In addition to the wealth of good information regarding various illnesses and treatments which can be gleaned from these groups, veterans' interactions with these civilian groups would likely provoke more networking of these issues. This would likely accelerate the processes necessary for change regarding the health of veterans and civilians alike.

Recent Internet posts have highlighted once again that many of the maladies that Gulf War vets are suffering from have in fact been afflicting civilians for years before the Gulf War ever happened. This brings to mind of the need of civilians and sick vets to work together. Some of us are doing so. But most sick vets are not.

Many ill vets likely believe that their illness is unique to service in the military. Their serving in the military is of unique importance. But for many, the illnesses are likely not unique.

Most illnesses which Gulf War Vets seem to be suffering from do not appear to be a single, unique syndrome. Veterans have fallen ill with many similar, and even identical, symptoms to those which affect hundreds of thousands, or actually millions, of civilians. In addition, the types of exposures are not unique to vets either.

It has been know for years now that vaccines make civilians ill, and have been identified as compromising the immune system and possibly triggering diseases within the civilian population. There is much literature on this subject. Toxic chemicals, pesticides, radiation, and heavy metals have a long history of causing suffering among children and adult civilians alike.

Veterans often have not capitalized on the previous works which have come about by the sufferings of so many innocent men, women, children, and the unborn. And so, few veterans have joined in the efforts to improve policies which affect civilians health.

Yet they fought for civilians.

It is estimated that 15% of the general population is chemically sensitive. Not 15% of the veterans -- 15% of the general population. I am going to guess that perhaps only 1% of those suffering from related illnesses have been properly diagnosed and treated. Most of the others have been pumped with pharmaceutical poisons in an attempt to mask their symptoms. And of course, civilians have been told for years that it's "all in their heads". Chemical sensitivity is not an illness that is unique to veterans alone.

In a broad sense, one could argue that since all matter is built from atoms, that all things are of a chemical nature. This would mean that biologicals are of a chemical nature, as are vaccines, and depleted uranium. The way that these various classes of toxins effect health of living individuals is a topic of enormous proportions. Science and medicine have just begun to scratch the surface of understanding the effects of these individual assaults upon the body. Multiple assaults are yet less understood and been largely ignored by scientific research.

How convenient for the manufacturers.

Various toxins have been identified for their known adverse effects on the human body. Organophosphates (OPs) comprise one such class. Although the acetylcholinesterase inhibition of the OPs is fairly well publisized,

We now know that, in addition to cholinesterase, a number of other enzymes may also be affected by organophosphorus compounds -- particularly chymotrypsin, trypsin, liver esterase, milk lipase, choline oxidase, cytochrome oxidase, carbonic anhydrase, amylase, carboxylase and dehydrogenase ...

as stated in the book Delayed Toxic Effects of Chemical Warfare Agents, available at the web address below.

This book is an excellent resource. An understanding of the similarities of the organophosphate insecticides to that of the organophosphate chemical war agents should lead to more informed decisions regarding the need to avoid exposures to these dangerous concoctions. The book touches on organophosphorus insecticides and notes some of the similarities with organophosphorus nerve agents. Some surprisingly "old data" exists on the subject.

The text of this book will download automatically into a free-to-use Acrobat Reader, which has search, copy and other features. Download the full text of the book at

http://www.sipri.se/cbw/research/cw-delayed.pdf

which is an Acrobat File, size 202 kb. The document downloads automatically into an Acrobat Reader.

There are numerous other good resources at the SIPRI site. See:

SIPRI Home Page

Chemical Weapons Papers and Factsheets

Chemical and Biological Warfare Project

Chemical weapons

Another good web site on pesticides and organophosphates is:

http://www.primenet.com/~redhen/redhen_online.html

Fighting for Health

I agree with Andrew Honer who recently posted that

My best advice is to minimise all exposures to any pesticides at all, to minimise the toxic load. Supermarkets, golf courses, parks, school playing fields, etc. etc. all need to be educated to use less pesticides.

Civilians know this, and many have been working on these issues for years. It is a part of good citizenship. Sick veterans should consider joining the fight, and in sharing resources, with the groups who are fighting for the rights of the sick civilians. After all, the we took oath included all enemies, both foreign and domestic. The point of serving in the defense of the nation, is to protect its civilian occupants, the citizens. Organophosphates have been making civilians sick for years, and many have died from exposures to these nerve agents. Veterans, particularly from Desert Storm, have good reason to unite with civilians for the true cause of their countrymen.

Sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword. A good soldier should practice such citizenship in his/her fight for the truth. Nothing less will do. Just look around at all of the sick civilians. Many civilians feel just as ill as sick vets. Sickness has no boundaries. Does it really matter whether it's a civilian or a soldier who's sick and dying from exposure to toxins?

Any soldier who thinks that a timely change will occur by working only within the realms of other military personnel and governmental agencies is sorely mistaken. Increased networking with civilians will accelerate the process, since there are multiple areas of government and regulation which need change. It's not all going to get fixed by only hammering the DoD and VA.

Fighting Together

You can feel their pain, if you are ill. Compassionate individuals can feel other's pain even without being ill. Most soldiers volunteered to serve so that they could defend the rights and health and wellbeing of their countrymen. Surely, that square is not fully filled once the sword is laid down!

I'm not talking about veterans giving less energy to the changes that must come from within the military and the related governmental agencies. I'm suggesting that additional networking outside those areas will accelerate the process. What happens in Washington, D.C. is largely dependent on the wants of the constituents.

And by additionally networking with more civilians, veterans will show their true love for their countrymen. That would help to defragment the general public's perception that vets only care about themselves.

Yes, there is a uniqueness that only veterans can share in. But there is a whole world out there. And there are a lot of sick people suffering. Thankfully, there's a lot of good networking already going on. But more is needed.

Conclusion

A final note. If you are sick, you must:

Avoid low-level exposure to toxins

Listen to your body

Seek out the truth

Eat well

Eat organic produce as much as possible

Drink good water, and an adequate supply of it, to help flush out toxins.

Give your body the building blocks that serve as the precursors of the essential chemical compounds that are needed for good health. If you don't know what those are, then you obviously need to network.

Do not wait for the establishment to do it for you. Network with many diverse groups. Look around, that's how half of the truths have come about. Consider joining one of the chat groups mentioned above and see what some sick civilians have found about the need to avoid toxins. And how they have shared info with one another regarding living improved lives in spite of their ruined health.

They are not all alike. Neither are vets. Consider how ill civilians are who never went to war. And note the similarities to the vets. Note that mainstream medicine has failed most of them. And note how many of them have found improved health through alternative therapies, including foods, of all things. Who would have imagined that you are what you eat!

It's amazing to see how many of the subscribers to such chat groups share info and have been helped by other persons. I hope that what I post can somehow help sick vets in their struggle for improved health.

Dave Gilton

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