Thirty-nine years ago today, a courageous voice went silent. Karen Silkwoods death was never proved to be a homicide-but if she wasnt murdered (e.g. her car forced off the road etc.), then why were the damning papers she was bringing to a New York Times Reporter missing from her car? Well probably never know, but I believe its important to remember and honor people like Silkwood. People who see wrong and/or danger, and choose to speak out. The life of a whistle blower can become a living hell-as we have seen in more recent history-and the laws protecting them are somewhat of a joke-not a ha ha joke either. Karen Silkwood wanted to warn her fellow workers and all Americans of a grave danger-she never got that chance. The only way to honor people like her, as I see it, is for us to speak out when WE see wrong or dangerous actions taking place. Of course we all must ask ourselves the essential question: What are we willing to risk to shine light on the truth? Jeannie Reid shared Ms. Magazines photo. On this day in 1974, labor activist Karen Silkwood died under mysterious circumstances. As a chemical technician at a plutonium plant in Oklahoma, she raised concerns about health and safety, saying she felt workers were being contaminated with dangerous amounts of plutonium from nuclear reactors. After she gathered enough evidence, she arranged to meet with a New York Times reporter to go public and en route to the meeting, had a fatal car accident. The documents she claimed proved wrongdoing on the part of the plant were missing from the vehicle, and there was much speculation that this was an assassination. The 1983 film Silkwood starring Meryl Streep [and Cher] is based on her activism.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 23:46:01 +0000
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