Toulmin argument structure and topic selection for opposing sides

¶ … military tactic, the United States Department of Defense authorized the use of chemical warfare during the Vietnam War. It was a radical strategy: to eradicate all foliage and ground cover in the war zones in order to prevent guerillas from hiding and therefore sabotaging American troops. The Department of Defense called its chemical warfare program Operation Ranch Hand. Companies like Monsanto and Dow Chemicals designed compounds and named them after the colored drums they were shipped in, and the most famous of these compounds was Agent Orange. Agent Orange left a devastating impact not only in Vietnam but also in the American troops exposed to its deadly chemical compounds like dioxin. Because of the extreme health and environmental ramifications of exposure to Agent Orange, the United States government needs to take responsibility for its actions and offer financial and structural support for the victims at home and in Southeast Asia.

Background

Veterans of the Vietnam War in the United States are currently fighting to have the government acknowledge the long-term and multi-generational effects of Agent Orange, as their children and grandchildren have been born with birth defects. Some veterans are also vying for Purple Heart and similar recognition of Agent Orange-related deaths. In other words, the families of veterans of the Vietnam War want their loved ones to be recognized as dying in war-related deaths as heroes. As of yet, the American government refuses to recognize the impact of Agent Orange in any comprehensive way and it has taken many years of struggle for veterans and their families to squeeze money out of the government or the companies that produce the chemicals. Proposed Senate Bill 1602, the Toxic Exposure Research and Military Family Support Act, would require the Veterans Association to pay for future generations of treatment, as well as establish a research center related to the effects of Agent Orange (Lefler, 2014). The proposed research center might help inform best practices in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, where tens of thousands of individuals have suffered from exposure to the deadly toxins. Moreover, Agent Orange devastated the environment in regions it was used, preventing the growth of crops in those areas.

Support: Data

An estimated 19 million gallons of dioxin agents were offloaded in Southeast Asia during the war, destroying more than five million acres of land (O'Dowd; Fuller). On these key factual points, the United States government cannot and does not deny because the use of Agent Orange was well documented. What remains controversial about Agent Orange is how to address the aftermath. Since the 1960s, the United States government has been aware of the potential of Agent Orange to cause birth defects (Fuller). In fact, birth defects are only one of many in a "a long list of ailments" impacting not only exposed individuals but their children and even their grandchildren (Lefler 1). Among the diseases and conditions that have been at least anecdotally linked with Agent Orange exposure include "learning disabilities, asthma, rare cancers, skin diseases, severe allergies and a host of other health problems," (Lefler 1). Many conditions are as extreme as being born with intestines outside their stomach (Lefler). In fact, veterans in the United States and in Vietnam, and their children, have been suffering from the effects of dioxin exposure, and birth defects are now being reported into the third generation (Farberov 1).

Support: Warrants and Backing

Because problems with Agent Orange are well-known and well documented, on principle, the United States needs a more comprehensive program to redress the situation both at home and in Southeast Asia. The Department of Veterans Affairs boasts that the organization "has the most comprehensive system of assistance for Veterans of any nation in the world, with roots that can be traced back to 1636," (1). That being the case, it goes against the spirit of the American government to deny support to those who served in wartime.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has, however, been reluctant to take action that might help its constituents and their offspring. It has also taken a long time for the United States to offer assistance to victims in Vietnam, too. The first major effort to clean up the Vietnamese environment in areas affected by Agent Orange did not arrive until 2012 (Fuller). The Department of Veterans Affairs and other government organizations "lagged in acknowledging the problem" at home, and it took Vietnam Veterans years to see any compensation from lawsuits against Dow and Monsanto as well (Fuller 1). The United States government has been forced to pay billions of dollars on disability payments, but it is clear more help is needed for the offspring of veterans who are suffering.

Counter-Arguments, Rebuttal, and Qualification