Invisible wounds of war may not manifest in our nation's warriors for a decade or more and tragically have been passed on genetically to their children and mostly likely to successive generations
If enacted into law S. 1602 and H.R. 4816 would help achieve a measure of justice for the innocent victims of the use of toxic substances in times of war, but also offers unlimited possibilities for scientific research into the effects of these toxic chemicals.
1) S. 1602 Toxic Exposure Research and Military Family Support Act of 2013
Ask your Senator(s) to support S.1602
CONTACT YOUR SENATOR HERE
If enacted into law, S. 1602 would establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs a national center for the diagnosis, treatment, research of health conditions of the descendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances during services in the Armed Forces, and to provide certain services to those descendants.
2) H.R. 4816 Toxic Exposure Research and Military Family Support Act of 2014
Ask your Representative(s) to support H.R. 4816
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE HERE
H.R. 4816 directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a national center for the diagnosis, treatment, research of health conditions of the descendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances during services in the Armed Forces, and to provide certain service to those descendants.
MILITARY EXPOSURES OVERVIEW
Vietnam veterans and their families have been reporting, for decades, that their children have been born with birth defects and other health problems. A year after Gulf War veterans returned home their families began reporting birth defects in their children. As our soldiers return from Iraq and Afghanistan we anticipate reports of birth defects in their children as well. What we have discovered is that the teratogenic and mutagenic chemicals our soldiers are exposed to continue to increase at an alarming rate.
We believe, as do many others, that our adult children are sick and suffering from the veteran parent(s) exposure to Agent Orange and other toxic substances used by the military during the Vietnam war.
Agent Orange Legacy has collected health data from children of veterans exposed to Agent Orange since 2007. After reviewing the data we found that there is a high incidence of autoimmune and rare disease in the adult children who provided health data to us. We also found that these adult children also experience a higher risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer at a much younger age than would normally be expected. These adult children also experience a high incidence of allergies, skin rashes, and other skin related problems. Some adult children have had genetic testing after having been diagnosed with a rare disease or a disease which could not be explained. The cases, we are familiar with, all found a mutated gene and mutated genes can be traced to environmental exposures.
Birth Defect Research for Children (BDRC) has created a National Birth Defect Registry and has been working with families of Vietnam veterans since the early 1980s. BDRC also has been working with the families of Gulf War veterans a year after returning home and started receiving reports of birth defects in their children and increases in Goldenhar Syndrome. Learn more about Veterans Research at BDRC.
According to author, Cynthia Daniels, of "Exposing Men: The Science and Politics of Male Reproduction" our government does not have a birth defect registry.
Without a national birth defect registry, it's difficult to track even the most obvious possible effects of reproductive toxins, let alone the subtler effects, like increased miscarriage rates. (pp. 147)
The only National Birth Defect Registry that currently exists in the US today was created by Birth Defect Research for Children. Our government still has not created a registry for birth defects. Click here to learn more about BDRC, Veterans Research and BDRC's National Birth Defect Registry.
CONTACT YOUR SENATOR HERE
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment