashed old evidence that called IGF-I the key factor in the growth and proliferation of breast, prostate, and lung cancers. Finally, I reminded Dr. Sundlof that IGF-I levels increase after cows are treated with Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, and that IGF-I in humans and cows in identical. The panel discussion was a very valuable and rewarding experience. What might have been more significant was the opportunity to meet with and discuss "real science" with members of FDA in an informal and friendly setting. Tomorrow I will print a transcript of my comments from yesterday's Washington panel. ****************************** Thursday, December 2 - Day 26 The FDA Testimony - as promised [Robert Cohen appeared on an FDA panel in Washington on Tuesday, November 30, 1999…some of you may have seen his speech on C-Span…Mr. Cohen spoke last, and each of the other panel members read prepared statements. Members of the panel also included Mildred Cody, who represented the American Dietetic Association; Mario Teisl, a professor of economics at the University of Maine; John Gray, president of the International Food Service Distributors Association; Kendal Keith, president of the National Grain & Feed Association; and Richard Caplan, an environmental advocate with the US Public Interest Research Group.] Testimony 11-30-99 ****************** Hi everybody, I've got to apologize first - I don't have a prepared statement like the other panel members. All I'm going to give here is some facts. I have a copy of the Federal Register. It says here advertising this meeting: "FDA is not aware of information that will distinguish genetically engineered food as a class from other foods." [ROBERT COHEN TURNS AND ADDRESSES FDA PANEL MEMBERS.] I'm going to give you some information today, guys. The greatest controversy in FDA history was the approval process for Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. We shouldn't be here today! We should not be in this room and I shouldn't be here because, in 1994, Congress HAD A BILL that was going to require mandatory labeling of all foods that were influenced by genetic engineering. I got my Congresswoman to co-sponsor that bill - 181 congresspeople co-sponsored that bill, and you know what? I learned how Congress works that year because in 6 months they stalled the bill - 12 members of the Dairy Livestock & Poultry Committee - they stalled the bill until the 1994 session of Congress expired and the bill died. I was so upset, I investigated these 12 men and found that collectively they took $711,000 in PAC money from companies with dairy interests, and four of the members of the committee took money directly from Monsanto. Now we've got a lot of political intrigue and some real science here. We've got science fiction, we've got a combination of John Grisham and we've got a combination of Stephen King. Nikita Khrushchev said that what the scientists have in their briefcase is terrifying - [ROBERT COHEN THEN OPENED HIS BRIEFCASE AND PULLED OUT A STACK OF PAPERS] and I've got some interesting things in my briefcase to share with you today. When Monsanto made their genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, they noticed a couple of problems right towards the end - right before approval. They noticed that laboratory animals were getting cancer, and they noticed that cows were getting mastitis, ulcers in their udders. They were putting more pus and bacteria into the milk. So Monsanto arranged… We've heard from Dr. Maryanski this morning, and Dr. Maryanski talked about the Pure Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act but what he didn't tell you was that in 1958, Robert Delaney, a congressman from New York, added the Delaney Amendment which was named after him. The Delaney Amendment stated that if a food additive caused cancer, it was not to be approved - a pretty good law - right? Monsanto got their attorney, Michael Taylor from the firm of King & Spalding… By the way, when they started in 1979, they groomed their attorney who is now in the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas, from the same law firm. Anyway, Monsanto's attorney, Michael Taylor, wrote and minimized the Delaney Amendment- he wrote a scientific paper that was published in the "Journal of Toxicology". Lawyers -they write in law review journals, but this lawyer wrote in the "Journal of Toxicology": "a De-Minumus interpretation of the Delaney Amendment" became the new protocol, the new standard operating procedure at FDA. They minimized cancer. Michael Taylor was hired by the Food & Drug Administration, and became the second most powerful man there, Monsanto's attorney - he wrote the standard operating procedure. In other words, if you see cancer, ignore it. Margaret Miller and Suzanne Sechen, Monsanto's scientists, were hired by the FDA to review Monsanto's own research. Margaret Miller knew cows were getting mastitis. The first week at the FDA, December 3, 1989, she was given broad power, and here's an affect of genetic engineering nobody has considered. She knew cows were getting sick from the genetically engineered hormone. She changed the amount of antibiotics that farmers could have in their milk. She changed it from 1 part per 100 million to 1 part per million - this is a fact! She increased it by 100 times. There is a hero of mine in the audience, Michael Hansen from Consumer's Union - Consumer's Union tested milk in the New York metropolitan area and found the presence of 52 different antibiotics in milk samples. FDA published on August 24, 1990, the first time ever in a peer-reviewed journal, in "Science". "Science" was started by Thomas Edison in the 1880's. They published a review of bovine somatotropin -bGH -the genetically engineered cow hormone. And in that review, there were seven tables of data. Five of those tables came from one study authored by Richard, Odaglia and Deslex. This is the famous "90-Day Study." Guess what? This was actually a study lasting for 180 days and when I first heard about this in 1994, I filed a Freedom of Information Act Request for that study - because I saw from the data that the average spleen of a lab animal increased 46%. I called FDA and spoke with Dick Teske. I said, "46%? You said there were no biological effects!" He said, "That's not statistically significant." I said, "Well, let me see the raw data." He said, "It's a trade secret." I called Monsanto, they laughed at me. They said, "It's a trade secret and you will never see it." I'm smart, I filed a Freedom of Information Act Request, but I didn't realize you can't find out the study. I went to Federal Court, I said, "Your honor - spleen increase of 46%, that's leukemia in 90 days!" I met with FDA on April 21, 1995, and found out that this was actually a 180-day study. In Canada, they had this study. I have a letter here [ROBERT COHEN REACHES INTO HIS BRIEFCASE], an internal memorandum: "This is to advise you that the copies of reports, letters, etc. for drug submissions have been stolen from my files." This was stolen from a scientist's file in Canada. They stole the second half of the "90-Day Study." We've got real science here. I'm going to talk briefly about the real science because when Monsanto made this hormone, they had to tell the FDA - they had to draw a chart of every amino acid - the 191 amino acids. And when FDA wrote their paper in "Science" magazine they wrote that one amino acid changed - it was a different hormone than the naturally occurring one. At the same time, somebody hired C. Everett Koop to come and say that genetically engineered milk and the good old wholesome milk is indistinguishable. Well, it wasn't. Something happened to the hormone that Monsanto made. The FDA said that there was one change in the endamino acid. It became epsilon-N-acetyllysine. FDA had written if there was a change in the middle of the protein, there could be disastrous results. They cited Jerome Moore. I got Jerome Moore's paper. It said if there is a protein change in the middle, there could be Alzheimer's or sickle cell anemia or diabetes. Four months after the hormone was approved, one of Monsanto's scientists, Bernard Violand, published in the July 3, 1994 issue of the journal "Protein Science" evidence that Monsanto made a mistake. Oops! Monsanto created a freak amino acid. Did you ever see that movie "The Fly" with Jeff Goldblum when the fly comes in and he becomes half-human and half-fly? Monsanto created a freak amino acid. Monsanto admitted it but didn't tell the FDA. [ROBERT COHEN TURNS AND POINTS TO THE FDA PANEL MEMBERS]. Gentlemen, the hormone that's on the market today is different than the one you tested for seven years. Monsanto spent 500 million dollars, submitted 55,000 pages of information to you, learned late in the process that they created a freak amino acid - that's what was tested on laboratory animals and it didn't matter because FDA said to Monsanto, you know something? It's safe because when you pasteurize milk, you destroy the hormone. They performed this research up in Guelph, Ontario by Paul Groenewegan, and I've got his study. [ROBERT COHEN AGAIN ADDRESSES FDA PANEL MEMBERS] To this day, FDA thinks -it's on your web page - that 90% of the bovine growth hormone is destroyed by pasteurization. But what Paul Groenewegan did working with Ted Elasser and Brian McBride, two Monsanto scientists, was he pasteurized milk for 30 minutes at 162ºF, and when I read that - I said, wait a second, milk is pasteurized for 15 seconds at that temperature - not 30 minutes. They intentionally tried to destroy the hormone, they only destroyed 19% of it - somebody lied. And at that moment, FDA said to Monsanto: "Because you destroy it by pasteurization, you don't have to do further toxicology studies. You don't have to develop a test for this hormone in milk. It's now safe to drink." They (FDA) developed a zero day withdrawal - they determined it was safe to drink. We have a lot of political intrigue here. We have an interesting situation where people have said that a revolving door policy exists at FDA. I mean, where is the ex-FDA commissioner, guess who he is working for? He is working for Monsanto. Bob Dole ran for President, his Chief of Staff was Donald Rumsfeld (ex-president of Searle, owned by Monsanto). I have one last comment… [AT THIS POINT, THE MODERATOR INTERRUPTS MR. COHEN AND TELLS HIM TO WRAP IT UP AND TO ADDRESS LABELING…] I know, but we have a labeling issue here - we have a right to know - I have listened to comments about "multi-faceted educational effort that we need" - that's called brainwashing! I don't want a "multi-faceted educational effort" - I want a double helical structure (AUDIENCE APPLAUDS) on a piece of food that I'm going to buy in the supermarket because I have a right to know. Because the bottom line is - mistakes were made and when I hear from the American Dietetic Association, [ROBERT COHEN ADDRESSES A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION WHO PREVIOUSLY SPOKE AGAINST LABELING], I want to remind you that Monsanto gave you $100,000 to set up a toll-free hotline about the bovine growth hormone. Mistakes were made! We've got political intrigue here and the bottom line is we have a right to know what we are eating. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) ********* End testimony 11-30-99 **************************** Friday, December 3 - Day 27 Dear Friends, Today is the twenty-seventh day of my hungerstrike. Rachel's photo is next to mine on the LONG TERM portion of this website. Many months ago, Rachel planted into me the seed for this hungerstike. Yesterday Rachel decided that her body needed a rest from her fast, and she will soon be eating food. She is listening to her body, and I urge all people to do the same. There is great wisdom and no shame in not continuing with me until death. Many years ago, I used to go with my father to Madison Square Garden to watch track meets. We would cheer Marty Liquori as he attempted to run sub-four minute miles. Quite often, in the same race, there would be runners whose role it was to set the pace and run a very fast first half-mile. These runners would then drop out of the race and cheer from the sidelines along with the crowd. Rachel has given me great comfort and has been one of those runners. We have spoken privately about her decision, which I support 100%. I have not even once urged her to continue for another day... A few people have criticized Rachel's decision, and this is hurtful to me and Rach. Many people in the dairy industry delight in seeing what they believe to be failure. There is no failure. Americans are sending a clear signal to the dairy industry. On March 23, 1971, Richard Nixon received a $3 million dollar cash gift from the dairy industry. The giving of that gift was recorded on a Watergate tape. A few months later, Nixon set price controls for milk, and in doing so guaranteed that the price farmers receive for 100 pounds of milk would not fall below $9.90. One month ago, farmers were receiving $16.49 for 100 pounds of milk. As we started our hunger strike, the price of milk fell $4.77, a traumatic financial event for dairymen and their families. Next week, the wholesale price of milk will fall below the governmental support price for the first time in history. Our hunger strike is turning the eyes of the world upon FDA, waiting for their decision to revoke the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. We are also reaching American milk drinkers with new evidence. The genetic milk contains hormones which are dangerous for human health. As milk sours on the shelves, farmers continue to inject more hormones into their cows, producing more milk. Less demand, more supply. That ends up with the worst kind of economic theory. In a free market, that means disaster for farmers as prices plummet. When demand decreases, one should not increase supply. That is what the dairy industry continues to do. Rachel wrote a letter explaining her decision and my reaction. I would like to share that letter with you. RACHEL'S LETTER: "I had to write a note quickly and let you know that Robert was ABSOLUTELY supportive of my decision. All along he has made it clear that we each make our own decisions in this. If I fasted for one day or for one hundred days or more, Robert would acknowledge that it is my decision and be supportive of that. Robert has completely validated my choice to temporarily go off the fast and has been incredibly appreciative of my participation in the protest as a whole. His first concern would always be for the health and well- being of the participants and he would never want anyone to fast for one minute longer than they felt was right for them. Robert has made comparisons to climbing Mount Everest. I make comparisons to running a marathon. He is fasting for the long haul. I've run the first three weeks or so with him and I need to take a rest. Others are running with him now in the fast. I will rejoin him down the road and run alongside him again. Yet others are along the roadway handing him cups of water or juice to replenish his strength. Still others are along the roadway shouting words of encouragement. No one person plays a more important role than the other, in my opinion. The important thing to remember is that we are all in this together, no matter what type of contribution we are making. Robert has stressed that time and again - this is OUR hunger strike. It matters not to him that I needed to stop fasting for a while. He trusts me enough to know that I'm doing what I feel is best. In the long run I will be of much more value to the effort as a whole because of taking this brief break from the fast. I believe that, and I know that Robert does too." ***************************** Saturday, December 4 - Day 28 Today is the twenty-eighth day of my hunger strike. One month, and so much has happened. Yesterday was the worst day in the history of America's dairy industry. Farmers witnessed wholesale milk prices fall so low that many of them will not be able to remain in business. I am proud to say that a result of my work has been to decrease America's consumption of milk. By genetically engineering milk, there has been an increase of milk production in response to the decrease in demand, and farmers are feeling the pressure. However, I take little pleasure in seeing such pain brought to dairymen and their families. America's dairy farmers are among the hardest working people in America. My comfort comes in knowing that their work ethic will allow them to survive and prosper in any other field of work. I hope that many of them pursue organic farming. I will then become a happy consumer and will urge others to buy their crops. There is a consequence of genetic engineering that few have previously considered and that is one of economics. Dairy farmers have been dealt the Queen of Spades, and many will see their pasts and futures destroyed by Monsanto during coming months. One year ago, farmers were getting $7.05 more for 100 pounds of milk than they are getting today. Yesterday, the wholesale price of milk fell to $9.79 for 100 pounds. At this level, farmers cannot even afford to use Monsanto's genetically engineered hormone. They are dying a slow death and are caught in failure's spiraling cyclone. Many will have no money to pay their mortgages nor send their children to college. No belt-tightening will stave off the inevitable. Monsanto has destroyed them. Twenty-five percent more milk in a market where the demand for milk is shrinking make for a poor economic theory. Their solution? Produce even more milk. As demand decreased, supply increased. As supply increased, Monsanto marketed and sold more of the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. It will be no different with soybeans or corn. It costs farmers over $3 to grow a bushel of corn, yet, this past year they were receiving $1.87 for that bushel. The solution? Grow more corn. Europe will not buy our genetically engineered corn. Man's greed has dissolved into man's tragedy. The consequences of genetically modified organisms are more than just the health of human consumers and the environment. There are economic concerns that may very well destroy America's farms. I urge all dairy farmers to join me for one day of fasting. Let us send a message to the FDA. We never wanted a hormone that would change the milk. We did not need more milk. The hormone caused disease in cows and cancer in lab animals. Monsanto's fraud became the dairy farmers horrible destiny. Loss of business, loss of farm. Let us all immediately ask FDA to revoke rbGH. **************************** Sunday, December 5 - Day 29 Today is the twenty-ninth day of my hunger strike. Yesterday, the three hundredth person pledged support to our cause. Each member added to our team represents a special milestone, but three hundred people pledging to not eat any food for a day or longer represents a very special sacrifice. I am touched. We are a movement and have become soldiers in this army of activism. Nearly 25 centuries ago, the city-states making up the Greek empire were threatened by an invading force of 200,000 troops from Persia. Nearly 1,000 ships sailed against Greece, but its citizens were unprepared for such a threat. Athens relied upon Sparta for its primary defense, but the Spartans were initially only able to put together an army of 300 warriors. The Spartan king, Leonidas, led his troops to a narrow 50-foot gap between the mountains and sea, and there began a classic defense of that nation. Three hundred soldiers saved the Greek empire, just as 300 of us are now ready to etch our mark upon world history. They fought with passion and determination, and held King Xerxes and his army at that pass for nearly a week. That provided enough time for Athens to plan a strategy and properly arm for battle. A few weeks later, an outnumbered Greek army and navy routed the invading Persian force and won their victory, just as we shall win ours. Our weapons are not spears, and we do not kill our adversaries. We win this battle with logic. With science. With facts. The FDA has a decision to make, and they are now in a stalling pattern. We seek to end a threat to all Americans. There is a poison in our food. There was once a poison at FDA. The old guard has left and a new administration rules. Our scientific data are being analyzed. Our proof of previous scientific fraud and deceit is being reviewed by senior FDA administrators. We wage our battle by our hunger strike. We continue, trusting in the wisdom of FDA reviewers. We are patient, but every day that passes is another day that milk consumers are jeopardized. We are at war, make no doubt about that. We have called upon FDA to review our claims. Are they vigilant? Are they diligent? Monsanto defrauded the FDA. The genetically engineered bovine growth hormone now on the market is entirely different from the hormone that was approved in 1994. Monsanto changed the formula and never told FDA. That evidence has been presented to FDA. There is no dispute. Monsanto is guilty. Time will place additional guilt upon FDA. They must act immediately. We question that delay. Must we use additional weapons? Perhaps a Congressional investigation is appropriate. We rely upon FDA reviewers to do the right thing. Will they? How long do we wait? This is a battle that is now being fought on many playing fields. We hope and trust that FDA is our ally and a friend to the American people. We know that Monsanto is not. Last week, angry Americans rioted in the streets of Seattle at meetings of the World Trade Organization. FDA is concerned that a similar protest will occur in Oakland. On Monday, December 13th, FDA will hold a hearing across the Golden State Bridge from America's traditional hotbed of political protest, Berkeley, California. We urge FDA to send a message to America before that meeting. Lies and deceit will no longer be tolerated. Monsanto has poisoned America with their bovine growth hormone. Canada fairly reviewed Monsanto's research and rejected that hormone. So did Europe. Now is the time for FDA to act. We consider FDA our protector and remind them of their fiduciary duty. The age of protest revisits America. We want peace and harmony, but let FDA know that Seattle was the first warning. Please let us trust you, and allow us to enter the new millennium as partners. Be our friend, and not our enemy. The lines of battle are drawn. Does FDA march with Monsanto or do they independently and fairly review the evidence against a firm that lied and cheated? To not act makes FDA as guilty as those who are the liars and deceivers. *************************** Monday, December 6 - Day 30 Today is the 30th day of my diary. Many of you have written to me on a daily basis asking about my health. The truth should be known, while I have not eaten in 30 days, I haven't felt this good in many years. My energy level is high, I need less sleep, and little aches and pains that one associates with mid-life have ceased. Perhaps things might take a turn for the worse after my 60th day or my 100th day of not eating. Some of you have asked why I am on a hunger strike and have suggested that I post a "button" with the hows and whys and meaning of this hunger strike. Your advice is good advice, and I will do that today. Here is what I will post: The greatest controversy in the history of the Food & Drug Administration was the approval process for Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH). Evidence submitted to FDA reveals an enormous scientific fraud and political deceit perpetrated on the American people. Recently obtained scientific data indicated that Monsanto's hormone caused cancer in laboratory animals. FDA incorrectly concluded that there were no biological effects on lab animals and assumed that rbGH in milk could not survive digestion. A newly published study indicates that milk hormones increase 10% in human blood serum. Monsanto created a "freak amino acid" when they first made the bovine growth hormone. They learned of this error after FDA had finished their review, and they changed the formula without alerting FDA. The drug that is on the market is completely different from the one that was approved and must be immediately taken out of our food supply. There is no ethical, legal, or scientific reason for FDA to continue to protect Monsanto. We are on a hunger strike and will continue to remain on a hunger strike until FDA honestly reviews out evidence. Such review most certainly will end with FDA revoking rbGH. My life and my possible death are dedicated to the children who have gotten leukemia and other cancers similar to those seen in laboratory animals. I will end my hunger strike only when FDA acts. There is enormous evidence on this website. Please review the facts and send an e-mail to FDA to let them know that you will no longer accept such compromise and deceit. Please, if you can, join us for one symbolic day and let us share your name with the rest of the world. **************************** Tuesday, December 7 - Day 31 Today is the 31st day of my hunger strike. We are a small army. Fighting a battle properly relies upon logistics, planning, and analysis of data. We are, by our existence, an enormous threat to Monsanto. Last year, Monsanto did $8.6 billion worth of business. Our hunger strike could take away hundreds of millions of dollars of annual cash flow and has the potential to severely damage, if not altogether destroy, hundreds of billions of dollars of future genetically engineered biotech sugarplums. Do you imagine that Monsanto will rest and not do anything about our efforts? In October, I registered and opened the hungerstrike.com site. I began my hunger strike on November 7th. In early October, I began discussions with Monsanto urging them to remove the bovine growth hormone on their own. I alerted a few senior level Monsanto executives that I was going to file a citizen's petition with FDA. The reason why I am writing these things in today's journal entry is because another website opened during the month of October. That website is www.harvest-moon.org. The owner of that website is Paul Dennis. Mr. Dennis has e-mailed every person on the hunger strike list with lies about the amount of people visiting the hungerstrike.com site. Please be aware that we have received over 5,000 visits from people at FDA alone. Mr. Dennis pretends to have our best interests at heart, yet the opening sentence of his letter is, "Robert Cohen's hunger strike is not going well." He then continues in his letter to tell you that "your sacrifice will be for nothing." He then offers advice on how to increase traffic to a site. A review of the guestbook on my first website, www.notmilk.com, reveals 1,440 letters. I challenge anybody to find any guestbook on the Internet with more passionate responses to any issue than what the notmilk guestbook has generated. Mr. Dennis' expert advice and knowledge does not apply to his own website. His guestbook contains 18 letters. The hungerstrike.com contains over 100 letters. The first letter in his guestbook comes from an angry critic. Normally, when one sets up a webpage, one first sends news of that page to colleagues and friends. Mr. Dennis has written a letter to my guestbook (record #83) in which he "slams" the advice of the three doctors listed on this site. Dennis calls fasting "the polite word for starvation." In that letter posted on 11-26, he writes that there is "clear evidence that almost nobody is listening, why should Monsanto and FDA care about the hunger strike?" Dennis criticizes the fact that I have removed the counter from the page. Last week, many of you may have seen that the website is now more user-friendly and easier to load. At the same time that I removed the counter, I also removed the graphic containing my book and tape, which were for sale. The site now loads more easily. STRATEGY Remember friends, Monsanto has a multi-billion dollar investment. Mr. Dennis may or not be an infiltrator. However, with friends like this who needs enemies? The hunger strike will be the subject of three major magazine articles next month, and I am currently working with a television crew from one of America's network news magazine shows. There are also other surprises in store that some of you know about, but will not be pre-published on this site so that they achieve the greatest publicity effect. Should Mr. Dennis wish to post a comment to the guestbook, that comment will be posted in its entirety. Please be aware, however, that the apple that Mr. Dennis extends to you may not be offered with the best of intentions, and I urge you to read his comments and then exercise your control over your delete button. ****************************** Wednesday, December 8 - Day 32 Today is the 32nd day of my hunger strike. Tomorrow I will present the following to the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC. Milk contains hormones. That is what our hunger strike is about. USDA is holding hearings about obesity in America. The following is a part of my presentation. It may shock you: OVERWEIGHT IN AMERICA - GOT MILK? Throughout history, obesity and wealth have been directly proportional. Aristocracy has always benefited from the creme de la creme of man's food supply, and overeating of rich foods has been reserved for the rulers of both primitive and civilized societies. Today, starvation and malnutrition are directly proportional to poverty in most world nations. America is the exception. In the United States, being poor often means being overweight. Poor children in America's inner cities are often roly-poly fat children. Drive by any schoolyard in America's inner cities and overweight kids are the norm, not the exception. Children, lacking in proper nutrition at home, are now the beneficiaries of school breakfast and lunch programs. What food group is the most subsidized in America? Milk and dairy products. On March 23, 1971, President Richard Nixon was taped accepting a $3 million dollar cash gift in the oval office. John Connally soon entered and commented: "These men are adamant, they're militant and they're massing an enormous amount of money to place into political activities." Milk is now mandatory for school lunch programs. Milk contains powerful growth hormones, fat, and cholesterol. The most powerful growth hormone in the human body is identical to the most powerful growth hormone in a cow's body. That hormone instructs every cell in the human body to grow. Bovine hormones in milk survive digestive processes and act to turn our children into bovine-like creatures. Milk contains powerful hormones. Rates of sexual maturity in children are astounding endocrinologists and behavioral psychologists. A recent study revealed that eighty percent of nine-year-old African-American girls had breast development. Children are becoming overweight at an early age. By eating growth hormones in combination with animal fat, the body has a way of listening to the signals of those chemical messengers: GROW! Many children of color live below the poverty level. In its wisdom, the United States Department of Agriculture provides free food and nutritional programs for these kids. In its lack of wisdom, USDA has chosen milk and dairy products to be the major components of these kids' diets. These children now receive free breakfasts of cereal with milk, free lunches of chocolate milk with macaroni and cheese or pizza. A free snack before they go home is more chocolate milk. In Japan, every year since 1946, tens-of-thousands of persons have been interviewed and their diets carefully analyzed along with their weights and heights and other factors such as cancer rates and age of puberty (the last measured by the onset of menstruation in young girls). This study includes detailed personal interviews and is well respected and accepted by scientists. In 1975, 21,707 persons from 6,093 households were included in the sampling. The results of the study were published in a respected scientific journal, Preventive Medicine (Yasuo Kagawa, Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical School, Japan, 7, 205-217, 1978). Japan had been devastated by losing a war and was occupied by American troops. Americanization included dietary changes. Milk and dairy products, relatively unknown to Japan, were becoming a significant part of the Japanese diet. According to this study, the per capita yearly dietary intake of dairy products in 1950 was only 5.5 pounds. Twenty- five years later, the average Japanese ate 117.4 pounds of milk and dairy products. What happened to young girls and the impact of milk consumption on puberty is dramatic. In 1950, the average twelve-year-old girl was 4'6" tall and weighed 71 pounds. By 1975, the average Japanese girl, after guzzling a daily diet of milk and dairy products containing 59 different bioactive hormones, had grown an average of 4 1/2 inches and gained 19 pounds. In 1950, the average Japanese girl had her first menstrual cycle at the age of 15.2 years. Twenty-five years later, after a daily intake of estrogen and progesterone from milk, the average Japanese girl was ovulating at the age of 12.2 years, three years younger. Ten pounds of milk are required to make one pound of cheese. In 1960, the average American ate ten pounds of cheese. Today, the average American eats thirty pounds of cheese. Concentrated growth hormones in the presence of fat and cholesterol do just what they were designed to accomplish. Milk and dairy products represent 40% of the average American's diet, 666 pounds per year per person. GOT FAT? GOT MILK! ***************************** Thursday, December 9 - Day 33 Today is the 33rd day of my hunger strike. I am saddened by what is happening in America and recall the days of student activism in my youth. In 1968, students and police clashed in the streets of Chicago at the Democratic Convention. Inside the arena, Senator Abraham Ribicoff of Connecticut grabbed the microphone and denounced the Gestapo-like tactics in the streets outside the convention hall. As he spoke, Chicago's mayor, Richard Daley, had the Senator's microphone shut off. Our voice has also been shut off by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). FDA is conducting hearings on food labeling and biotechnology. The first hearing was in Chicago and the second in Washington D.C. At the same time that the second hearing was being held, students were clashing with police at the World Trade Organization (WTO) hearings in Seattle. Many of these protesters, dressed as monarch butterflies and genetically engineered tomatoes, were frustrated by having no say in WTO's process. FDA has been so concerned about a similar demonstration at their Oakland hearing scheduled for December 13, 1999 that they are imposing the most incredulous Gestapo-like censorship at this third and final "public" hearing. Notices of such meetings must be published by law in the Federal Register. After this notice was published, the FDA changed the location. Calls have been made from my office everyday this week to find the new location but FDA continues not to reveal any of the details about their so-called public meeting. Shame on the FDA! We are on a hunger strike because FDA did not review or pay attention to key evidence and adverse effects in laboratory animals from the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. It seems clear that FDA is conducting themselves in a biased manner and, by their actions, are motivating people to take to the streets. All we request is an honest hearing. We do not care for the FDA's latest lack of integrity. ----- I am now driving home from Washington having testified before USDA. Many of my critics have accused me of writing absurdities in my daily diary and of being delirious from a lack of food for 33 days. Perhaps they are right. I just had the most unusual fantasy. Jimmy Carter lusted in his heart and, in doing so, admitted that he committed adultery. I just lusted in my heart for fried chicken. I'm driving home and passing the rest stop and there is a big sign for KFC. I haven't eaten chicken in three years and I don't intend to. But I do remember how good it tastes and I do admit to having salivated when I saw that sign. Such is the fate of a man on a hunger strike. **************************** Friday, December 10 - Day 34 Today is Day 34 of my hunger strike. Yesterday's trip to Washington reminded me of Fellini's "Satyricon." The surreal atmosphere and absurdities of governmental hearings must be seen to be appreciated. The purpose of the meeting was for USDA to receive comments from the public on obesity in America. Thirty-five speakers appeared representing a diverse assortment of interests and viewpoints. Most of the experts addressing obesity were themselves obese. That seemed a little funny to me. The three skinniest people there all made presentations submitting evidence as to the benefits of a plant-based vegetarian diet. They included Miyun Park from PETA; Alex Hershaft, a well-known vegetarian activist; and Patricia Bertron from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. There were some very curious and biased presenters representing agencies such as the National Soft Drinks Association and the Sugar Association. There was also a presentation from Michael Jacobson from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). This organization does not represent my interests. They work closely with the dairy industry endorsing Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Mr. Jacobson also advocated a low-fat milk program for public schools. It's not the fat in milk, it's the growth hormones. Those hormones are powerful, and one in particular, IGF-I, is identical between humans and cows. Forty percent of the average American's diet consists of this powerful growth hormone. It should be no surprise that America's obesity problem has reached epidemic proportions. I experienced mixed feelings of amusement and anger when Barbara Moore, the spokesperson for Shape Up America, gave her presentation. Her concluding remarks were, "Although inappropriate food choices and a total breakdown of portion control are vitally important factors contributing to obesity, many of the societal changes that are contributing to the growing prevalence of obesity in America have nothing to do with nutrition." Her concluding comment is particularly absurd when compared to her opening statement. Dr. Moore said, "We live in a nation where children do not drink their milk…" Dr. Moore suggested that USDA's national nutrition summit planned for May of 2000 be delayed until after the presidential election. I was astounded when I heard these words. Here we have an epidemic of obesity, and a group called Shape Up America wants to put off a discussion of this problem. Go figure. ****************************** Saturday, December 11 - Day 35 Today is the 35th day of my hunger strike. I performed a self-motivational act this morning. I battled the Christmas crowds and went to Macy's and purchased a pair of pants 5 sizes smaller than the pair I am currently wearing. While it doesn't fit yet, it should be a perfect fit some time in mid-February. Valentine's Day theoretically becomes the 100th day of my hunger strike. Don't send chocolates. I say theoretically because the Food & Drug Administration, in their wisdom, may take Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH) off of the market. I say theoretically because who knows whether I'll live that long on this hunger strike. I have written about a "freak" amino acid that was transcribed when Monsanto created rbGH. This week, Pete Hardin, the editor of a dairy industry magazine, contacted me and asked for supporting evidence for that statement. I had originally discovered that "gem" by reading abstracts of scientific studies on MEDLINE, a database containing hundreds of thousands of studies published in peer-reviewed journals. I never actually saw the entire paper. I searched through files and boxes and could not locate the study. I sheepishly called back Mr. Hardin and apologized for my inability to produce the reference. I blamed that inability on my parents who raised me to become all of the good and bad I now am. Keeping records is not my strong point. Hardin laughed and informed me that he had just obtained the entire study from the University of Wisconsin Research Library. I then learned that it was a lot worse than I had previously concluded. Not only did Monsanto create a "freak" amino acid in the #144 position, but they made errors in the #157 and #167 positions also. Furthermore, Bernard Violand's paper cites a previously published paper revealing that errors were made in the #171 and #180 positions as well. That is a total of five different mistakes. Please take note of the importance of this critically significant finding. When FDA scientists reviewed this enormous controversy, publishing a paper in the August 24, 1990 edition of SCIENCE, here is what they wrote: "The primary sequence of these products was either the same as or differed only slightly from pituitary-derived bGH. Differences occur only NH-2 terminus end of the protein. Monsanto Agricultural company product has a single amino acid substitute." FDA did not even suspect what Monsanto already knew in 1991. When Monsanto learned of the additional errors in 1993, a process was developed to filter out the significant number of incorrect proteins containing "freak" amino acids so that the product that is on the market today is completely free of those genetically engineered mistakes. HOWEVER…Monsanto's admission is also a condemnation of the entire process of genetic engineering and FDA review. Monsanto's new hormone is completely different than the one for which Monsanto submitted 55,000 pages of research evidence and testimony. In order to get that hormone approved, Monsanto lied and deceived the FDA, calling in favors from people in high places, having their lawyer (Michael Taylor) writing the rules and regulations by which all genetically-modified organisms are now governed. This is why we are on a hunger strike. **************************** Sunday, December 12 - Day 36 Today is the 36th day of my hunger strike. Dear FDA: You have visited this website over 6,000 times during the months of November and December. You have been reading our message and have yet to act on the real science submitted to you. Our demand is that you immediately remove Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone form the market. Tomorrow you will hear the voice of America. Tomorrow thousands of people in Oakland, California will demonstrate at your biotechnology and food labeling conference. In the spirit of Christmas, we request that you carefully listen to these voices. Know that our spirit cannot be conquered. Know that this movement will grow. Know that activism exists because you give us the reason to protest. In the spirit of Christmas, we send you these words from our favorite Noel: "He knows when you've been SLEEPING, He knows when you're awake. He knows when you've been BAD or good, So be good for goodness sake." **************************** Monday, December 13 - Day 37 Today is the 37th day of my hunger strike. Somebody must be watching because I'm getting a quite a few threatening letters and I've had to disconnect my telephone during the overnight hours. I would like for you to know about an organization that I wholeheartedly support. Ronnie Cummings has been running the Organic Consumers' Association for a number of years from his Minnesota home. At one time, Ronnie worked and ran the Pure Food Campaign for Jeremy Rifkin. Ron is a friend and I felt very bad when he wrote and told me about the painful experience of receiving pepper spray in his eyes a few weeks ago in Seattle. Ron's website has been informing consumers about the dangers of genetically engineered foods: www.purefood.org. If you would like more information, Ronnie's Organic Consumers' Organization can be reached at 218-726-1443. According to Ron, many companies routinely use genetically engineered foods in their ingredients. Here are the toll free numbers for five of those companies. Perhaps you will let them know how you feel: Nabisco 800-862-2638 Kraft 800-543-5335 Heinz 888-472-8437 Kellogg's 800-962-1413 Proctor & Gamble 800-595-1407 Thousands of consumers will be protesting at the Food & Drug Administration biotechnology conference in Oakland, California today. I will review today's demonstration in tomorrow's newsletter. I hope and pray that the passions in California streets do not reach the same level of ugliness that they did a few weeks ago in Seattle. We protest because we no longer trust the Food & Drug Administration. One very big statement that FDA could make to America is to revoke the use of Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Science and logic dictate that they act immediately to do this. This is why we are in the streets and future demonstrations will contain more protestors with even greater passion. ***************************** Tuesday, December 14 - Day 38 Yesterday was the third of three FDA public hearings on biotechnology, genetic engineering, and labeling. A crowd of 1,000 protestors was expected, but bad weather held back large crowds. The Oakland Tribune reported that about 500 people attended a noontime rally against genetic manipulation. State Senator Tom Hayden addressed the crowd and promised to introduce a bill to get California to require labeling of genetically engineered foods. Rally organizers claimed that this was the largest genetic food protest ever heard in the United States. After Hayden spoke, the crowd chanted, "Hey, hey, ho, ho. Frankenfoods have got to go." Police had expected up to 5,000 protestors and came to the rally anticipating a peaceful protest, unlike the police in Seattle. What they expected is exactly what they got, and the peaceful protestors carried signs such as "Get Your Pig Gene Out of My Tomato" and "Save the Rice from the Splice." Over the weekend, President Clinton made his weekly radio address, speaking on food safety. Clinton said, "There's really is no such thing as too safe. Food safety is part of our citizens' basic contract with the government. Any food that fails to meet clear and strict standards for safety should not make it to the marketplace." We would like Mr. Clinton and all Americans to know that we have the "goods" on Monsanto. Evidence has been submitted to the FDA that Monsanto created five significant errors (different amino acids) when creating the hormone that is now in dairy products. Despite the fact that FDA approved that hormone because they concluded that there were absolutely no effects on laboratory animals, recent review of Monsanto's studies proves otherwise. We anxiously await and continue our hunger strike as FDA scientists re-review our petition containing the real science. ******************************* Wednesday, December 15 - Day 39 Today is the 39th day of my hunger strike. We are at war, have no doubt about that. Monsanto is the enemy and we are trying to eliminate the threat which they represent. Monsanto is a multi-billion dollar company with enormous resources. We are merely one blade of grass in an endless forest. There is also a third party here who like the Swiss in World War II maintain a semblance of neutrality although we feel that they have a bias. The third party is the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). In reality, Monsanto's employees have gone to work for the FDA in the senior most of regulatory positions. At the same time, FDA employees have left their pasture and have gone to work in Monsanto's forest. What we possess is truth. What we offer is real science. What we continue to hold onto is a faith in a system and a faith in the basic integrity of people. We refuse to accept further disappointment. Our battle is being fought at FDA's drug evaluation and investigative branch, the Center for Veterinary Medicine. Two weeks ago, there was a skirmish in the streets of Seattle. Many of the demonstrators held anti-Monsanto banners and wore Monarch butterfly costumes. Pollen from Monsanto's bt corn has killed Monarch butterflies. On Monday, another mini-battle was fought in the streets of Oakland at what turned out to be the largest anti-biotechnology protest in our nation's history. Today, a new line has been drawn. Another battle against Monsanto is being fought on an additional front. The business section of today's (Wednesday, December 15, 1999) New York Times reports: MONSANTO SUED OVER USE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN DEVELOPING SEEDS A group of attorneys has sued Monsanto because of "genetic pollution" and the creation of "super weeds." Heading the case is Michael Hausfeld, the Washington attorney who previously defended Alaskan natives in the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The suit was filed by a group of farmers inspired by consumer advocate Jeremy Rifkin. Mr. Rifkin was recently paid $5,000 to speak at a Monsanto conference. Rifkin was criticized for accepting that money and for selling out by many anti-Monsanto activists who felt he was giving away information. All the while, Rifkin was a spy within their midst, and his suit, my petition, our hunger strike, and your continued protests might very well fell the trees in Monsanto's forest. Today is the 40th day of my hunger strike. The dairy industry will be celebrating my Noah-like anniversary by deluging America with their new milk mustache ads-Everybody Loves Raymond starring comedian Ray Romano. I've got a long list of people who do not like Raymond including yours truly. Milk mustache ads are misleading and deceptive. Raymond urges people to drink milk to "help shut down osteoporosis." Recent science reveals that women who drink milk and eat cheese as teens grow up to have higher rates of pelvic and forearm fractures. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) does not care for Raymond's message. This group of 6,000 physicians just filed a lawsuit against the USDA for their misleading and dangerous advice in their dietary guidelines reflected in their food pyramid. Milk causes significant problems for African-Americans. The basis of the PCRM suit is that USDA's guidelines are not racially balanced. One other man who has no love for Raymond is Steve Milloy, owner of the "Junk Science" website. Mr. Milloy has just filed an action with the Federal Trade Commission urging them to place a ban on Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. It seems that Milloy tested this "healthy" ice cream and found unsafe levels of dioxins. Last summer, Belgium's dairy industry closed because samples of milk were tested and found to contain 100 times the safe levels of dioxins, the most dangerous and carcinogenic chemicals on this planet. Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream tested out to have 200 times the safe level. Might it not be appropriate for our government agencies to test all dairy products and ban their use if they are deemed to be dangerous for human consumption? One other man who has mixed feelings about Raymond is Pete Hardin, editor of the dairy industry newsletter, THE MILKWEED. In the latest issue of his well-respected and well-read newsletter (issue #245, December 1999), Hardin urges dairy farmers to contact the FDA to ban the use of Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Hardin writes, "Robert Cohen: Enemy of Mine Enemy? Credit Robert Cohen with unveiling the significance of Monsanto's rbGH 'switcheroo.' Cohen, a New Jersey resident, is an ardent dairy critic. He believes that dairy products are ill-advised for the adult diet. Cohen originally got into this fray by researching FDA's questionable human safety considerations and extended his concerns to all dairy products. Ironically, the citizen's petition Cohen filed with the FDA, which demands the agency immediately halt Posilac sales, represents dairy's best short-term solution for saving the souls on its sinking ship. In this case, Cohen is the "enemy of dairy farmer's enemy'-Posilac…the major source of unneeded milk. Dairy farmers and organizations should vigorously support Robert Cohen's petition." In September, dairy farmers were receiving $16.26 per 100 pounds of milk. Today, they are getting $9.79, and forecasts are that prices will drop even further. Raymond may love milk and everybody may love Raymond, but America's health safety is at risk as a result of rbGH use and the financial health of dairy farms has also been compromised. ****************************** Thursday, December 16 - Day 40 Today is the 40th day of my hunger strike. The dairy industry will be celebrating my Noah-like anniversary by deluging America with their new milk mustache ads-Everybody Loves Raymond starring comedian Ray Romano. I've got a long list of people who do not like Raymond including yours truly. Milk mustache ads are misleading and deceptive. Raymond urges people to drink milk to "help shut down osteoporosis." Recent science reveals that women who drink milk and eat cheese as teens grow up to have higher rates of pelvic and forearm fractures. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) does not care for Raymond's message. This group of 6,000 physicians just filed a lawsuit against the USDA for their misleading and dangerous advice in their dietary guidelines reflected in their food pyramid. Milk causes significant problems for African-Americans. The basis of the PCRM suit is that USDA's guidelines are not racially balanced. One other man who has no love for Raymond is Steve Milloy, owner of the "Junk Science" website. Mr. Milloy has just filed an action with the Federal Trade Commission urging them to place a ban on Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. It seems that Milloy tested this "healthy" ice cream and found unsafe levels of dioxins. Last summer, Belgium's dairy industry closed because samples of milk were tested and found to contain 100 times the safe levels of dioxins, the most dangerous and carcinogenic chemicals on this planet. Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream tested out to have 200 times the safe level. Might it not be appropriate for our government agencies to test all dairy products and ban their use if they are deemed to be dangerous for human consumption? One other man who has mixed feelings about Raymond is Pete Hardin, editor of the dairy industry newsletter, THE MILKWEED. In the latest issue of his well-respected and well-read newsletter (issue #245, December 1999), Hardin urges dairy farmers to contact the FDA to ban the use of Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Hardin writes, "Robert Cohen: Enemy of Mine Enemy? Credit Robert Cohen with unveiling the significance of Monsanto's rbGH 'switcheroo.' Cohen, a New Jersey resident, is an ardent dairy critic. He believes that dairy products are ill-advised for the adult diet. Cohen originally got into this fray by researching FDA's questionable human safety considerations and extended his concerns to all dairy products. Ironically, the citizen's petition Cohen filed with the FDA, which demands the agency immediately halt Posilac sales, represents dairy's best short-term solution for saving the souls on its sinking ship. In this case, Cohen is the "enemy of dairy farmer's enemy'-Posilac…the major source of unneeded milk. Dairy farmers and organizations should vigorously support Robert Cohen's petition." In September, dairy farmers were receiving $16.26 per 100 pounds of milk. Today, they are getting $9.79, and forecasts are that prices will drop even further. Raymond may love milk and everybody may love Raymond, but America's health safety is at risk as a result of rbGH use and the financial health of dairy farms has also been compromised. **************************** Friday, December 17 - Day 41 Today is the 41st day of my hunger strike. This year, 43,300 women will die from breast cancer. It says so right on page 733 of my World Almanac. That is an average of 118 women per day, or 1 every 12 minutes. Can one measure the physical pain and mental anguish in each breast cancer case? Should we not direct all of our positive energies towards finding a cure, and all of our negative energies towards the culprit? Today's edition of the New York Times (Friday, December 17, 1999) contains the obituary of Cathy Hainer. I enjoyed reading Cathy's columns. She was a reporter for USA Today, and she died yesterday at the age of 38. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, she turned to her boyfriend and said, "I'm 36 and in love. How could I possibly have cancer?" Her final column, which I read in an airport on December 6th, told the story of a letter found on the body of a soldier comparing death to the sailing of a ship. Thousands of things cause breast cancer and it is rather common. An autopsy study published in the New York Times (11/8/94) revealed that 40% of women between the ages of 40 and 50 have breast cancer but that it is normally controlled. Science has taught us that a key factor in the growth of every breast cancer is the most powerful growth hormone in the human body, IGF-I (Lancet, 5/9/98). IGF-I is an identical hormone between humans and cows. When cows are treated with the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, levels of IGF-I increase by about 80%. When women drink milk, levels of IGF-I increase in their blood serum by a factor of 10%. Cathy Hainer is dead and those who knew and loved her mourn her passing. One hundred and eighteen women will die today from the ravages of breast cancer, and few, if any, of their loved ones will know about IGF-I and the milk connection. The Food & Drug Administration knows. They have our petition. We wait for them to act. Every day that passes another 118 women die, and we continue our hunger strike, requesting that FDA honestly assess the real science. ****************************** Saturday, December 18 - Day 42 Today is the 42nd day of my hunger strike. What do I do on a normal day? What do I put into my body? First, let me tell you what I do not do. Many people have asked whether I am taking vitamins or supplements, protein powder, or any of the New Age "miracle" cure-alls, such as green algae. The answer to all of those questions is "No, none of the above." My hunger strike has become more for me than a political statement. It is a spiritual body cleansing. I would not take anything made in a factory, and sustain myself by freshly made juices from fruits and vegetables. Each morning, I begin my day with the juice from a freshly squeezed lemon in a tall glass of bottled spring water. I open up a gallon of water each day and use that water to dilute the juices I drink and to brew an occasional cup of herbal tea. I use the tea called "Mu" sold by the macrobiotic guru Kushi. I juice apples and enjoy fresh apple cider. This morning, I juiced a dozen oranges and I am enjoying that juice while driving (and dictating this journal entry) into New York City. Last night, I juiced one pound of carrots and a beet, and drank a 12-ounce glass of life-sustaining juice. The liquid from the beet is bloody red and the essences and enzymes so contained will keep me strong and alert. I lose about one pound each day, while my body in its wisdom decomposes fat and stored tissue that it can afford to selectively lose. The enormous cellular metabolism and breakdown of my tissues releases many years of stored toxins into my bloodstream. By drinking plenty of water, I am eliminating those toxins. The largest organ in the human body is the skin. When we sweat and when we slough off skin follicles, we also eliminate by-products of metabolism that our body no longer requires. When I shower I vigorously massage and wash away that dead skin with a natural sponge. My favorite juice combination uses a mix of fresh apples and cranberries. My least favorite juice drink combines spinach, parsley, garlic, and cabbage. I have read many books on juicing and recognize the value of the nutrients and enzymes in green plants, but I still hate the taste. I drink to sustain myself and to remain strong in body, mind, and spirit. I feel change in my body and know that the day will soon come when this hunger strike begins to take a toll on me. Yesterday, I wrote about a breast cancer death. Each day I'm inspired by my friends and by the children, for they are the ones for whom this fast is dedicated. ****************************** Sunday, December 19 - Day 43 Today is the 43rd day of my hunger strike. I have been receiving an enormous amount of mail, telephone calls, and EMAILS from friends and adversaries. Many people wish me good fortune, but many wish me harm. Occasionally, there is a threat and, on rare occasions, a death threat. I take death threats seriously and report all such warnings to the appropriate authorities. My file grows larger. I receive occasional letters from one man in the dairy industry who I will identify as "Jim from Oregon." This man has posted many letters to my guestbooks and has been monitoring the NOTMILK movement for a number of years. Oh well, everybody needs a hobby, and I am happy to be Jim's minor obsession. TO JIM: Keep your borborygmus statements coming my way! As Rowan and Martin used to say on LAUGH-IN, "Look that one up in your Funk'N Wagnall!" Today I received a charming EMAIL message from Jim, who wrote: "Here's a thought for you and yes you have my permission to use it in your very next diary entry or whereever. Have you considered the possibility of donating you organs when you die from this fake hunger strike? The brain, not having been used previously, would make a great gift to Dave. And the other organs could be used by those who need them. Of course not having gonads you won't be making a contribution in that dept. but that's just as well. By the way, how much weight have you lost on this fake hunger strike that sounds more like a liquid diet to me? Scan your NJ driver's license and put it up on the webpage along with your current weight. I'll bet there's no diff!" I must say, Jim has me pegged. No brains, no gonads. I like it when an opponent underestimates my strengths. Perhaps Jim missed the following editorial in the recent issue of the dairy newsletter, THE MILKWEED. Thousands of dairy farmers receive this newsletter, and Hardin mentions the hunger strike, supports our mission, and urges dairy farmers to join us. We have accomplished a lot, and will continue to do so. Not bad for a guy with no brains or gonads! ************* Pete Hardin - December, 1999 MILKWEED, Issue #245 The Hardin Plan - Part 1: Halt Posilac Use "Imagine U.S. dairy farmers as passengers on a ship that has struck a rock and is sinking fast in stormy seas. Milk supplies and imports are exceeding commercial dairy product demand. Cheddar cheese and milk powder prices are at support price levels. Butter could follow soon. Starting in January, many dairy farmers face net farm milk checks in the $9.50-$10.50 per cwt. range. If they last very long, these milk prices will kill many producers financially and spiritually. Huge losses are piling up fast for many marketers-especially operating dairy cooperatives. With commodity prices in the pits and so little demand for raw milk, marketers' margins and inventory losses are huge. Hundreds of millions of dollars in cheese and butter inventory values have been lost just by Midwest marketers in the second half of 1999. Dairy farmers on this sinking ship face tough choices. To try to save the ship, immediate action is needed to lighten the load. A couple percentage points of excess farm milk production must be dumped, pronto. But what, or whom, to throw overboard? Solution: Immediate FDA ban on Posilac There's a simple solution to dairy's current dilemma: demand that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) immediately ban the sale and use of "Posilac" Monsanto's recombinant cow growth hormone that boosts milk production in injected cows. How could that action be pulled off quickly? A current citizen petition to FDA demands that the agency halt sales of Posilac because the genetically-engineered hormone molecule marketed by Monsanto is DIFFERENT from the molecule on which human and animal safety tests were conducted - tests that led to FDA's approval of the drug. Logic and law dictate that the molecule being marketed should be the exact same one on which pre-approval human and animal safety tests were conducted. Monsanto's hormone molecule "switcheroo" was revealed in a July 1994 article in the journal Protein Science, authored by Bernard Violand, a Monsanto scientist. Violand reported that an unrecognized additional amino acid sequence change occurred in the original production process of Monsanto's recombinant bovine growth hormone. The "freak" amino acid actually appeared at three sites on the hormone's sequence, Violand reported. Why did not FDA require a full round of new safety tests for the different hormone molecule? Violand's revelation is not startling news. The Milkweed has previously reported this fact. But current events make the switched rbGH molecule's importance great. Those events include: global anti-biotech food fervor, dire farm milk prices, and lack of other short-term solutions to restore farm milk prices. If the dairy industry could immediately throw one item off the sinking ship to save the industry, Posilac is the best candidate. We must immediately eliminate the top couple percentage points of milk production. Not only should FDA ban sale of Posilac immediately, pending a new round of legitimate human and animal "safety" tests, but all existing inventories of Posilac held by farmers should be confiscated. A single amino-acid sequence change in a protein molecule can be significant. For example, humans suffering from Sickle Cell Anemia have a single genetic amino acid sequence change. By law, FDA ought to revoke Monsanto's license to sell Posilac until the manufacturer runs a complete new gamut of human and animal safety tests. Such a dictate to Monsanto would effectively kill Posilac. Monsanto, whose food biotechnology investments are causing the company to struggle, doesn't have the funds for several years of Posilac safety tests. Immediate impacts: less milk, higher prices If FDA yanked Posilac, the impact on milk production would be immediately negative. Prices of dairy products and farm milk would soon start climbing. Here's why: * Probably 20-25% of all U.S. dairy farms use Posilac, normally on half or less of their lactating cows. Various reports indicate a 6-8 pound daily gain in treated cows' milk production. That's a lot of extra milk. * Posilac creates a metabolic dependency. Thus, many dairy cattle accustomed to the drug would "crash" for the remainder of their lactations, losing significant milk output. * A minor, but significant, percentage of U.S. dairy cows are in extended lactations because of high milk and replacement heifer prices, and low grain and beef prices … and Posilac. A normal lactation for a dairy cow is 300 days. Many cows in extended lactations are milking way over the 300-day norm. Take away the Posilac, and these cows would quickly become hamburger. Milk production would drop. The Milkweed estimates that prompt removal of Posilac would lower U.S. milk output by 2-4% - enough to restore favorable supply/demand balances and boost farm milk prices. Dairy commodity inventories are not burdensome. But there is too much farm milk for current demand. Who'd benefit from banning Posilac? Dairy commodity and farm milk prices would rise,if FDA were to follow its rules and immediately ban Posilac. Dairy at large would enjoy a better image among consumers. Posilac use has created public skepticism about milk's safety. The present wave of anti-food biotech concerns will only worsen this negative perception of dairy products. Who'd be hurt? Who would be hurt if FDA immediately banned Posilac? Obviously, such a ban would hurt Monsanto. But that consideration is irrelevant to public safety. Besides, Monsanto already has so many problems that one more wouldn't matter. Dairy farmers currently using Posilac would suffer a disproportionately high decline in milk production. Of course, dairy's present course is leading to ruin, anyway. The possible financial problems for Posilac users are a minor consideration, in view of the greater public food safety considerations. If some farmers lose money because their cows cannot milk efficiently unless they're poked with a syringe, then maybe those farmers should sue Monsanto. Larger, western dairies tend to use Posilac more than small and medium- sized family dairies in traditional milk-producing regions like the Northeast and Midwest. Data show that the "surplus" milk destroying dairy prices is coming from western states where dairies are expanding without heed to supply/demand. Thus, banning Posilac would inflict the economic pain on the sources of the milk surplus problem. Robert Cohen: Enemy of my enemy? Credit Robert Cohen with unveiling the significance of Monsanto's rbGH "switcheroo." Cohen, a New Jersey resident, is an ardent dairy critic. He believes dairy products are ill-advised for the adult diet. Cohen originally got into this fray by researching FDA's questionable human safety considerations for Posilac, and extended his concerns to all dairy products. Cohen is about one month into a hunger strike, demanding that FDA immediately yank approval for Monsanto's drug. He vows to maintain the hunger strike until FDA bans sale of Posilac … or until Cohen "looks death in the eye." Cohen appeared at the FDA public hearing on food and biotechnology in Washington, D.C. on November 30. That followed a two-hour session he held earlier in the month with FDA officials in Washington. Cohen reports that the ABC television program "20/20" is preparing a show questioning FDA's failure to yank approval for sale of Posilac, and require new safety studies once Monsanto changed the molecular structure of the synthetic hormone. Ironically, the citizen's petition Cohen filed with the FDA, which demands the agency immediately halt Posilac sales, represents dairy's best short-term solution for saving the souls on its sinking ship. In this case, Cohen is the "enemy of dairy farmers' enemy" - Posilac … the major source of unneeded milk. Dairy farmers and organizations should vigorously support Robert Cohen's petition. With pending major television coverage of the issue, it's better for dairy's true friends to be ahead of the curve on this volatile issue. Sadly, as 1999 is about to become 2000, many dairy farmers understand supply-demand and milk pricing little better than did dairy farmers at the close of the previous century. Immediately banning Posilac sales should only be the beginning of a top-to-bottom restructuring of knowledge, attitudes and practices by groups alle