Camp Gagetown guinea pigs

   
Princeton, Ontario - Tuesday, September 25, 2005 - by: Rebecca Gingrich

 

I guess Canadian military people are seen as no more than guinea pigs for the US government? Why was permission given for this spraying on Canadian soil? Who gave that permission? Are they held accountable?

 
  I agree that anyone who was poisoned by this chemical should be compensated, including medical and pension benefits. Why are Dow Chemical and Monsanto not required to pay said compensation also? They are the companies that produced this chemical. Again the taxpayer is expected to pay for something they had no part in creating while giant corporations get off scott free.

 
  There is no question that the debilitating diseases caused by this poison are present in our people from Gagetown. It is a slap in the face to these people to not support them for the rest of their pain-filled lives. Morality and ethics do not apply to our Veterans and their families? 'We support our troops' as long as they don't expect to be supported financially?
   
  It is amazing that anyone would choose to serve in the military when they know they are on their own if they are injured or poisoned. This incident is not the only example of our neglect. We should hang our heads in shame.
   
  Maybe this coming Remembrance Day we should remember how our government and our corporations really view those who are brave enough to serve their country?
   
 

Rebecca Gingrich

   
References:
  Department of National Defence, Health effects from spraying in Gagetown , no posted date
   
  Weston, Greg, Gagetown vets get shorted: Agent Orange compensation better for Canadians exposed in Vietnam War, (pdf) September 23, 2007, Edmonton Sun
   
  Arsenault, Chris, Veterans say agent orange settlement falls short (pdf) September 20, 2007, The Dominion
   
  CTV News staff, Agent Orange payment inadequate, critics say (pdf) September 12, 2007, CTV News
   
  Canadian Press, Critics say Ottawa's Agent Orange package to little for too few (pdf) September 12, 2007, Canadian Press
   
Photo credit: The image of the Huey helicopter is a generic image from a wallpaper site no further details available
   
Additional comments by Rebecca Gingrich about this topic:
  This LTE was in response to Greg Weston's column regarding the $20,000 lump sum payment the Veterans from Gagetown would be receiving(after they jump through all the hoops) for being made ill by the spraying, by the Americans, of Agent Orange on the military base.

I did a little research and found it was Lester Pearson that gave the Americans permission to use our soldiers as guinea pigs. After watching the 'inquiry' last year I had thought we had done the spraying.

How ridiculous can this country become? Here we have the sheeple being whipped into a frenzy to 'Support out troops' while this dirty little secret is kept hidden? We are supposed to support the troops while our govenments of all stripes say the words but do everything in their power to cut them adrift as soon as the troops are injured or killed. This story jsut made me remember all the other stories where the Veterans and their families have been shunted aside like so much garbage.

   
   

 

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