November 6, 2013: "Voters Reject Genetically Modified Food Labels in Washington State Today" - The New York Times. June 4, 2013: "Monsanto Sues Over Genetically Modified Wheat" - USA Today. November 4, 2013: “Washington voters weigh ethics of genetically modified foods” – The Washington Post. If you read the newspaper or watch the news, you are undoubtedly aware of the ongoing debate over genetically modified foods. Is it bad or is it good? Between the conflicting parties, you may find yourself a little lost and wondering which side is right. Answers to seemingly simple questions were confusing or exaggerated on both sides. On the one hand, genetically modified food is more sustainable, safe, cheaper, easier to grow and has the potential to create disease-fighting foods. While this is positive and well-intentioned, there may be unintended consequences that we quickly overlooked. Those who oppose genetically modified food argue that it is dangerous, harms the environment, increases health risks and causes infertility and weight gain. Factors such as declining bee populations may also have closer links to modified foods than previously thought. We must look to science for answers. By studying genetically modified organisms (GMOs) we can guide our decisions about whether to consume them. GMOs are created by inserting the DNA of bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals into a "target species" to create desirable traits. Most foods today are modified to be resistant to pesticides and/or herbicides such as Roundup. The first and only genetically modified food approved by the FDA for human consumption was the Flavr Savr tomato, which hit grocery store shelves in 1994. Scientists at Calgene Inc. have modified... half of the paper.. .they're eating. Whether we should embrace or reject GMOs is a debate that will most likely always be two-sided. It will always be the companies that benefit from GMO production, and even if the products are labeled, people will undoubtedly continue to eat them. Whether you are for or against GMOs, it is our right as consumers to know what we are buying. People have the right to refuse to be GMO guinea pigs. Jeffery Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and author of Seeds of Deception, said: “We think the most common result of genetic engineering is surprise side effects. We therefore affirm that it is not responsible to feed the entire population with the products of this infantile science or release them into the environment where they can never be recalled. One day we may be able to manipulate DNA safely and predictably, but that's not today.”