The Cloak. Last I checked death and enslavement are not listed among the ingredients on a Hershey chocolate bar. But listed or not they are in there. As stories of the company’s involvement in West African cocoa production continue to come to light, especially at this time of year, Hershey responds with some surprise and much regret. But the practices don’t change and they continue to engage in efforts to obscure the true contents of their products.

The Swagger. In just two weeks Oregon voters will decide on whether they have a right to know what’s in their food. A GMO right to know initiative was defeated here in Washington last year. Hopefully Oregon will be more successful. But it’s tenuous. Corporations have barged into this election and spent well over nine million dollars to defeat the initiative. As you can see, Hershey features prominently on this list.

What is it they don’t want us to know? Actually I think many of us are pretty clear about the answer. Perhaps a better question is when will this cloak and swagger end? For the citizens of Oregon hopefully it will end soon.