Roundup Weed Killer Jury Verdict Pits ‘Progressive’ Moms Against Each Other

Opinion

What did Watts know and when did she know it? It’s time to see how the lunatic gun grab lobby fares with lawmakers against the environmental case lobby. (Moms Demand Action/Facebook)

USA – -(Ammoland.com)- “The Johnson vs. Monsanto verdict is a win for all of humanity and all life on earth,” Zen Honeycutt of Moms Across America exulted in a Saturday AFP report.

The founding executive director of the non-profit group was commenting on a California jury award of nearly $290 million in a case that argued products containing the chemical compound glyphosate, Roundup and RangerPro, “‘contributed’ substantially” to groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson’s terminal cancer.

Naturally Monsanto is claiming the jury was wrong.  With “thousands of potential future claims” expected, an appeal is as well.

Keep in mind this did take place in a San Francisco courtroom, and the perception of California law is that it reaches into the ridiculous, essentially declaring that “everything gives you cancer.” The UN’s World Health Organization and socialist French President Emmanuel Macron being for a glyphosate ban doesn’t add to the credibility of their warnings with people who have seen “progressive” hysteria and overreach in other areas. And as for Honeycutt, some dismiss her as a “loon” (with her in turn reportedly dismissing them as “mommy shamers.”)

The purpose here is not to weigh in on the glyphosate debate, but to point out a potential collision with another activist “progressive” Mom, Shannon Watts.

Watts, who “prior to founding Moms Demand Action, was a stay-at-home mom and former communications executive.” Before she decided to start treating firearms ownership like a cancer, guess who she worked for.

Monsanto. And contractually, for its new owner, Bayer.

Her LinkedIn profile documents “stay-at-home mom” Watts was Vice President of Corporate and Public Affairs Company for PR firm Fleishman-Hillard from 1998 to 2001, claiming she “Directed [a] seven-member team that identified and managed issues and crises for clients, including Monsanto Company [and] Bayer Corporation.” From 2001 to 2004 she assumed the position of Director, Global Public and Corporate Affairs Company for Monsanto, where Watts says she “Provided corporate communications strategy and support for Fortune 500 life sciences and agricultural company.” [all this while a “stay at home mom”…]

A May 2018 report on the Johnson lawsuit in the UK’s The Guardian was headlined “Landmark lawsuit claims Monsanto hid cancer danger of weedkiller for decades.” That means the alleged hiding of “cancer danger” was going on during Watts’ watch. And more than just hiding:

“Monsanto ‘championed falsified data and attacked legitimate studies’ that revealed dangers of its herbicides, and led a ‘prolonged campaign of misinformation’ to convince government agencies, farmers and consumers that Roundup was safe, according to Johnson’s lawsuit.

Did Watts, in her positions of flacking for corporate masters, have a hand in that? If so, allegations of “champion[ing] falsified data and attack[ing] legitimate studies” assume a whole new level of credibility when you consider what she now does against guns.  Or are we to believe the Global Public and Corporate Affairs Director, whose media expertise would be needed to defend the company’s image, was intentionally kept in the dark?

It’s legitimate to ask her that, to look at the work product she produced related to Monsanto’s defense of its product, and to see if the founder of “progressive” Moms Demand Action is still at irreconcilable odds with the founder of “progressive” Moms Across America — or if she will decide it best to forsake her former benefactors.


About David Codrea:David Codrea

David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating / defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.
In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and associate editor for Oath Keepers, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.

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Repo

do you think shannons husband hates when he has to tell his friends who his wife is or have his balls been kept in her purse for so long that hes not allowed unapproved friends? i bet he looks forward to the sweet release if death..

Timothy Votaw

Ooooh, the comments here on David’s excellent viewpoint are right on. Cannot add anything to them, they hit the nail on the head, collectively. Not even a troll, so far. I am encouraged that we men have not ALL given up our manhood to become mewing kitty-cats in the face of militant females using “mommyhood” as their “get out of jail free” passcard. I loved my mommy like life itself, most of us do, or did, whether ours or the mother of our children. But as is so very common on the Left, nothing is sacred when it comes to… Read more »

Longhaired Redneck

Bravo! You called Shannon Twatts a “sacred cow”. While the jury is still out on whether or not she is sacred, it’s obvious that she’s a cow…

Tionico

Or are we to believe the Global Public and Corporate Affairs Director, whose media expertise would be needed to defend the company’s image, was intentionally kept in the dark? Some folks believe in the Tooth Fairy too. This female (I will not grace her image with the title “woman”) is a poser, an opportunist, and a shamless hustler selling what’s left of her soul to the highest bidder. Happens to be Bloomie and Friends these days, formerly the tyrants at Monsanto. She is likely more aware than 3/4 of the population at large to the real dangers of glyphosate. And… Read more »

Alan

Probably the latter, but on that subject, “that subject” being compensation, who or what might it be that pays her bills.

Wild Bill

Zen Honeycutt of Moms Across America versus Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Action! Codrea, you have a brilliant sense of humor!

Wzrd

Must be why she was hired by Bloomberg & Soros to front their misinformation campaign. They saw how good she was at doing the same job for Monsanto.

Vanns40

Shannon Watts is very accomplished at evading being backed into a corner by anyone. I’m no great fan of Dana Loesch, she’s on the right side of the gun control issue she’s just not very knowledgeable, but it is telling that every time Loesch has offered to debate Watts the only reply has been the chirping of crickets. In fact, Watts refuses all requests for debates and only does interviews with “friendly” venues and as soon as someone challenges her on social media she blocks them. The “mommy at home folding towels” schtick has been debunked many times. Now might… Read more »

Todd Noebel

In short, she’s being asked to pick which of her lies is the least repugnant to stand behind. She’s a paid mouthpiece that makes most hypocrites look rational. She has armed security. She blocks anyone who dares present her with facts that are in contrast wit her claims.

If moms really want to demand action, how about demanding integrity?

Mike in Texas

From a May 14 Article in The Truth About Guns.com: The standard tactic from Michael Bloomberg’s personally funded Gun Control Hysteria Formerly Known as Moms Demand Action is pretty well established by now. Step one: pick a common fast food restaurant that an upper middle class white family would regularly visit. Step two: find an instance of scary looking guns being in one of their locations. Step three: bully the fast food chain until they can claim some minor form of victory. Step four: claim that “gun bullies” are trying to unfairly force their opinion on the same restaurants that… Read more »

FloridaGunOwner

She can talk out of both sides of her mouth and yet her lips aren’t moving! She’s never going to answer for what she did while working for them and she will never have a civil conversation about guns, so she’s a lost cause. Because if she could really see the day of light when it comes to gun control, she could be a big voice. What happens. When someone breaks into her home in the middle of the night, does she call the police and wait 20-30mins? Or does she make enough money with her MDA group that she… Read more »