Vietnamese file first Agent Orange suit

[fujiyama]

HANOI - Three Vietnamese who say they or their families became ill from Agent Orange defoliant used by America in the war nearly 30 years ago have filed the first lawsuit against makers of the product, a victims group said.

_______________________________SNIP___________________________________

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4161101/

Check out the photo... And the right has the audacity to criticize Kerry for protesting Vietnam! Bastards!

[MichaelHarris]

1. Outrage

I posted here on this, Feb 5th. I was also appalled at the attempt to use it against Kerry. here are some emails I wrote in response.

First to Fox:

How in the world can you let an article like this get posted? Fair and Balanced? You continue to be the joke of the media establisment. Did you even read the article titled, "Has Kerry Helped Vietnam Sue Over Agent Orange?"? How in the world, after all of the scientific investigation, let an article like this go to print? Rupert and Fox must be running scared that their candidate won't win in November. Let me point you to some facts:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/part1and2.cfm
"Does dioxin cause cancer? Yes. The EPA report confirmed that dioxin is a cancer hazard to people. In 1997, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) -- part of the World Health Organization -- published their research into dioxins and furans and announced on February 14, 1997, that the most potent dioxin, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, is a now considered a Class 1 carcinogen, meaning a "known human carcinogen" (source: IARC Monographs, Volume 69).
In 2002, Vietnam and the United States held their first ever joint scientific conference on Agent Orange and its effects since the war ended in 1975. A new study released last year found that very high levels of dioxin continue to be found in food samples in Vietnam, decades after the defoliant was sprayed over the country.
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/factsheets/dioxin.htm I hope you notice the NIH.gov address. Various groups have taken your article and plan to use it against Fox News and its biased manner in reporting the news. This article is just one in the many we've reviewed to use in showing media bias, and agenda driven news reporting.

Michael Harris


Second to fair.org

This has gone too far. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,110599,00.html To say dioxin and Agent Orange is not harmful is outragous. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/factsheets/dioxin.htm. This is a horrible attempt at slander. It appeals to the uneducated Fox viewers.


Does dioxin cause cancer?
Yes. The EPA report confirmed that dioxin is a cancer hazard to people. In 1997, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) -- part of the World Health Organization -- published their research into dioxins and furans and announced on February 14, 1997, that the most potent dioxin, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, is a now considered a Class 1 carcinogen, meaning a "known human carcinogen" (source: IARC Monographs, Volume 69).


and finally the VFW:
I was shocked and appalled when I read this article: Has Kerry Helped Vietnam Sue Over Agent Orange? http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,110599,00.html

It says, "...But a fair reading of the still-ongoing scientific study of these veterans, including U.S. ground troops who operated in sprayed areas and the U.S. Air Force personnel responsible for spraying, actually indicates that there is no credible evidence that Agent Orange caused any health effects whatsoever."
I find this kind of reporting disgraceful. To use this kind of journalism to defame Senator Kerry is wrong. Whatever a person's politics are, right or left there are never ANY reasons to indict our men and women of the armed services this way. I firmly believe in the research conducted by the NIH, WHO, and other members of the scientific community. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/factsheets/dioxin.htm
http://www.ejnet.org/dioxin/

Whatever one's feelings are about the War in Vietnam its wrong to use these men this way, to disgrace Sen. Kerry. In its, "Fair and Balanced" reporting Fox has sunk to a new low. I hope you find this as offensive as I did and act on it to discredit this kind of reporting. If this is allowed to go on I fear that more attacks on Sen. Kerry's war record and the veterans of this war will receive more discredit as this election goes on.

Thank you for listening to my rant,
Michael Harris


When I get pissed I get really pissed

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