Veteran’s hold annual Mefloquine Rally in Ottawa on September 19th, 2019.
In a little under six months from now, veterans and their advocates from across the country will converge on Ottawa to hold a rally on Parliament Hill. It will be the third annual Veteran’s Mefloquine Rally, the primary goal of which is to raise public awareness about the toxic anti-malarial drug, which they were all ordered to take.
The other goal rally organizers hope to achieve, is government accountability, which is to come in three forms. First, the government is being called upon to reopen the Somalia Inquiry. Second, acknowledgement by the government that the men on that mission were given a drug that was not approved in Canada, and were to be participating in a drug study. Information that was withheld from the men at the time. And finally, government funding for research into finding a treatment or cure for the people they intentionally poisoned.
I’m hoping to make it to the rally, and along the way there, I’d like to hear and write about the stories that some of these veterans have to tell. I want to help spread the word to those who have not heard it, that this is what has happened to them. That the things that they are feeling, the symptoms they now have, are because of a pill they assumed would be safe, but was the farthest thing from it.
As I’ve been doing the research, and hearing the stories, and talking to some of those who have been affected by mefloquine, something has started to become clearer and clearer to me. I want, no, I HAVE to do whatever I can to help, and to that end, I am going to do whatever I need to do to make sure that I can make this my primary focus. What I need, is the means to do it.
Given that I rely on student loans, don’t have a part-time job, and probably won’t be winning the lottery any time soon, about the only legal way for me to fund this effort is to fundraise. I’m currently exploring some avenues to privately raise some money, but ultimately will have to appeal for donations.
Now, I don’t expect the cash to start rolling in just because I ask for it nicely (I suspect this usually doesn’t work without a firearm), and for good reason. I wouldn’t give somebody a dime if I didn’t know what they were planning on using it for, so I’ll do just lay that out for you right now.
The Basics
First and foremost obviously I need to do the things that we all need to do like pay rent and eat. Without these things I won’t be able to get anything accomplished. My needs are simple enough as all I need is place to sleep and work, and can likely find that here for about $500-$600 per month with utilities included. I will also need to cover phone and internet so say about another $150 per month give or take.
The Plan
I shall be following the blueprint that has been set out by Veteran’s Mefloquine Rally and their founders.
Mefloquine Awareness
The primary objective at the moment is to raise awareness of this drug first among veterans, current CF members, and those who are or will be planning a trip to a malaria zone, followed in turn by the general public. I’ll do this by continuing to write the stories of those who have been directly affected by mefloquine, namely our veterans and their families, and by supporting the efforts of the many others who are trying to get the word out, in any way I can.
I have also had an offer to collaborate on a project that will be geared to raising awareness, and I’m looking forward to the possibilities that this will bring. I’m also open to your suggestions. If there is anything in particular that you would like me to research and write about, by all means drop me a line and tell me what you have in mind.
Government Accountability
Reopening the Somalia Commission of Inquiry
I have a two-pronged approach in mind here. First, I’ll continue to pepper the PM and cabinet with posts on Facebook and Twitter, as well as a daily email reminder that this isn’t going to just go away.
I’ve also discovered another way of going about this, and what I’m thinking of could be called either audacious or just plain crazy. I may have found a way to do this by legal means, but I don’t want to tip my hand before its played, so stay tuned. Needless to say, it won’t be cheap.
Admission Of Wrongdoing On The Part Of Government
Somehow, I just don’t see Justin Trudeau offering up platitudes and crocodile tears over this issue, nice as that would be. For years, the Government of Canada and the Department of National Defense have done all they could to keep things hidden or otherwise out of public view. While I don’t see such an admission coming in the near future, I still plan on holding them to account by reminding them, and the Canadian public, of what they did to a large number of our soldiers.
Government Funding For Research Leading To A Treatment Or Cure
Since they bear the responsibility for poisoning thousands of their own troops, it is incumbent upon them to find a way of treating them medically and if possible developing a cure. Whether or not this has even been conceived of yet remains unknown.
I am also continuing to do research of my own. Not for a cure obviously but to see what, if anything, there may be online that would indicate that a search for a treatment is underway. I have seen a couple of things online that will warrant further inquiry, but nothing to indicate that a breakthrough is on the horizon.
A Disturbing Find
I did find out that there is in fact SOME research being done on mefloquine, however, these were studies from Asia that were looking at the use of mefloquine for the treatment of certain cancers, in particular certain types of leukemia. I was horrified when I came across this, and what’s worse is the fact that there were several such studies being conducted. Unless they are able to eliminate the neuro-toxic effects of mefloquine, it could be yet another case where this drug will be far worse than the disease it was meant to treat.
In Closing
Having made my case to you, and laying out my agenda, I now leave it to you to decide whether or not you would like to support me in this. I will continue to do whatever I possibly can to fight for our veterans and soldiers in uniform, this shall never change. But, I can do so much more with your support, and hope that I have been able to demonstrate that I am worthy of it.
DBC
The Advocate-Equalizer 