Friendswood/Real Life Ethics

Tori Sheffer
ENGW 1101
2-6-17
Prof Young

Ethics

  Friendswood, Texas, East Chicago, Illinois, and Newark, New Jersey, all have one common denominator; toxic water. In all three places the government has, unfortunately, put its residents in danger by not realizing there is lead in the water (or oil in the case of Friendswood). Though Friendswood is fictional, there are multiple similarities to the two real examples I also read about.

   In Friendswood, Mayor Wallen and the rest of the government haven't really been honest with the people that live in the town because although they know that the water and land are contaminated but they have never mentioned the fact that it is. There are some people in the town that don't believe them (Lee for example), but there were tests conducted, by the company that was to continue to dump on the land, saying that the water and everything is fine. This proving that the government doesn't care that much about the fact they're hurting people with the frivolous dumping. Proving that the mayor and the government isn't being ethical because they're putting all of their residents in danger Any government official that cares more about money instead of the lives of the hundreds or thousands they have to take care of they only care about money. 

In real life, the government has taken much better care of the people residing in the towns. In East Chicago the government, at the beginning, seemed to be like Friendswood, but as time progressed the mayor ended up realizing that the occupants were correct and the city was to blame. This resulted in the residents of this E Chicago's West Calumet Housing Complex were correct and they got free housing waved for them and have been able to live better with a closer look at their problems. In Newark, The school district realized there were high amounts of lead in the school going as far back as six years ago. Half of the city's schools were contaminated and as soon as the superintendent found out he insisted the water fountains be shut off and several labs test the water. As of now there is "no danger" according to Governor Christie, but the water is still being tested and there is a federal bill getting passed hopefully to get federal funding to get the water tested. Both of these places have had the government be a love/hate relationship with their funding, but at the end of the day they are being ethical in trying to help save the lives of thousands of people and children in both cities, which is more to say than Mayor Waller in Friendswood.  

Who Should Speak?

Tori Sheffer

ENGW 1101

2/1/17

Prof. Young

Who Should Speak?

            In Friendswood, every chapter is signified by a new character that speaks leaving the reader to think, “Who should be speaking right now?” The beginning of the book you learn about all the significant characters that will play a part in the story we’re reading, but it also confuses the reader as to know who should speak. Though they intertwine, there are several plots in Friendswood with the characters all being pivotal in each other’s lives. Though all the characters that have their own chapters are important I feel as if the only character that should speak is Lee.

            I feel Lee should speak because her story is the one that mainly revolves around the theme of chemical dumping as well as responsibility. Her back story is the fact that her daughter died from the chemical dumping happening in Rosemont Field, plus her husband left, and what does she do? She decides to dedicate the rest of her life to finding a cure to the “wrong doing,” in the town to try and find the cause of her daughter’s death. She doesn’t care about anyone or anything, she just wants to find a reason to her daughter’s death and hope it doesn’t affect anyone else.

            Lee’s story is the one that, so far, has impacted me the most as a reader. Her admirable “doesn’t care about anyone or anything” attitude really resonates with me because she’ll do anything for her family, even if they’re not living. She could have her own story and deserves to be the soul speaker.