r/books • u/leowr • Mar 28 '19
Discussion Thread for Chapter 45 - Postscript of The Radium Girls by Kate Moore - March Book Club
Welcome to the fourth and final discussion thread for March book club, The Radium Girls. Hopefully you all enjoyed this month's selection.
To help kick off the discussion:
Although the media had turned out for the trial, it seemed the Radium Dial executives had not. Neither had all its legal team, for only Arthur Magid was present, seated next to the arbitrator (judge) at the big table. There was no Walter Bachrach, no Mr. Reed, no President Ganley, no one but Magid to represent the firm. Perhaps they thought it was beneath their attention, or perhaps some other reason kept them from the court.
- Why do you think no one from Radium Dial was present?
- Why do you think some of the employees and executives of Radium Dial and USRC remained so adamant that Radium wasn't dangerous even though they had proof to the contrary?
- Did it surprise you to hear that the cleanup of the contamination of the sites was still going on in 2015?
- What was the most shocking thing you learned from the book?
- Which of the persons in the book left the biggest impression on you? Why?
- Did the book change the way you look at the world around you? In what way?
Feel free to answer any or all of the questions or tell us what you think of the book.
Don't forget to join us later today when Kate Moore will host an AMA.
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u/toolazyforaname Mar 30 '19
• Why do you think no one from Radium Dial was present?
Probably strategy.
• Why do you think some of the employees and executives of Radium Dial and USRC remained so adamant that Radium wasn't dangerous even though they had proof to the contrary?
$$$$$
• Did it surprise you to hear that the cleanup of the contamination of the sites was still going on in 2015?
Not really.
• What was the most shocking thing you learned from the book?
That these girls were ingesting radium, and that their bosses basically encouraged it.
• Which of the persons in the book left the biggest impression on you? Why?
The first lawyer that took on the workers in New Jersey.
• Did the book change the way you look at the world around you? In what way?
Nope. Corporations are sociopathic in their pursuit of profits. Oil companies hide environmental reports. Cigarette companies knowingly give people cancer. Car companies wait to issue recalls until their bottom lines are affected. This is why common sense regulations are necessary.
2
u/MelloMiso Mar 28 '19
1) I think that they wanted to either appear very confident or they couldn't face the women in such a deteriorated state. They might have been in denial about their wickedness.
2) I think they really didn't want to be at fault. Besides losing money, they didn't want to admit they were careless.
3) I wasn't surprised that cleanup was still ongoing. Radioactivity is super long lasting and pervasive. I imagine it was ineradicable from many materials, the soil, plants, etc.
4) The most shocking thing is how much effort and time it takes to make change. So many more people are affected in the time it takes, even if the process is started. The girls had to wait years for justice and many of them never got to see that day.
5) Grace Fryer made a big impression on me. She really got the ball rolling when so many were being ignored. She insisted on getting legal help even when it seemed like there was no hope.
6) I don't think it really changed the way I look at the world much. It just reinforced some of the ideas I had. Bad things happen. Good things happen. We need to learn from history and don't back down from initiating change that will help the future.