Chapter 7 FBB, Michael Weiss

      This chapter led me to think about the peculiar attitude of the Rocky Flats employees. Everyone at the plant knows about the plutonium that hangs around in small pockets. Everyone is worried about them but refuses to leave because of the good pay. I understand the need for money all too well to truly criticize them, but they endanger their lives to live shorter, comfortably. This brings up the question of whether people would rather live longer lives with more suffering, or live happily for a shorter time. Nobody wants to live a life of suffering, but someone can still enjoy it even if they have to work harder. This can also be applied to Rocky Flats in general as people give up freedom in order to be safe. Benjamin Franklin said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." This quote embodies the entire Cold War and Rocky Flats. The government would do things that encroached on basic freedoms and rights in the interest of national security. The American people gave up liberty for the limited security that nuclear missiles brought. This brings up a question that is similar to first one, would one rather have less freedom for safety, or have more freedom?