Susan Nussbaum’s “Good Kings, Bad Kings” is not only commentary on how disabled people are treated in institutions, but also how many of these institutions are run for profit, not for fair treatment of the disabled children living within them. They are focused on making another dollar and do not care for the residents as much as they should.
In this portion of the reading (pgs. 143-205) the character Michelle Volkmann, who works for Whitney-Palms, is tasked with assessing people who may have mental and/or physical disabilities to determine if they belong in institutions. She only has one chapter in this portion but it is very important in showing the reader how places such as ILLC, Illinois Learning and Life Skills Center, care more about the money than their residents. Michelle talks about Riverwood, another institution under the parent company Whitney-Palm, and the death of a girl who lived there. The girl was found tied to a wheelchair, though she had the ability to walk, and died because she suffocated from the tightness of her ties. Though she was said to have been frequently checked up on, it took the aides over six hours to realize she was dead. After mentioning this death, Michelle moves right into how money comes into play. She seems apathetic towards the girl and more focused on Tim, her boss, and his anger. He is angry about the fine Whitney-Palms will have to pay because the parents of the girl want an investigation. Michelle says there is no reason for him to be upset, as Whitney-Palms will most likely not pay the fine because “it’s not like anyone ever pays the fines anyway.” (188). When she speaks to Tim about her ideas for updating their technology, he thinks it’s a good idea but he wants her to think of more ways to increase their revenue instead. They discuss the idea of putting three beds in each room instead of the normal two. They focus on how they can save money from this, but do not even mention how the residents would be negatively impacted.
Michelle then speaks of the Pine Hills case, in which a sexual predator was placed in a room with a child after the institution was given specific instructions to give him a room by himself. Though Tim says they fired the person responsible for the placement of the sexual predator, giving him his own room would have cost Whitney-Palms more money. Michelle mentions another fine Whitney-Palm will have to pay due to the Pine Hills case, saying “some politicians said it should be bigger than what we usually pay.” (191). The only sympathetic response Michelle ever has towards both of these instances is when she says “The thing that led to the fine was really sad.” (191). Besides this sentence, she is apathetic, except when she says Tim deserves to pay a fine because the little kid who was molested hung himself.
Michelle Volkmann, like the company she works for, is focused on getting her paycheck and moving on. She does not care for the residents, and simply does her job. Though this can be said for the majority of society, it is concerning she never has a thought to ‘rebel’ or speak up against the wrongdoings of Whitney-Palms.
I pledge: Shelby Steele
Word Count: 556
