Patrick Jones Approximately 150 Words
INTD 105-19
October 24, 2016
“The King can do no wrong.”
In “The Clan of One-Breasted Women”, Terry Tempest William discusses the toll the atomic bomb testing in Nevada had on families in Utah. Williams, her mother, her grandmother, and six of her aunts have had mastectomies which she claims is caused by the radiation sent through Utah between January 27, 1951 to July 11, 1962. Williams, “… cared for them, bathed their scarred bodies, and kept their secrets.” while the United States Government claimed the tests posed no harm to the public. In 1984, damages were awarded to a few individuals affected by the testing, but the decision was overturned when the government claimed “The King can do no wrong.” Williams became a well-known defender of the people of Utah and is a naturalist-in-residence at the Utah Museum of Natural History.
This article caused me a lot of pain. The government allowed for the people of Utah to suffer and claimed that they could do no wrong while innocent people died. The same thing is happening today with pollution. Although not prominent at the moment, pollution could cause untold problems in the future, and the government is doing little to protect the people.
I really enjoyed how you related her epilogue to the current topic of pollution. Williams fought for the people of Utah and someone needs to stand up and do something to protect the people of the United States from the disease that pollution can cause.