After watching Roger and Me, what do you think GM’s responsibility is to the people of Flint? Does it matter that GM was born in Flint? Should profit be the sole motivating factor for corporations?
Week 5 Day 2 Discussion Question 4
April 7, 2016 | 1 Comment
March 13, 2019 at 12:31 pm
After watching “Roger and Me,” I was struck by the role GM played in the lives of countless individuals in Flint, Michigan. Simply put, GM should have a responsibility to the people of Flint because it would keep them accountable for their various actions, especially ones that concern their wellbeing.
One of the reasons Roger Williams was such a powerhouse was because he did not have to visibly see what his decisions wrought in the lives of people in Flint and beyond. Many corporations today are so removed from the lives of the individuals that they serve that it makes it easier to make decisions that might devastate their livelihoods. There are very few accountability mechanisms in place today that make corporations responsible for their actions.
Furthermore, I cannot help but reflect on how the history of GM in Flint establishes a context to analyze contemporary crises in the city, such as the Flint water crisis. I truly wonder how GM responded to the phenomenon.