Health/ Disease Blog Entry Four
Azrealle McClain
September 23rd 2009
7:57pm
Summary:
Hengjiang Village is kilometers away from the industrialized city of Wugang. No one thought anything of it until children started getting sick. A few cases turned into thousands and citizens soon realized that it was due to elevated levels of lead within their bloodstream. The cause of these elevated levels was due to industrial pollution where Hengjiang was right in the middle. 8 factories have since been closed due to this information and will stay closed until health & safety inspections are up to par. The Wugang government believes it was due to the carelessness of executive within the companies. Two have been detained for further questioning. Children 20 kilometers or closer to factories are at the most risk of being affected. The Wugang government is offering free examinations for children under 14 years old and compensation for affected families. People were outraged and began taking steps to protect their families even with strong opposition by factory owners and even government officials.
Reactions:
When I first learned about this I was shocked. Although I don’t have children I am a very big child advocate and I was horrified that people would knowingly allow this to happen. It doesn’t matter where in the world it is happening. Abuse against children in ANY form is wrong and unforgivable. I’m glad that parents became very proactive and found the true cause of the illnesses and did something about it. If my child was affected I would do everything in my power to find a cure and help others in similar situations.
Web Link:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/02/china.lead.poisoning.hunan/index.html?iref=newssearch
1 comment:
I totally agree with your reaction. If a person is a parent or not they have to feel for this story. I mean this behavior by these people who knowingly allowed this to continue should be criminally punished. If you find an action taking place, that you could control, that you know is harmful and you allow it to continue I think that should be considered a crime in all situations. I am glad people, in a country where they probably had minimal resources, did not give up and went to find the source of this problem. I think in our country where we have multiple resources, power, and freedom we should unite and attack problems we feel that are being allowed to go on with knowingly harmful results. I know if this were my children, power and freedom or not, I would not stop until not just my child was vindicated but that all children affected and ones who could be, in the future, affected were vindicated as well.
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