Full Body Burden 2- Alex Parkinson

One of the first things we talked about in class was the idea that people with less money live in more dangerous areas. I was thinking about this while reading Full Body Burden and found myself wondering why Kristen’s family lived so close to such a dangerous area. Aside from the fact that the family was obviously dysfunctional due to alcohol and drug use they seem to have done pretty well for themselves. Her father seemed to be a successful lawyer and her mother didn’t have to work so money couldn’t have been that tight. It also isn’t just Kristen’s family that seem to be a little above living in a dangerous area. The rest of the neighborhood seems pretty well to do also.

I wonder whether the reason for choosing this area had anything to do with the secrecy behind the plant. Everything seems like it was very covered up by AEC. In the first chapter, one of the workers says that they work at the plant but they wouldn’t choose to live there. I think since so many people in the neighborhood work at the plant they would have realized how dangerous the plutonium is and left the area quickly, if not for themselves than for their families.

I also think it is crazy how trusting the people of the town are. Anything they are told they tend to believe. Most of the women don’t even realize what their husbands do at the plant. I understand that this is a different time period but how could you not know what your husband does to make the money for your household. Wouldn’t curiosity get the best of you at some point? It seems that the people that don’t live in the immediate surrounding areas of Rocky Flats care more about the potential issues than those who do.