A Letter to NPR
The following is a letter I wrote to NPR after appearing on All Things Considered recently. If you've found your way here after listening to the show I'd like to clarify a few things. NPR sadly disappointed me very much by refusing to tell the real cause of my disability. They quoted me as saying it is important for people to hear my story and then they changed it. My disability was caused by U.S military pollution, not just industrial waste. The U.S. military produces 750,000 tons of toxic waste annually- more than the five biggest chemical corporations in the U.S. The Department of Defense itself estimates that there are approximately 27,000 toxic waste hot spots in the U.S alone- that is 25 million acres of U.S soil and ocean that our own military has polluted. These sites are very often near residential or commercial areas, causing thousands of sicknesses, deaths, and disabilities, in similar cases to mine. To find out more please visit the Military Toxics Project. And now on to the letter...
Dear Susan,
I am writing because I feel confused and very saddened by NPR. I really did enjoy your representation of my art and me and am grateful for all NPR's kind words, however the fact that the cause of my disability was switched from being military related to some broad term "industry", I find very upsetting. My disability was caused by U.S MILITARY POLLUTION through an Air Force contractor.... the military is the largest polluter and is impossible to sue. My case, which effected tens of thousands, is not rare, and there are hundreds of polluted bases all over the states causing harm to people... not to mention in other countries, where the US can get away with more.
It is just simply very rude to quote me as saying that I think it is important for people to know how my disability came about, and then to totally change how and why I am disabled. It is very offensive. The fact that NPR refused to mention the military I think was a blatant form of censorship in rather scary times..... Anyway, I am hurt and saddened by NPR's fear and compromising over this issue...especially after all the edits Davar and Martha and myself had sent back and forth, basically discussing this same thing of what is too political and me saying I'd rather not participate than compromise things that are very close to me. The cause of my disability is obviously very close to me. I am actually in the process of spending this semester studying U.S military and corporate pollution and its effects on bodies and so more than ever I feel it is an incredibly important issue- and so it is even more offensive and scary to me right now, to have these issues swept aside.
I am sure that NPR is feeling the pressures of censorship from our government these days, but I believe the only way to fight it is to keep talking. What is a country with free speech if I am not even allowed to say why i have arthrogryposis?
At the very least you all should have discussed these worries with me, so I would not have felt manipulated once it aired.
I did very much enjoy meeting you and I just hope that in the future NPR will be stronger to not fold under whatever pressures it is under to be quiet.
-Sunny Taylor