To The Editor:
I would like to bring these concerns to President Obama while he enjoys his peaceful vacation on the beautiful island of Martha’s Vineyard.
I am a 59-year-old woman battling a rare form of leukemia called Essential Thrombocythemia, which is, my bone marrow produces three times more white blood cell platelets than I need, risking stroke or hemorrhage. I attribute my disease to a number of factors with mercury dental amalgams the top of the list. Other factors being environmental toxins — the use of pesticides and herbicides in agriculture (agriculture produces the highest amount of greenhouse gasses), the ingredients of chemicals in body products (toothpaste included), and synthetic chemicals from prescription medications flowing into our water supply, causing pollution, global warming and the PH balance in the oceans to decline.
I could go into detail regarding agriculture and the food and drug industry but realize you are well aware of the carcinogenic chemical spraying of crops, how livestock is treated (seen on the DVD “Eating”), the use of preservatives in foods, and genetically modified organisms in seeds. Again, causing pollution, global warming, and the PH balance in the oceans to decline. A frightening future for our children and grandchildren.
Regarding the use of the highly toxic heavy metal mercury in dental amalgams a dentist put in my granddaughters’ little mouths, I worry greatly about their health and future. How is it the American Dental Association is allowed to use this highly toxic heavy metal? They say it causes no harm and yet if a small ball of mercury was put into a good size lake it would be closed to fishing and still they are allowed to put this highly toxic heavy metal into our mouths, seeping into our bloodstream and lodging in our tissues taking years of detoxifying to remove. This heavy metal (among many other heavy metals from the environment) causes a number of debilitating neurological diseases, mine being one of them. I am healing myself with alternative therapies the bountiful earth supplies, without the use of the synthetic prescription medications my doctor prescribed. I use herbs and supplements, sadly not covered by insurance companies. I eat an all organic diet, and do yoga and walk keeping my spirit with the one of all goodness.
I am hopeful as I see more corporate companies going green, using people- and earth-friendly ingredients in their products, and organic farming and organic products are more available, but more needs to be done. The use of mercury in dental amalgams, and the use of carcinogenic chemicals in body product, and genetically modifying seeds should not be allowed.
Maybe an administration that would regulate the use of these toxic metals and chemicals that cause cancer and harm the earth could be formed (similar to the FDA). This would create jobs and allow the American public to know what they purchase is safe for their use and safe for the earth, providing a bright future for our children and grandchildren.
My hope is that these critical issues be addressed. Thank you.
Last note: If people were healthy there would be no health care crisis.
Cynthia Fitzgerald
West Tisbury