Prior to reading Scorched Earth, I had only heard of the term, Agent Orange, but I never knew the profound and devastating effects it has on Southeast Asia and its civilians. It’s disheartening and demoralizing to know the United States managed to use this extremely carcinogenic chemical as a warfare tactic to drive the Vietnamese into the open during war, despite its serious health threats (Wilcox 10).
Furthermore, countless babies are being born with deformities, because many Vietnamese families are still exposed to Agent Orange. However, some individuals still do not believe dioxin, a group of highly toxic chemical pollutants, is the responsible agent for these conditions. In addition, the Saigon government’s counter argument was that the birth defects were caused by “Okinawa bacteria” (Wilcox 157). It’s natural to search for something or someone to blame for these damaging effects, but I am in disbelief that even the government is trying to use bacteria to rationalize that cause of birth defects.
The consequences of this lethal chemical agent that the US used during the Vietnam War still linger on, and are still negatively affecting the people and environment in Vietnam. But will Agent Orange victims and future victims get compensation or justice that they deserve? How can we open dialogue and discussion about the repercussions of this chemical warfare to our community today?
source for image: https://www.britannica.com/science/Agent-Orange
citation: Wilcox, Fred A. Scorched Earth: Legacy of Chemical Warfare in Vietnam. 2011.
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