CANCER
Michael G notes that
many persons in Kristen’s “neighborhood and school are dying or sick from
cancer. It is unfortunate because nobody will admit that it is from Rocky
Flats, although it sees obvious to me…” He notes that “Kristen keeps going near
the irrigation water which we already learned is radioactive…” Laura is “dreading
having to finish” Full Body Burden. Gabby
articulates why: “ Throughout the book, it is learned that more and more
contamination is being found in the soil, and water. At first Plutonium,
then Tritium, and finally americium and strontium-90. The more I read, the
more I feel for the people living in the surrounding areas of Rocky Flats; it’s
a certain death trap…”
ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM
VS. WHY SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LIVE IN DANGER
Alex: “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…. 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?”
TOXIC ENVIRONMENTS
EXTEND TO THE PERSONAL
Ryan: “Kristen is
going through tough times. Her town is being affected by toxins and her family
life is not healthy. Family and community: two incredibly important parts of
anyone’s life…. Her father refuses to admit to his driving under the influence,
but as readers we know that he has a problem.”
KRISTEN’S PARENTS
Laura reacts to
Kristen’s book: “People are supposed to protect their kids.” Gabby notes that
Kristen’s mother constantly pushes “her to act like someone she is not…” She
also notes that Kristen’s father’s business “seems to be going downhill, as well
as her parents’ marriage…. Yes, Kris’ father has been in car accidents before.
Since he drinks more than he should and drives drunk, it is no wonder that he
gets into accidents. Yet, this one is different because he puts the lives
of Kris and Karma is extreme danger. Her father of course denies he was
intoxicated, claiming there was another car present and he was saving them from
a head on collision. Yet, they know there was no car and they know it was
alcohol that caused the accident. Like usual, everyone avoids talking about the
event and they proceed to live their life as if nothing ever happened; it is
forgotten.”
SKIPPING TOWN
(PERHAPS NOT UNLIKE BUTLER’S TOWN OF OLIVAR?)
Rebecca writes, “Adam's
family definitely made the right decision on leaving the town of Rocky Flats...”
and Jenny seconds: “It’s awful that a thirteen year old boy has testicular
cancer. I think it was extremely smart of Adam’s parents to move away from
Rocky Flats.”
HORSE LOVE
Rebecca “… I also
can relate to Kris because my horse, Tonto, means a lot to me. I couldn't
imagine my life without him so I really am able to relate to her and feel the
compassion that horses supply their owners. I can relate even more because when
my parents got divorced, I relied on my horse to keep me strong. Just like
Kris.”
CRUSH
Jenny’s favorite
part is when “Ryan screams ‘I love you’ to Kris.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF IMAGE/FAÇADE
OF NORMALCY
Chad and Kaitlyn
write about how important image is to Kristen’s family, the community, and the plutonium
plant. Appearances have to be kept up at all costs. “The façade of normalcy,”
Chad writes, “was vigorously sustained…. [E]veryone is aware of both crises but
is either unable or simply unwilling to rectify either because they are
frightened of the repercussions of doing so. The sense I get from this chapter
is that while a solution may be implemented it requires everyone to acknowledge
the existence of a problem and this admission is simply insurmountable for
anyone to make.” Kaitlyn brings up Kristen’s mother dropping out of her tea
group, “because she doesn’t want the other mothers to see the chaos, dust and
hidden bourbon bottles in her house. Plus, she was always deciding what to
wear and what to serve for food so that the other mothers wouldn’t judge her.”
But Kaitlyn also makes this astute point: “The only one that doesn’t seem to
worry about image is Kristen. She wears what she wants, she doesn’t give
into things just to fit in, and she seems to know exactly what she wants in
life.” Jacob wonders why no one in Kristen’s community speaks about the plant
after “research by Al Hazel, has shown that a criticality has occurred at
Rocky Flats.” He notes that “the government kept telling residents that,
contrary to the scientific evidence, the amount of radiation is not a danger to
the community,” but realized that “some members of the community are not buying
it, but the majority of the people around Rocky Flats believe what they are
being told… Kristin mentions that reports about Rocky Flats were made in the
paper and that statements about safety had been made by Dow Chemical. Did no
one in the neighborhood read them and talk about it to their neighbors? …Shouldn't
there have been a larger outcry directed towards the plant after a shocking
number of citizens got cancer? Sure there were protests, but a large number
were anti-war protests, not people protesting the pollution. Were the people
surrounding Rocky Flats that unaware of what was going on, or was it denial?
Perhaps talking about the plant and the possible harm it was doing was taboo.
Maybe it was just like Kristen's household. Kristen's family never talked about
her dads bottles and people never talked about the harm Rocky Flats was seemingly
doing to environment.”
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