Real Patriots stop fascism. Greed/racism/sexism=evil. Blue + back the blue. Woke AF. A better world is possible but we have to fight to keep it (vote always):
Most people worry about pesticides on their food. Almost nobody thinks about pesticides on the flowers they bought.
Cut flowers aren't food, so most people never think about pesticide residue. But commercial flowers are often grown for one thing above all else: looking perfect. No holes. No spots. No aphids. No blemishes. No evidence that insects even exist.
And that kind of perfection takes chemicals, and a lot of them.
One study of roses, gerberas, and chrysanthemums sold as cut flowers found 107 different pesticide active substances. Roses were the worst: an average of 14 pesticide residues per sample.
This is the ugly irony of the flower industry. We buy flowers because they symbolize nature, beauty, love, grief, celebration, apology, and care. But many of those flowers are grown in systems that can poison workers, expose florists to residues, contaminate water, and kill the insects flowers are supposed to feed.
And because most supermarket flowers are grown far away, sprayed for perfection, refrigerated, shipped, wrapped in plastic, and thrown out within days, the whole thing is basically fast fashion for plants.
The fix isn't to never buy flowers. The fix is to buy better flowers from local growers who can tell you how they grow. Look for organic or low-spray farms. Ask florists where their flowers come from. Skip the imported supermarket roses when you can.
A bouquet doesn't have to come at the expense of the creatures flowers exist to feed.
@DearsStephanie@Coste1Costello Right. Many don't do the homework - they just listen to the vacuous lies and decide the clown spectacle beats real legislating and integrity.
Actually, we should end citizenship for fascist, anti-democratic billionaires and their bought-and-paid-for incumbents. That would make America great again.
Americans: Let's elect an unhinged, corrupt, depressing autocracy because *spectacle*, *racism*, *sexism*, *apathy*. Didn't bother to read or believe Project 2025. What a tragic 250th year that didn't have to happen.
Rep. @GregCasar: I wish I could stand before you today and say this ruling was only good news, but it is not. While we won the case today, we also got a grave warning about the future. What should have been a simple, unanimous, open and shut decision was dangerously close. Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh failed to recognize the fundamental Constitutional right to birthright citizenship. If these far right justices are ruling against our rights, even when they're black and white in the Constitution, then nothing we hold dear is safe.