Terry Tempest Williams: An Analysis

Terry Tempest Williams constructs a convincing argument for why the US government should be honest with its citizens. She stresses the importance of this “transparency” in the government with particular reference to the deadly repercussions of nuclear testing. The US government conducted these nuclear tests because the United States wanted to remain superior in nuclear weaponry around the globe. After World War II ended, the Cold War began, and the United States needed to defend itself and its citizens from the threat of communism from the Soviet Union. “The Korean War was raging. McCarthyism was rampant. Ike was it and the Cold War was hot. If you were against nuclear testing, you were for a Communist regime” (Williams 318). To start the nuclear

Since people were exposed to emissions that eventually damaged their health and the government knew of these fatal consequences prior to the testing, the tests were not justifiable. To illustrate, all the women in the Williams’ family, including the author, were exposed to carcinogens and other harmful substances from the nuclear blasts. Their exposure to these toxic agents then resulted in the women contracting breast cancer, which formed the Clan of One-breasted Women. Therefore, it may be argued that the government should be held responsible and not have sovereign immunity in cases like these.

However, sovereign immunity is necessary in certain situations. For example, the government should have sovereign immunity when a member of the public is injured because of the malfunction or absence of a traffic light or sign. If traffic lights or signs are being repaired because of technological problems, traffic jams and accidents may occur as a result. Nevertheless, the government would not be liable for this, as the government would have its sovereign immunity in this case because the repair of the traffic lights was done in good faith so that the members of the public could