Are your interests being served?

When Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring was published, there was a great deal of pressure on the part of world citizens to get some protection for the environment. This phenomenon was world wide. Individuals were deeply distressed by the implications of her research into pesticide and other chemical pollution and wanted action.

Governments did indeed react. Agencies were put in place to protect the environment. The good citizens then went back to sleep assured that the agencies would do what they were set up to do.

To quote the book Pollution - Currant Controversies, "people had a strong faith in their country and its institutions. They had always thought of the EPA as the guys in white hats who put the bad polluters in jail." "If there were anything wrong with it" they say, "the government wouldn't let them do it."

It was a big surprise to these same people that the EPA is not on their side when the time comes to report a pollution situation. For their efforts they are often treated indifferently and with antagonism. The citizen is actually viewed as the enemy and the agency goes out of their way to defend the polluter.

Citizens who thought that the agency resources were at their disposal, find that they are obliged to hire lawyers to get action, or even to get information that has been collected at taxpayer expense. The government lawyers, who fight action brought by the citizens, have their salaries paid out of government coffers. The citizens are the ones who are forced to have bake sales, in their efforts to raise money. All this to protect their interests .

The above conclusions are drawn by William Sanjour who worked for the agency for over 20 years. He claimed that he was given a job with no staff and no duties what-so-ever because of his opposition to the policies and actions of the agency. He said that he wanted to be a 'good citizen', whereas his supervisors wanted him to be a non-thinking pawn. Isolation and shunning were his rewards.

Mr. Sanjour points out that the EPA has become corrupted because of power that is wielded from the very top. The President has top priorities that include national security, foreign affairs, the economy, the budget, and few other concerns. The environment, and its agencies, are designated to a much lower level. People are people. If the boss wants you to back off, you had better back off. The penalty for not doing what the boss wants is simple. There is always someone who will do his bidding while you wave 'bye-bye.'

As I move to the end of Mr. Sanjours article, I quote "Institutions are made up of people. Behind the great and powerful is a fragile little man pulling the levers. Because it is implemented by weak and fallible individuals, the liberal dream of powerful institutions protecting and perfecting our lives can easily become a nightmare of corruption and abuse."

"The Founding Fathers knew this. They distrusted institutions. They didn't think a nation could remain free unless its citizens stayed on top of things themselves....I believe the right approach is to reduce the power of the institutions and to increase the power of the people, who have the most at stake."

I also believe that people expect too much of other individuals. This statement includes those individuals whom we elect to see to our interests, and to our children's future. All can fall short of expectations under our present form of electing individuals which represent a small portion of the population.

Both Silent Spring and Since Silent Spring are available at the Cambridge Library Gallery.

Have a nice day.