Marching Against Monsanto
On May 25, 100 of us gathered under the marquee of Silver City, NM’s Energy Ideal Green Boutique. We stood just feet away from the local farmer’s market and a few feet further from the local food coop. Many people grow their own food here, and our march was more of an affirmation of people doing the right thing than an impotent rage against an unscrupulous titan.
 A friend and I drummed. Most carried signs. Our circuit took us down the main street, up the highway and around the annual Silver City Blues festival. We were greeted with honks from the drivers and raised fists from pedestrians. The organizer in front of me danced with her NO GMO sign as if it were the sexiest partner she’d ever encountered.
 The protest was organized on facebook by recent Aldo Leopold High School graduates. The woman who kicked off the event admitted she’d never used a bullhorn before. None of that mattered. The town was behind us. The local sign making shop offered a beautiful banner. The food coop served lemonade.
 I gave up believing that a demonstration would change policy after a million people mobilized to protest the Iraq war to no avail. Monsanto is so fully entrenched in our government that it doesn’t need to heed the citizen’s cry.
 But there is power in knowing you are part of a worldwide movement for a healthier future. When we take control of our food supply, it doesn’t much matter what Monsanto does.
 So here’s to people power and the gentle reminders we offer one another when we unite.