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pece_annotation_1476122314

erin_tuttle
  • I looked into the accusations of fraud and wrongdoing against the government that were made in the article, much of which is true. The director of FEMA, Michael D. Brown, was initially praised for the response but later forced to resign over accusations of recklessness. The New Orleans Mayor at the time, Nagin, was arrested in 2014 for fraud and corruption.
  • The article mentioned separating children from their parents during the initial evacuation of survivors, I looked into the rationale behind separating families. The only reason I could find for the separation of children was to prioritize their evacuation, children were rescued from houses first and then bussed to other cities while the resources to transport their parents were still unavailable. While this is an admirable goal, to rescue as many children as possible, in a disorganized situation such as an evacuation this can lead to families separated for months due to a lack of available information.
  • The article provided statistics on the growth of New Orleans after several years, I looked at the current state of New Orleans. While the city has been mostly rebuilt many residents still claim that the city is not the home they had before Katrina. The process of rebuilding massive parts of the city has changed it significantly, and not all residents are happy with the changes. 

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maryclare.crochiere

Most of the claims are based on past examples in history of response to disease outbreaks and the development of new diseases. They looked at how regualtions were developed after each one, what research showed in each case, and how people reacted to the risk or security associated with each.

pece_annotation_1476642005

erin_tuttle

The article has been referenced extensively in recent years, particularly in articles dealing with the refugee crisis such as “Mental Health Impact of Hosting Disaster Refugees”, and in over a dozen other articles dealing with both specific disasters and the more general effect on the civilian population as disasters are publicized.

pece_annotation_1480096435

maryclare.crochiere

"Among inhabitants of Kyiv and other urban centers, there is a growing consensus that the invalids are "parasites of the state, dam aging the economy, not paying taxes." Many youths who had been evacuated from the zone do not want to be associated with groups of sufferers as this association makes it more difficult for them to find employment.

"Another administrator who authenticated com pensation claims told me illnesses had become a form of currency. "There are a lot of people out of work," he said. "People don't have enough money to eat. The state doesn't give medicines for free anymore. Drug stores are commercialized." He likened his work to that of a bank. "The diagnosis we write is money.""

"Symon Lavrov, was well-regarded internationally for having developed computerized fallout models and calculating population-wide doses in the post-Soviet period. He told me, how ever, that "when a crying mother comes to my laboratory and asks me, Professor Lavrov, 'tell me what's wrong with my child?' I assign her a dose and say nothing more. I double it, as much as I can." The offer of a higher dose increased the likelihood that the mother would be able to secure social protection on account of her potentially sick child.""

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erin_tuttle

The argument is supported through a combination of historical description, statistical aspects of the health care system available to exposed citizens, and accounts from doctors and sufferers of radiation poisoning. The use of such diverse methods gives a more complete picture of the long term effects of Chernobyl and how it continues to dictate the work, education, and health care options of those in the surrounding area.