If we’ve taken responsibility for matters of toxic waste that has occurred in the past, why have we not done the same for matters of toxic behaviors concerning race?
The following are several quotes from the epilogue of the Blackmon text we read this week. These quotes relate to the past responsibilities of those companies involved.
The old Sloss Industries (known better today as Walter Industries):
“Obviously, this was a dark chapter for U.S. business.”
“Certainly no company today could even conceive of this kind of practice.”
Rodney Mims Cook, Jr. (related to the English family who grew the Fourth National Bank – now known as Wachovia):
“In the proper context, we don’t object to it being discussed.”
Representative of Drummond Coal Company (connected through mergers to Pratt Consolidated Coal – one of the largest forced labor employers of the past and owner of the lethal Banner Mine):
“I don’t know how we could be tied back to something that happened in the early part of the century.” “Drummond wasn’t even founded then.”
U.S. Steel’s representative:
“When it comes to the question of burden, I don’t think anybody here at this company today would feel burdened at all by anything that happened before 1908.”
“If we in face knew that the people who were there between 1908 and 1911 were forced to work in obviously unsafe conditions, which we don’t know that was true, we would feel badly about that.”
“Is it fair in fact to punish people who are living today, who have certain assets they might have inherited from others, or corporate assets that have been passed on?”
“You can get to a situation where there is such a passage of time that it simply doesn’t make sense and is not fair.”
As I read this text, these quotes seemed to build upon themselves. Then, I reached the paragraph in the text that speaks to hazardous waste and the laws adopted to force companies to take responsibility for past contamination of predecessor companies, irrespective of the passage of time. WOW!
I ask the same question that Martha Minow (Professor at Harvard University of Law) asks. If we (our country) can take responsibility for our past environmental mistakes, why can’t (aren’t) we doing so for matters of race?!
This is a good question. However, I'm glad that we are starting somewhere. We all rely on the earth to support life, that is apparent. Once the lager population sees just how interconnected and dependent we as humans are on each other... then perhaps we can look at the pains we have caused one another.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, we may just need to carry on. Corporations have similar rights and responsibilities as people, and since corporations often have longer life spans they are held accountable for their past actions. If slave owners were still living, I think they would be held accountable at this time.
I, too have found myself asking the same questions. Why is it that we are so quick to fix all the issues that don't make us uncomfortable, but when something challenging comes our way, we stand in fear and do nothing about it.
ReplyDeletewow. Martha Minow's question struck me hard. I am too amazed at the inconsistency of social change and history. I was about to say, "it's as if.." but no, it is. It is that people choose what they want justified and what we want to be seen as liable for. If we stand for one injustice shouldn't we stand for all injustices? What makes one injustice more important?
ReplyDelete