Plant People, Slavery, and Monsanto

"Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants" is a fantastic book by Robin Wall Kimmerer.  It has changed the way I think about other-than-human life on this planet.The author (CLICK HERE) presents a convincing case that not just humans but all the plants and animals on earth are "people." There are the tree people, the grass people, the bird people, etc. This is not just cute semantics. It is a different way of relating, one that honors the indigenous (in the US, the Native American) perspective. Taken seriously, it will completely change your relationship with the denizens of the planet. Now that the Supreme Court has determined corporations are "persons" (CLICK HERE), it is only just that we acknowledge that the plants and animals around us are also "persons." Which brings me to Monsanto. This corporate person claims to own certain of our plant relations. Monsanto creates special strains of plants that are resistant to the chemical herbicides it (he?) also produces, and it engages in highly restrictive practices to keep these plants from being grown in any way other than by purchasing the seed from it. I submit that such ownership of living things amounts to slavery, which is illegal under US law.

What is the remedy? It is really quite simple. All Monsanto patents that pertain to living beings should be declared null and void. Let’s set those slaves free! If you agree, send this post to all your friends and lets start a groundswell of support for freedom.