Will Mr. Geranium Sue Mr. Dirt? And Will He Get Punitive Damages?

Do plants have rights? GMO fight returns to Oregon with Benton County vote

– Molly Harbarger | The Oregonian/OregonLive 

The battle over genetically-modified food has returned to Oregon, despite attempts by politicians to stop county-by-county bans…

Measure 2-89 would create a framework to stop farming that uses genetically-engineered plants or any seeds patented by corporations…

The Oregon Legislature in 2013 prohibited ballot measures and local governments’ GMO bans. While Jackson County’s was grandfathered in, a measure that passed in Josephine County was stymied. But backers of the Benton County ban are using a different tactic.

Measure 2-89 would give rights to natural resources themselves – bodies of water, soil, trees…

If passed, Measure 2-89 would allow the soil, water, plants and other natural resources involved in the production and distribution of food to be plaintiffs in lawsuits — though residents of the county would assist in filing the suits…

We Respond & Your Comments

Just when you think you’ve heard it all…when activists agitate for your pooch to have human rights and sue you if she doesn’t like her treats, when jailbirds sue for color TVs, when a moron who changed his name to “Jack Ass” sues Viacom for producing a show with the same name. But wait…there’s more.

Now we have Oregonians who want to grant rights to plants, soil and water. We can see it now. We can hear the bailiff announcing “The court of the honorable Judge Pasquale Pretzelhonk will now come to order. Comes before the court the case of Mr. Geranium vs Mr. Dirt, in which plaintiff Mr. Geranium demands injunctive relief for damages arising from defendant Mr. Dirt’s failure to allow water to drain to plaintiff Dirt’s roots.”

We join you in wondering what comes next.

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