Marquette Senior High school administrators demanded that visiting environmental legend not talk about sulfide mining in the Upper Peninsula during talk with students, so Lois Gibbs refused to speak calling the incident "really sad" because "it puts children in the middle" of adult fighting.
The controversy involving Marquette Area Public Schools officials shocked an audience later that day (Oct., 15, 2010) at Northern Michigan University (NMU) when "Mother of the Superfund" Lois Gibbs said the snub was something that she has dealt with in other communities.
At issue is the first of many sulfide "acid" mines is being built on state property in North Marquette County near Lake Superior.
"I was invited to speak at the high school -- and then when they told me I could not speak about the mine -- I refused to speak at the high school," said Gibbs whose comments were interrupted by applause at NMU. "I do not know all of the details."
"I was just really sad that the students weren't able to learn how to play in our democracy -- that part was very sad," Gibbs said. "Hopefully the school will come around but this is a company town."
"Even those the company (Kennecott Minerals) isn't sort of all the way here yet -- it is a company town and you have to understand that," Gibbs said.
"There was one brave, heroic, courageous teacher who put up a good struggle to try and get me there (at MSHS) and unfortunately it didn't happen," Gibbs said.
"It actually has happened to me a lot - people are afraid of me," Gibbs said. "I am opposed to things (that ruin the environment) that people are opposed to."
"They make other people outside fearful of speaking - that's how they control us -- and that's what we have to overcome," she said.
"I do not know who was in charge of saying I shouldn't talk about the mine at the high school," Gibbs said. "It puts the children in the middle."
"So if I did go and talk -- and one of the children did ask me a question about the mine -- How was I to answer that question? 'Sorry I am not allowed to speak' And then it's like the grownups are having a fight. I don't think that's helpful to the students."
"I have children to and I do not want my children put in that position at school," Gibbs said.
"Other schools have not allowed me to speak," she said.
"Because the local group had arranged it -- or the teachers arranged it -- and then somehow" the invitation to speak was rescinded, she said.
"Waste management is one of my favorite groups in most schools -- they have lots of their propaganda there - and then when they hear I am coming they convince people that I have a radical speech," Gibbs said. "I am not privy to the conversations (between school officials and industries that pollute) so I don't know what they say."
"But yeah, it's happened at other schools -- this is not unique," she said. "It's unique to you and maybe appalling to you, but your community is similar to other communities -- who have won by the way."
"You have a chance to win here," Gibbs continued. "Actually you have a better chance than some other communities because you are not as far along with this mine as some of the other communities -- especially the ones out west."
Gibbs compared the future of the Upper Peninsula to Love Canal disaster as both involve lethal chemicals.
It appears that that officials involved in higher education in Marquette, Michigan were not thrilled by Gibbs talked that opposed the Kennecott Eagle Minerals nickel and copper and similar mines planned for the Yellow Dog Plains near Lake Superior
Gibbs talk at NMU almost did not happen because NMU Public Safety officials refused to unlock Jamrich Hall -- according to a university employee who propped doors open with a chair and a garbage can.
Gibbs NMU presentation was titled "From the Love Canal to Michigan." Sponsors of Gibbs visit to Marquette include Students for Sustainable Living, Cedar Tree Institute, Save the Wild U.P., Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve.
Gibbs has a long history of standing up for the environment that led to a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1978, she discovered that her seven-year-old son's elementary school and neighborhood was built atop a 20,000 ton toxic waste dump -- the infamous "Love Canal."
After lengthy political and court battles, the government eventually evacuated 833 families who were victims of unusually high rates of cancer and birth defects.
Marquette Area Public Schools (MAPS)
www.mapsnet.org
http://mapsblog.posterous.com
Jon Hartwig, MAPS Superintendent
906-225-5320 (supt. office)
MSHS Principal Bob Anthony
banthony@mapsnet.org
highschool@mapsnet.org
906-225-5353 (MSHS office)
MAPS School Board President Kellie Holmstrom
906-226-9024
drkellieholmstrom@msn.com
Board members:
www.mapsnet.org/SchoolBoard/SchoolBoardMembers.aspx
Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ)
Falls Church, VA
Lois Marie Gibbs, Executive Director
www.chej.org
703-237-2249
Greg Peterson 906-401-0109
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10:14
Love Canal with Lois Gibbs: Part Iby Superfund36525,808 views
@nubtuberable
I was going to delete this comment.
But its a perfect example of the people who hate those interested in protecting the environment.
Instead of constructive thought, they resort to prfane comments.
I checked out this guy's page and he makes senseless, rude and even sexist comments on many pages.
YOOPERNEWSMAN 1 year ago
if she would have started crying i would have kicked my fucking compter in half
nubtuberable 1 year ago