Ethical Decisions

Making the right decisions can either help town residents or hurt them.  In Rene Steinke's novel Friendswood, there is a small area called Banes Fields that is contaminated with chemicals.  This greedy estate developer named Avery Taft wants to build a new neighborhood in Banes Field.  It will bring a lot of money, but the area is contaminated.  Lee is trying to convince Mayor Wallen that it's not a safe idea.  In the US today, places like Newark are being affected with lead in the school drinking fountains.  The NJ governor claims there's no damage being done.  The group of people who are making ethical decisions are the residents.

Lee Knowles is the protagonist and environmental activist in Friendswood.  She is determined to stop Taft Properties from building houses on Banes Field.  Lee knows more about the chemical dumping in the field, but Ms. Dawson, Taft, and Mayor Wallen refuse to listen.  After all, in Friendswood, "property values trumped everything" (Steinke 71). At the city council meeting, she demanded to show Ms. Dawson the photos she took and "charts and data on the cancer rates of residents, most of them living within two miles of Rosemont.  How the hell can this not be a threat to human health?" (Steinke 89).  Mayor Wallen was shocked to hear that Lee trespassed into Banes Field, but she wasn't going to be defeated.  No matter how much trouble she can get into, Lee will continue to fight against the Friendswood community.

As I'm reading the two New York Times articles, I understand they have many things in common with Friendswood, between communities and environmental issues.  In the Newark schools, students and staff have found lead in the school's water fountains.  Water samples were tested, and "nearly 25 percent of those samples has lead concentrations" (McGeehan 2).  This problem has been going on for over 6 years, and there hasn't been much change.  Gov. Christie claims "there is no danger in Newark at the moment" (McGeehan 2).  However, Newark's mayor Ras Baraka will not let the problem be ignored anymore.  He wants to call Congress to pass a bill in which states would require safe-water programs for schools.  Just like in Friendswood, it seems that the town has ignored the problem for years and let it slide by.  It's similar to when Mayor Wallen told Lee the container was "buried at fifty feet.  It wouldn't come up so easily out of the ground" (Steinke 71).  The local government is stating the water is fine, but people are seriously being affected in the schools.  A problem like this should not be ignored.

The second article discusses lead contamination in West Calumet Housing Complex in East Chicago.  Calumet residents were working with the Shriver Center to relocate families to safer housing.  However, people still filed complaints about the high lead and arsenic levels in the housing complex.  The residents created community groups "to put pressure on state and federal officials; and sought a formal role in court proceedings between the EPA, Justice Department and companies held responsible for the contamination in the area" (Lyons 2).  In this story, people are blaming federal officials for not protecting the community. These actions sound a lot like what Lee is trying to do in Friendswood.  She is also complaining about the local EPA for not protecting Banes Field and allowing the soil to become polluted.


In conclusion, Lee and Chicago and Newark residents are the people who should be making ethical decisions.  They are gathering together to protest against EPA and local authorities.  Lee has proof with pictures and soil samples she collected.  West Calumet residents are filing complaints to ensure that HUD didn't give people enough time to transfer to better homes.  Newark residents want Congress to pass a bill stating that schools require safe-water programs and test the water.  All three stories make connections to chemical and lead contamination in their neighborhood.  There may not be a solution right away, but Lee, Chicago, and Newark will continue to fight for environmental protection of their communities.