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HPV Vaccine – When Profits Come Before Safety By Dana Gabriel

Gardasil is a vaccine manufactured by Merck & Co., which targets the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and was approved by the FDA in June of 2006. It is administrated in three doses over a six-month period at a cost of between $360-400 per person, making it one of the most expensive vaccines of all time. It has been recommended for girls and young women, and there has been a push by some to make the vaccine mandatory in some states. This would translate into even more profits. Merck recently reported a 63% rise in net income for its third quarter. Total vaccine sales went from $555 million to $1.2 billion, fueled mostly by Gardasil. The vaccine is not a cure for cervical cancer, and many believe that its benefits have been greatly exaggerated, leading to a false sense of security. There are some who believe that the money spent on this expensive vaccine could have been better spent on pap smears, which can detect pre-cancerous cells. The HPV vaccine is being marketed as a cancer drug when it is essentially a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease. There is now a push towards mandating every new vaccine that comes out on the market, and it is unclear how long this particular vaccine's effectiveness will last. Many serious side effects including deaths have been linked to the HPV vaccine over the last several months. What is good for Big Pharma isn't necessarily good for our children.

HPV is a virus transmitted through sexual activity that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer. There are more than 100 different types of HPV, with 30 strains thought to be associated with cervical cancer. The new vaccine only prevents infections of four strains of HPV, and it has been due to more routine pap smears, that there has been a 70% decline in cervical cancer in the U.S. over the last few decades. Those who do get the virus don't automatically get cervical cancer with many infections clearing up. Girls who live a healthy lifestyle have little risk of developing cancer from HPV and cervical cancer most often develops in older women. It is those with compromised immune systems, women who don't get regular pap smears, those with multiple sexual partners, poor nutrition, and poor hygiene who are most vulnerable. There are many who believe that the vaccine will lead to more unprotected and underage sex and encourage promiscuity. Most trials of the vaccine were on adults, and there is no idea on its long-term effects on young girls. Some have accused Merck of assuming that because its tests were shown to be safe in older girls, the same would go for the younger ones. Diane M. Harper, a scientist, physician, professor, and director at the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at Dartmouth Medical School said, “it's not been tested in little girls for efficacy. At 11, the girls don't get cervical cancer- they won't know for 25 years if they will get cervical cancer.” She went on to say, “Giving it to 11 year-olds is a great big experiment.” The President of Judaical Watch said, “It looks as if an unproven vaccine with dangerous side effects is being pushed as a miracle drug.” Gardasil is based on fear-mongering and distortions, with many adverse effects which threaten our children.

Some have criticized that it took too long to get the HPV vaccine approved and on the market, and as a result lives were lost. In light of the fact that there has been some 11 deaths and thousands of adverse reactions reported, it appears as if more time and care should have be taken. In a rush to get it out on the market, we are shown another example of putting profits before safety. Almost immediately after the FDA approved the vaccine, there was a mad dash by some legislators, no doubt influenced by Merck lobbyists, to draft bills mandating vaccination programs in some states. Thanks to Judaical Watch obtaining important data through a Freedom of Information lawsuit, complications associated with the HPV vaccine were brought to the public's attention. The FDA had refused to release any information pertaining to adverse effects, even though some have died as a result of heart complications and blood clots associated with the vaccine. Some 25% of all complications reported were of serious nature and include tingling, numbness, temporary paralysis of the muscles, seizures, neurological conditions along with others. Some side effects published by Merck include pain, fever, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, headaches, toothaches, itching, and swelling after getting the shot. These aren't quite as serious as the ones that were left out. There have been many warnings of the dangers of pregnant women being vaccinated, and almost half who took the HPV vaccine while pregnant experienced side effects, some as serious as spontaneous abortions and malformed babies. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said, “The FDA adverse event reports on the HPV vaccine read like a catalog of horrors.” These disturbing side effects will only increase as more and more girls are vaccinated. In an effort to restore public confidence, both the FDA and Merck are denying that any of the deaths and serious adverse effects are linked to Gardasil. There must be a full investigation into the practices of Merck, the FDA, and the whole pharmaceutical industry. This seems like a case of Merck manipulating the medical profession, politicians, the media, and parents in order to achieve more profits.

In early 2007, Texas Governor Rick Perry passed an executive order that would have required girls 11-12 to take the HPV vaccine, completely bypassing the legislature and ignoring opposition from parental rights organizations. It later came out that there were connections between Merck and some in Perry's office. The Texas legislator blocked Perry's initiative, with the House voting 135-2 and making their decision veto-proof. Even before Gardasil was approved, there was an intense lobbying effort to get states to mandate the vaccine. CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta was pimping out the vaccine by doing on-air promotions for Gardasil eight months before it was approved. It came out that the organization,“Women in Government,” who have been actively promoting the vaccine, received financial contributions from Merck. It is also interesting to note that two of Merck's former biologists were on the FDA panel that approved Gardasil. Merck's aggressive lobbying efforts and the reports of thousands of adverse reactions and some deaths associated with the vaccine created a strong backlash, forcing them to abandon their goal of getting it mandated in every state. Any forced drugging or inoculations goes well beyond the state's role. It is a threat to parental authority and interferes with their rights to make medical decisions for their children.

Currently, 38 states have either passed or are considering legislation to mandate, fund, or educate the public on the HPV vaccine. Merck's affiliate Merck Frosst Canada has been busy lobbying the federal and provincial governments in that country. In July, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Government approved the HPV vaccine and later announced $300 million to be distributed among the provinces for vaccination programs. In the UK, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended that all 12 and 13 year-old girls be given the HPV vaccine, and also recommenced a catchup program. Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Luxembourg, Norway along with other countries have also recommended that Gardasil be given to girls and young women. Despite all the controversy associated with its new vaccine, Merck is poised to make a killing in profits, pardon the bad pun.

It now appears as if the FDA's role is to further facilitate and ensure profits for Big Pharma, and there is a goal of getting new drugs on the market more quickly and cheaply. This has resulted in less testing for safety and effectiveness. Do we really want to trust our children's health and lives with Merck? These are the same guys who have already displayed their willingness to put profits before safety. In the case of Vioxx, close to 30.000 people died in the name of greed and neglect. Merck has been accused of distorting negative disclosures, omitting information, and cherry-picking from their own research. Many are concerned, and rightfully so, that their latest cash cow Gardasil hasn't been properly tested, and there is a misconception by some that the the HPV vaccine will provide full protection against cervical cancer. Although it was originally marketed for girls, some are now advising that school-aged boys get the new vaccine as well, perhaps another attempt to increase profits. No one should be lab rats or guinea pigs. How many people are going to be sacrificed in the name of profits for Big Pharma before we all get mad and do something about it? There is a growing distrust among more and more parents towards vaccines and a genuine concern that their children are already overloaded with them. Parents must be better educated in order to make informed decisions, but ultimately the HPV vaccine is a matter of parental and individual choice, and in no way should it be mandated by the government.

Where's the Earth Live Concert to Draw Attention to the Dying Bees? By Dana Gabriel

This article is not a debate about global warming. Many believe that it is man-made, case closed. The truth is that there is still a lot we don't know. Furthermore, this view is not unanimously shared by all scientists as some would have us believe. Many assumptions from those in the environmental movement are shaping our future as some in these groups wish to radically alter our very existence with the goal of social engineering. The movement itself has been hijacked, and solutions to environmental concerns are being offered in the way of more taxes and control over what we can and cannot do. There is little doubt that we have done harm to our planet, but when faced with an environmental issue like bees dying around the globe, where is the outcry?

In late 2006 many beekeepers in the Eastern United States began reporting increasing amounts of honey bees vanishing from their hives, never to return. Many are attributing this to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which some scientists believe to be contagious. The loss of upwards of 90% of bees has been reported in 27 states. Bees are also disappearing in large numbers in Europe, Asia, and parts of South America. Massive die-offs have been reported in parts of Canada as well. New Brunswick has lost upwards of 85% of its bee colonies, Ontario close to 33%, and Quebec about 40%. Billions of bees have disappeared without a trace. It is interesting to note that CCD and massive die-offs have not been detected in the organic bee industry.

There have been many hypotheses and theories as to why so many bees are dying. It could very well be a combination of different things. Some scientists point to CCD, fungus, bacteria, genetically mortified crops, and even the use of cell phones for this phenomenon. Others suspect that temperature plays a big part in determining mass behavior in bees, while some U.S. beekeepers think that it was a late cold snap that caused massive die-offs this year. Many scientist believe that there is also a link between pesticide use and bees dying, and this could be the root cause of CCD. Bees which come into contact with herbicides, pesticides, as well as antibiotics used for pest control then have the toxins absorbed through the beeswax. Some studies have shown that pesticides may impair bees navigational and foraging abilities. New research by Spanish scientists attribute the mass disappearance of bees to a parasite called nosema ceranae, which has spread to parts of Europe, has crossed the Atlantic, and is present in Canada and Argentina. These Spanish researchers have yet to test samples from parts of the U.S. where many bees have gone missing.

Honeybees are vital to our food chain, with about 100 crop species dependent on pollination to varying degrees. These crops include cherries, blueberries, apples, almonds, asparagus, and others and honeybee hives are rented out to growers to pollinate these crops. There are other animals and creatures who pollinate such as birds, bats, beetles, and flies, and their numbers have also declined in the last number of years. More money and resources must be allocated to properly study and hopefully solve the mystery of why so many bees are dying.

Protecting our planet has turned increasingly more political and profitable for some as the environmental movement has switched from a more science-based approach to that of raw emotion and rhetoric, and has itself become a religion to many. Those who do not toe the line or who disagree are labeled heretics. Finding out why the bees are dying and trying to prevent it from happening is a real environmental issue that is being seemingly ignored by many. The recent Earth Live concerts were themselves riddled with hypocrisy and served as an opportunity for many to feel good about themselves, but did little to change other peoples minds. Despite the persistent bombardment from the media and government the fact is that global warming remains only a moderate concern to the majority of people. That is not to say that climate change isn't a legit issue that needs to be further studied, but the doom and gloom that global warming is going to kill us is itself interchangeable with the way terrorism is being used to scare the population into submission. There is still much we don't know about are own planet, much less the universe. Real solutions must be offered to environmental concerns and should include informing the public and drawing attention, but not forcing it upon them or making them think a certain way. Perhaps saving the bees will one day be seen as a cool and a trendy cause.

The loss of so many bees should be of great concern and importance. Unfortunately many try and capitalize on situations with sensationalism that can lead to fear mongering. Many have used a quote by Albert Einstein that says, “If the Bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left.” There still isn't a definitive reason why so many bees are disappearing and dying, but it should serve as a warning. We must stay focused on more research and communication, which will lead to a better understanding and real solutions to save the bees and further benefit mankind's existence.

Trusting The FDA Can be Hazardous to Your Health By Dana Gabriel

Recently there was an article where the question was posed, The FDA Friend or Foe? The FDA has been entrusted with keeping us safe from the foods we eat and the drugs we take. This is a daunting task, but in all to many cases it has failed miserably. It has become so bad that taking pharmaceutical drugs or eating food has become a deadly game of Russian roulette. The FDA is a broken agency, riddled with double standards and contradictions. Even an overhaul from top to bottom might not be enough to save this corrupt arrogant criminal agency that so many still blindly trust. Safeguards must be effectively and consistently maintained, and our well-being should never be compromised because of corporate interests.

China is the leading exporter of seafood to the U.S. and in late June, the FDA finally issued an import alert and banned five species of seafood. China lacks any effective food standards, and most of its seafood species are raised in raw sewage that is treated with drugs and chemicals, many banned by the FDA. China tops the list of food imports being refused, but more needs to be done. In 2006, only 0.88% of China's seafood coming into the U.S. was inspected. Some toothpaste from China has now been found to contain diethylene glycol, an industrial solvent used in paint and antifreeze. Just a couple of months ago thousands of pets died from contaminated pet food from China. In addition, many American and Canadian companies are using Chinese ingredients in their products, which could pose a health risk. There is currently no safety standards between the U.S. and China on food and drugs, as well as other imports. To put this crisis in better perspective, nearly a fifth of China's own food and consumer products were found to be substandard or tainted. This should serve as a wake-up call to the FDA as their current mechanisms in place are not effective and reliable enough to properly test and track foods being imported. Instead of preventing, the FDA is only reacting to this ever growing crisis.

The FDA claims that it has never been presented with any credible scientific proof that aspartame is dangerous and has stuck to its claims that it is safe, even faced with substantial evidence stating the opposite. There is too much money at stake, therefore it has tried to disprove and discredit, or simply ignore the mounting evidence. A new long-term study by the Italian Ramazzini Foundation found increases in lymphomas, leukemias and breast cancer, with rats that were given as little as 20 mg per kg of body weight. This is comparable to what some people consume daily. The acceptable daily intake of aspartame in the U.S. is 50 mg per kg of body weight. The new study lead to the Center for Science in the Public Interests (CSPI) and other leading experts to demand an FDA review of the new findings. The CSPI has classified aspartame as one of the additives to avoid and has called on the food industry to voluntary switch over to a more safe substitute. Preventively, we can start eliminating aspartame from our diets now as it might be a cold day in hell before the FDA admits to its dangers, much less bans its use.

The FDA is poised to become a drug company of its own under the guise of protecting us. It would become involved in every aspect of the drugs it develops, including patents and licensing. A recent Senate Bill (HR.2900) has only deepened the agency's financial ties to Big Pharma, and rewards the FDA for failing to adequately protect the American public with even more power and money. Everything being done is to further facilitate and ensure profits for the pharmaceutical industry, with the goal of getting new drugs on the market more quickly and cheaply. This results in even less testing for safety and effectiveness. The FDA is out to destroy the alternative health industry, and it has sought to undermine DSHEA, which was put in place to protect consumer rights in regards to nutritional supplements. If health options don't exist or are severely limited, it would give Big Pharma a virtual monopoly, and we would all be forced into taking expensive prescription drugs without any options. We need to further protect our health freedoms.

For years, Big Pharma has attempted to operate with impunity and prevent consumers from suing them over harm caused by FDA approved drugs. It is criminal how the two work in tandem, praying and victimizing the American people. Every year, upwards of 100.000 people are killed by drugs the FDA has deemed safe. A lot of these deaths could have, should have and would have been prevented if the FDA took protecting American lives as seriously as it does protecting profits for Big Pharma. With a rush to get them on the market, some of these drugs are not properly tested or labeled. At the first sign of problems, any drug should be pulled off the the market and further tested and relabeled to account for more potential risks. Law suits against Pfizer and Zoloft lead to the FDA requiring antidepressant manufactures to add suicide warnings to their labels, a change that many saw as long overdue. In the case of Vioxx, it took 14 months for labels to be changed, and in that time more people died needlessly.

The FDA is suppose to ensure our safety, but it has long since been taken over by the very same industries it was mandated to regulate and protect us from. It is impossible not to see the intimate ties between the FDA and Big Pharma. They don't even try and hide it anymore. The FDA is also in the process of expanding its criminal ways, helping to harmonize food and drug regulations with those of Canada and Mexico. This is being done without Congressional oversight and violates the Administrative Procedures Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and other laws. In so many cases, the FDA is allowed to operate above the law with reckless abandonment. The approval of drugs and the inspection of food should never take a backseat to our safety or well-being. With Chinese food scares being reported almost every week, there is a potential for a major catastrophe. The FDA has proven that it doesn't have our best interest at heart, and is no longer up to the task of keeping Americans safe.

Towards a One World Religion By Dana Gabriel

In order to ever realize the creation of a one world government, it only makes sense that there would need to be a one world religion. It will be much easier to control us if we are all the same, therefore there is a push for the globalization of religion. Many believe that peace can only be achieved by uniting the world under one umbrella. Those who have called for a new world order include the late Pope John Paul II and the current Pope Benedict XVI. Throughout his papacy, John Paul II preached a message of peace, hope, and the bringing together of all religions. The United Nations and the European Union have also participated and sponsored interfaith meetings, very much paralleling this same theme. My intentions are in no way to bash or single out any religion, but rather to point to the fact that there is a movement, and an agenda by some to create a new religious order. Christian scholars point to a time in the Bible where the world will unite under a false religious and political system.

In the year 2000, the United Nations held its first ever Millennium World Peace Summit. It brought together thousands of the world's preeminent religious and spiritual leaders, thus marking a major step towards the creation of a global religious body. This was the first time such an event had taken place through the UN. A new declaration of peace created the beginning of an era of collaboration between religions, with the UN as its surrogate. All in attendance also pledged their support for the UN and then Secretary General Kofi Anan. The Council of Religious and Spiritual Leaders was also spawned from this summit, which later led to some high-level international interfaith dialogue. New ager Robert Muller, former assistant Secretary General to the UN, states in his book New Genesis: Shaping a Global Spirituality that he believes, “ If Christ came back to earth, his first visit would be the United Nations to see if his dream of human oneness and brotherhood had come true. He would be happy to see representatives from all nations.” He has also shared in a prior statement that world unity cannot be achieved without a one world government and religion. Could the United Nations be positioning itself to be the center of such a religious order? With the further convergence of the New Age movement, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Luciferian occultism, Taoism, Pantheism and Aboriginal Animism through the United Nations, it would be correct to equate the UN as a new modern-day Tower of Babel. By uniting the world under a new religious body, the people would then peacefully accept the UN's agenda and its goals, such as population control and the creation of a one-world government.

Many do believe that in order to achieve a world where there is no conflict, feuds, or wars, there will have to be a bringing together of all faiths. Can everlasting peace ever be achieved? Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yona Metzger, has called for the creation of a world body whose representatives are from all major religions. While addressing the International Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace in March of 2006, he stated that the idea of a “ United Nations of religious groups” could “bring a bridge between religions to help the bridge of the diplomatic way.” In June of 2006, the European Union held a high-profile series of interfaith meetings. It was attended by Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist leaders, including the Dahli Lama, as well as some influential European politicians. The late Pope John Paul II sought to draw representatives of all religions into a greater mutual spiritual understanding and a respect of shared values and beliefs.

Pope John Paul II has been praised for bringing a dialogue of friendship and understanding between Orthodox, Christian Denominations, and non-Christians. His mission was one of great reconciliation between all religions, visiting and praying with many, and even preaching in a Lutheran church. He was the first Pope to visit a Synagogue, and to visit a memorial at Auschwitz. Pope John Paul II is credited in further establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and the Vatican, thus ending Catholic and Jewish estrangement. Not only did he reach out to Christian religions, he also engaged in dialogues with high priests and witch doctors of voodoo, taking part in animist rites in the Sacred Forest in Togo. In 1986, in Assisi, Italy, Pope John Paul II held prayers for peace, inviting spiritual leaders from 12 of the world's major religions. For the first time in history, leaders from all the major religions assembled in one place, bringing Jews, Buddhists, Shintoists, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Hindus, Unitarians, traditional African, and Native American religions. Side by side, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant religious leaders prayed for peace, with the Dahli Lama even placing a statue of Buddha on the altar. Pope John Paul II claimed that they were all praying to the same God for the same purpose, and that their spiritual energy was bringing about a new climate of peace. Catholic-Muslim dialogue expanded under John Paul the II's leadership, and he often spoke of a bond between Christianity and Islam, holding them in very high regard.

For decades, the Catholic church has been seeking a common approach toward Islam, evident by the 1994 Vatican publication “Recognize the Spiritual Bonds Which Unite us,” directed towards Muslims and Catholics alike. John Paul II was the first Pope to enter a Muslim place of worship, visiting the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. He also visited Morocco at the invitation of some of its religious leaders, and in May of 1999, he kissed the Koran. At a later rally with thousands of Muslim youth in attendance, he said, “we believe in the same God, the one God, the living God.” In 1969, the World Council of Churches gathered with Christians and Muslims, setting the stage for future dialogue. There was the Tripoli Christian-Muslim Seminar in 1976, as well as open dialogue engaged through the Royal Academy for Islamic Civilization Research. Pope John Paul II addressed Catholics in Turkey saying, “I wonder if it is now urgent, precisely today when Christians and Muslims have entered a new period of history, to recognize and develop the spiritual bonds that unite us.”

More recently, there was criticism directed towards Pope Benedict XVI for quoting a Byzantine emperor, who characterized some of Mohamed's teachings as evil and inhumane. To try and heal this rift, he later traveled to Turkey and openly called for further Muslim-Christian dialogue, preaching respect for the differences between both faiths, and emphasizing what they have in common. He became the second pontiff to visit a mosque, praying a silent prayer while the Muslim cleric prayed out loud as they both faced Mecca. The ongoing dialogue throughout the years has been aimed towards contributing to world peace. Under the late Pope John Paul II papacy, the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue was established, as he believed that the challenges of peace transcended religious differences.

Many key indicators suggest that we are on the path towards a one-world religion. The Dahli Lama, who preaches a message of peace, believes that it can only be achieved through world, political, and spiritual unity. Alice Bailey, one of the founders of the New Age movement, also envisioned a one- world religion. The World Council of Churches has stated that the practices and concepts from other religions must be introduced into the Christian faith in order to merge them. Former assistant Secretary General to the UN, Robert Muller, states, “The world's major religions must speed up dramatically their ecumenical movement and recognize the unity of their objectives in the diversity of their cults. Religions must actively cooperate to bring to unprecedented heights a better understanding of the mysteries of life and our place in the universe. 'My religion, right or wrong,' and 'My nation. Right or wrong' must be abandoned forever in the planetary age.” The late Pope John Paul II predicted that there would be a day when there would be a unity of faith, and that all religions would worship together. He made important overtures to non-Christian religions and believed in a multi-faith approach. It remains to be seen if all churches, faiths, religions, organizations, and individuals will conform and allow themselves to be co-opted, thus watering down their core principles, and even compromising some of their beliefs in the name of peace and security.

The Aspartame Cover-Up? By Dana Gabriel

Ever since aspartame was first approved in foods and carbonated beverages as a sweetener, there has been a fire storm of controversy surrounding it. Although the FDA claims that it is one of the safest and most thoroughly tested food additives ever approved, some believe it has many side effects. A recently released Italian study reaffirms their own research from 2005 that there is an increase in cancer risks associated with aspartame. With each study citing its dangers, there is one that counters its conclusions and states the opposite. The FDA is once again busy proclaiming that it is safe and that there is no link to cancer. Yet many well researched studies by respected individuals and institutions point to aspartame as the cause of toxic reactions and illnesses. Is this a case of the FDA covering up potential risks associated with aspartame to protect the profits of large corporations? This wouldn't be the first time they have put greed ahead of our health and safety. Despite the FDA's assurances, many are making a conscious effort to avoid it in their diet. This is being done without suggestions from their doctors or support from traditional medicine. In fact in some cases, it is the patients who are educating their own physicians to the potential risks associated with aspartame.

The approval of aspartame in foods in 1981 was done under questionable circumstances, with some in the FDA recommending that it not be approved. In 1996, one of the FDA's own toxicologists, Dr. Adrian Gross, warned of it's potential to cause brain tumors and cancer. If this admission is true, it would completely violate amendments, which forbid adding any substance to food that is cancer-causing. Aspartame is not so much an additive as it is a drug and it interacts with other drugs. Methanol or wood alcohol constitutes one third of the aspartame molecule and is classified as a severe metabolic poison or narcotic. Although possible side effects can be immediate, it has been called the silent slow killer because it appears to cause gradual damage over long term use. It has brought more complaints than any other additive, and in 1995 the FDA was forced to release a list of 92 possible symptoms related to aspartame intake.

It is entirely possible that aspartame is the cause of many diseases and mystery illnesses. It breaks down into a solution, and as a result is able to travel throughout the body and deposit with any tissue. Possible side effects vary from person to person because it is directly related to genetic individuality and physical weaknesses. Some researchers claim that it is responsible for the epidemic of diabetes and connected with the sharp increase in obesity. Other studies have found that it causes depletion of serotonin that can lead to behavioral and psychiatric problems. There have been numerous side effects linked to aspartame which include blindness, headaches, migraines, dizziness, sleeplessness, memory loss, buzzing or ringing sound, nausea, shortness of breath, and allergies. Some leading doctors and researchers have cited that it might trigger, mimic, and even cause diseases such as Lyme, Graves', Alzheimer's, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and others. It has also been linked to sever depression, birth defects, suicidal tendencies, aggressive behavior, hyperactivity in children, and death. Some say that aspartame is being used as a scapegoat to explain the cause of a wide number of ailments.

Leading Italian researcher Dr. Morando Soffritti concluded from his first study in 2005 that aspartame leads to higher rates of lymphoma and leukemia in rats. He found that aspartame consisting of two amino acids and a methanol binding agent caused the cancer. The FDA concluded after a review of the study that there was no data to support his claims. The European Food Safety Authority came to the same conclusions. Results of a second study through the Ramazzini Institute backed up the findings of the first one. It dealt with the negative health effects associated with low doses of aspartame that would be equivalent to the intake of diet drinks on a daily basis. Dr. Soffritti's second study also confirmed that it is carcinogenic

Aspartame is now found in over 6000 products including soft drinks, gum, yogurt and many other sugar-free items. Personally, if I am going to have sugar, I prefer that it is in it's natural form. Often I find myself checking labels and ingredients, trying to stay away from aspartame. My experiences include getting bad headaches after drinking diet colas or chewing gum containing aspartame. Although I don't have any scientific proof that aspartame was the cause, that was enough for me to start avoiding it. My article is intended to serve more as a cautionary warning to aspartame's possible side effects. There are many different conflicting studies and it can be very confusing. Ultimately, we are left with the decision whom to believe and trust.

Many people now associate some of their health issues as a direct result of aspartame poisoning. Although I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, it only makes sense to keep ones diet simple and include plenty of raw, natural foods and to avoid artificial, refined, and prepared foods packed with preservatives. Even our fresh foods are contaminated with pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. As consumers, we can dictate the market. For example, there has been an explosion in the availability of organic foods, which was a direct result of consumer demands. The British Supermarket Sainsbury's is in the process of banning artificial colors, flavors, and aspartame in their own brand foods and soft drinks. This is being done as a result of studies showing that this is what customers are demanding. The aspartame controversy isn't over, as some continue to claim that it is safe, while others warn of its dangers. In the end, the use of aspartame becomes a personal issue.

The Gay Indoctrination of Our Children By Dana Gabriel

There was a time in my life when I was very homophobic, even engaging in some verbal gay bashing. I am thankful that it never turned violent or physical. In the last 10 years I had two friends who were homosexuals. One was openly gay, while the other hadn't quite come out of the closet yet. Although I do not condone this lifestyle, I am thankful for their friendship and the tolerance that was bestowed upon me. What I do take exception to is the way homosexuality is being taught and celebrated in our public schools. Students are being subjected to gay indoctrination, sometimes without parental knowledge. Our society is being re-engineered, and the family unit is under attack. The teaching of the gay lifestyle is designed to further weaken the social and cultural fabric of our society.

A school in Deerfield, Illinois recently subjected 14 year-old students to gay indoctrination seminars. The students were instructed by school officials to promise not to tell their parents, and it was reported that this included having them sign a confidentiality agreement. This is not an isolated incident as all across America students are being taught to accept and even endorse the gay lifestyle. The homosexual lifestyle is being glorified and students are being desensitized to contrary values. Everywhere you turn the public school system is constantly trying to bypass parental authority. Some see it as the duty and responsibility of schools to teach and normalize homosexual behavior. This plays right into the UNESCO agenda, where parents should not be allowed to shield their children from any harmful groups or philosophies.

Many states now require parental notification when any controversial issue like homosexuality is discussed with their children. This still doesn't stop schools like Estabrook Elementary in Lexington, Massachusetts from reading the book “King and King” about homosexual romances and marriage to second graders. Many children, even as young as kindergarten ages, have already watched a homosexual training video called “It's Elementary.” The goals are to condition and desensitize children. They are being brainwashed into accepting homosexuality and made to believe that anyone opposed to this lifestyle, including their own parents, our intolerant bigots. Recently, a principal banned parents from a seminar that was part of the schools “Transgender Bisexual Gay Lesbian Awareness Day.” The children were given pamphlets that included a questionnaire explaining how to know if they were gay. It also went into what it means to be gay and where to meet other gay people.

In this age of political correctness, tolerance towards homosexuals is circumventing free speech, and students using the word “gay” at school are being disciplined. A student in California was suspended for saying “that's gay” during a soccer game. School officials viewed it as negative and said it amounted to sexual harassment. This is yet another example of trying to normalize homosexuality and silence anyone who might disagree with the gay lifestyle. It is setting a precedent that free speech in regards to homosexuality will not be tolerated unless it is portrayed in a positive manner. Call me guilty because I have used the word gay in referring to something, but in no way was it ever meant to be derogatory or disrespectful. Across the country students are being suspended for holding signs, passing out literature, or wearing shirts with a biblical message opposing homosexuality.

California, more then any other state, has been trying to pass legislation that would openly promote homosexuality and ban public schools from teaching anything negative associated with the gay lifestyle. Currently, there is a bill which would require schools to portray homosexuality, bisexuality, and transexuality in a favorable manner. This is similar to one that was vetoed last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. It means banning references to mom and dad in public schools and the editing of such other harmful and hateful words like husband and wife from school textbooks. How far are we going to go not to offend homosexuals? There is an attempt to prevent people with any type of moral compass and religious principles from expressing and passing on their value system and beliefs to their children.

The Continued Assault on Our Health Freedoms By Dana Gabriel

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are once again trying to ban and regulate vitamins, minerals, nutritional supplements and some alternative therapies. This is not the first time they have attempted this, and they won't stop until they are successful. Already having regulatory control over lucrative pharmaceutical drugs, they would like nothing better then to control and dominate natural medicines as well. In essence, the real purpose of the FDA is to now protect and insure huge profits for Big Pharma. If that wasn't enough, they also want a share of the drug business. If passed, the Revitalization Act would create a new government run pharmaceutical company headed by officials of the FDA. This would give them the power to license pharmaceuticals and collect royalties. Talk about a conflict of interest.

The FDA wants control of the alternative health industry and the power to regulate what they consider treatment for diseases. Under the new Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), guidelines enacted through document 2006D-0480 would give them complete control. Although they claim that nothing would really change, the goal is to micromanage natural medicines so that Big Pharma could profit from it. They can then choose to jack up the prices or eliminate some of the vitamins altogether. Either way, pharmaceutical companies win with inflated prices and limiting health options, so those who are ill or looking for alternatives would be forced into taking expensive drugs.

Imagine having to get a doctors prescription for vitamin C or raw sprouts and other natural cancer fighting foods and supplements being regulated as drugs. It sounds absurd, but the FDA wishes to classify any vitamin, herb or mineral that combats disease as a drug. The growing and selling of some common garden herbs could lead to drug arrests. They want to even classify hot stone therapy and hand held massager's as medical devices. These are but a few examples of the tyranny in store for us if we do not stop this madness. They want to put an end to natural, non-drug alternatives, and even prevent us from seeing a chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapist or anyone who isn't classified as a licensed medical doctor.

Now I'm not saying that all prescription drugs are bad, and some do serve a purpose, but where is the incentive to cure disease when there is more money to be made in allowing sick people to live with their conditions by taking these drugs? In many ways doctors are to blame, and some are seduced and influenced by Big Pharma to prescribe the latest drugs. It is all to easy to dispense drugs for health issues to control and maintain a problem then to get to the actual root cause of the ailment. The bottom line is that these drugs are being abused by those who prescribe them as well as by the patients who only to willingly gobble them up. God forbid we have a healthy population when there is huge profits to be made if people remain sick and hooked on these drugs.

There is little doubt that the FDA bends over backwards for Big Pharma, with the two working hand in hand. The FDA has knowingly released and approved some drugs that have not been properly tested. Although it is entrusted in keeping the public safe from harmful foods and drugs, in some cases they have done the opposite, putting millions at risk. Every year 300,000 Americans are killed by the very same medicines that are suppose to be helping them. One of these such drugs is Vioxx, which killed over 28,000 people, a few years back. The scary thing is that there is literally thousands of drugs available, some potentially dangerous. So what if people die, as long as huge profits are made. Then the drug can be pulled off the market, only to be replaced by another. What a racket. The FDA also has a long storied history of trying to withhold and even suppress some alternative medicines and cures.

In the early 1990's, some health food stores and treatment centers were raided by armed FDA agents. This lead to a public backlash and the implementation of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) to protect American consumer's right to purchase and use natural supplements. Since then the FDA has been hard at work, trying to bypass and destroy DSHEA. If the FDA is not successful, there is a sub group of the United Nations, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is busy harmonizing food and supplement rules between member nations. With power provided by the WTO, they are skirting around domestic laws. The FDA has also agreed to a trilateral deal with Mexico and Canada . Through the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America and this new Trilateral Cooperation Charter, public access to food supplements and vitamins could be regulated and limited.

The pharmaceutical industry is quite aware that some natural medicines and therapies are more effective then their own drugs. More and more people are searching for alternatives, and Big Pharma is losing some market share. With help from the FDA ,they wish to have a complete monopoly. By banning or heavily regulating vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements, they would achieve this. They could dictate the price & availability, or simply do away with the entire industry altogether. The FDA has extended the deadline for public comment to May 29 on the new CAM guidelines. It is imperative that we speak out against the adoption of 2006D-0480 to preserve our health freedoms and save more lives.