Why Sassafras. Pragmatic Proof in the Pudding

Old Adages; Old Wisdom
Smoke and Fire.
There must be something to it.

The sassafras recurs in anecdote, in favorable ways, there must be something to it worth saving, promulgating. Is it really the FDA that first said it is a bad word? And then for its own self-interest?

1. The ancient sassafras survived all these eons because it was useful, adaptable, it fit in various food chains, supporting many eating off it, and repelling only those who might eat it all up - the rodents and the tiny shoots.

Venerable. Rich in heritage. Its leaves, at least as a relative of the bay plant (think bay leaves, and cooking), once circled the brows of ancient Greek sports and other heroes. See //www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/665896/Sassafras/ The tradition of the sassafras.

2. So who is the FDA to ban the sassafras and its useful safrole? Honk if you love it.

3. Who else loves Sassafras

3.1. Ancient religions, including Druidism as to a relative of sassafras.

Druids love the sassafras, see the Pittsburgh druid branch at ://www.sassafrasgrove.org/cgi-bin/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=Sass.HomePage/. Pronounce it: Ar nDriocht Fein. Its acronym is ADF. How could we have grown up there, in Pittsburgh, and not known? Druids. Where were you. See also ://www.adf.org/about/photos/sacred-space/sassafras/. Also Nordic, Wiccan, and searches get you into some occult things - the purpose here is not whether those are true and for you, but that for centuries people have found special qualities in the sassafras tree. Period. That in itself is worth noting.

• Also note that we refer to the "relative" of sassafras in the European druid tradition. That is because this site notes that sassafras is indigenous to the Western Hemisphere, so is inappropriately referred to in ancient Europe. How could the Druids have used it? Britannica, take off your gloves. Perhaps, like the Greek athletic heroes, the wreath of leaves is from the bay, a relative of the sassafras. Regardless, the sassafras is impressive in full stature, see ://www.floridata.com/ref/S/sass_alb.cfm/
  

3.2 With all these fine roots, how now comes the FDA to chop them down?

FDA, mis-testing fine old foods like the Sassafras

.

4. What will the FDA hit next:

Start your defensive filing cabinet now, for checking and vetting the FDA and other sources that seek to tell you what to think.

4.1. ON RELIGION

A good research site has an unfortunate name, the Skeptics Annotated Bible. Research what you want there, even as a non-skeptic. You will be safes. See ://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/BOM/index.htm/. Do not give the FDA a library card. They will ban something.

Click at the top there on whatever book you want - Bible, Book of Mormon or Quran/.

4.2. ON EVIL SPIRITS

Origins of "evil spirits" - try Dwindling in Unbelief (again, skip the titles, go for the content) at ://dwindlinginunbelief.blogspot.com/search/label/Bible/. Sometimes a blog happened upon is worth a close read, about killing and violence in the Bible, and in our times.

This will provide a vocabulary equal to the task, and imagery to imprint on our brains. With that, can we better address our own institutions who act as though we are at fault if we do not Believe? Does the FDA blame us for not believing in them? Are they affronted, or do they not care.

The ultimate in exclusionism, an institution fails to include the people on whose behalf they are supposed to regulate:

• fail to test,
  
• fail to provide funding for testing other than as industry provides in its tilted way,
  
• then declare Safrole is Out.