But there is a hugely enormous quantitative and qualitative difference between old-style human caused genetic modifications within the same species of plant and animal life, and introducing "foreign" genetic material from entirely different species (or no species at all) into the DNA or genetic sequence or whatever, of any given naturally occurring plant or animal.
Anyone who pretends otherwise has their head up their butt.

A difference in the methodology used, but practically how is it different?

The genes added to golden rice to enable it to produce the precursor of Vitamin A are not endogenous to the plant, it is in many other plants. The consequence of adding these "foreign" genes is the same as if a person ate normal rice and took Vitamin A supplements.

I can make a much more severe change to a species by simply turning on or off a gene that it already has. Same could be said for cross/inter breeding. The difference is with GM is that we are only targeting the specific changes we desire. This means less unintended consequences, not more.

The irrational fear of GM seems to stem from misunderstanding of the methods and goals of the field. Would you rather a doctor prescribe a single drug targeting your specific disease, or try every drug he has, in many combinations to see what works best over a long period of time?

Here is an article that explains how a memories can be passed down to later generations through a genetic mechanism that allow the offspring to inherit the experience of their ancestors in this case the phobia of spiders....
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/phobias-may-be-memories-passed-down-in-genes-from-ancestors-20131202-2ymh5.html
In a similar fashion the avoidance of certain plants as foods could have been inhereted down generations of primates like us....