Radical?

My wife recently got a disgruntled response from a friend regarding an email warning that the FDA and USDA are attempting to "loosen" restrictions on organic food guidelines. The words "radical beliefs" were used and upon reading her response, today's topic was instantly aroused.

What is radical? According to the dictionary, here are the definitions:

1. Arising from or going to a root or source; basic: proposed a radical solution to the problem.
2. Departing markedly from the usual or customary; extreme: radical opinions on education.
3. Favoring or effecting fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions: radical political views.
4. Linguistics. Of or being a root: a radical form.
5. Botany. Arising from the root or its crown: radical leaves.
6. Slang. Excellent; wonderful.

At first being called a "radical" is like profanity. But after reading the definition, my answer is a resounding YES. Though the connotations are usually negative (and for good reason in many cases) "radicals" have changed the face of the earth throughout history. These "radicals" include people like Rosa Parks, Christopher Columbus, Martin Luther King, and the most radical person of all time, Jesus.

I think it's time for a "radical" solution to the usual and customary. These common practices such as placing our kids on "prescription cocaine" (Ritalin), pumping babies full of mercury just hours after they are born, removing "spare organs" after we've damaged them beyond repair with poor lifestyle choices, and accepting excessive prescriptions so Doctors and Drug Company CEO's don't have to collect food stamps to feed their children (little bit of sarcasm there). This is craziness that even the Doctors who practiced "bloodletting" would cringe at if they saw what we commonly accept today.

If taking care of yourself is radical, if living life to it's fullest is radical, then sign me up for radical. I can only hope that my efforts can help to radically change the face of our nation for the better of our children's future. It's time we all do something "radical" and go plant seeds in all of our friends and loved ones.

PS: Dear FBI, USDA, and FDA officials. Please read the entire context of this email before tapping my email, freezing my bank accounts, and placing me on the terrorist blacklist...