This week we read chapters 9-12 in The Boys in the Bunkhouse. These chapters gave a more in-depth look into the life of the men outside of their work at the turkey plant. The chapters start by telling us about some of the good experiences the men had. They became more integrated into the community, through church, and town events. They had fabulous Christmases that they also invited the community to experience with them. They had a big TV, a pool table and other fun things and perks at the bunkhouse. They had some men and women employed at the bunkhouse who genuinely   cared for them and took them on occasional field trips. While these were all good things, when taking a closer look it is clear that the men's freedoms were very limited. They did not have basic rights to make their own decisions, be in a relationship, or leave the bunkhouse and the turkey plant life. 
         
            I think one of the injustices the men faced that stood out to me the most was how they were punished. When the men became disorderly or acted in a way that was deemed inappropriate they were sent to their rooms like children, or had their TV time taken away. Past chapters even referred to them having to stand in a corner. This seems very patronizing and inappropriate to me, and it would be unheard of to treat grown men without intellectual disabilities in this manner. It is interesting that some of the staff at the bunkhouse also felt this way, but they knew that order had to be kept somehow and rules had to be in place so they let it slide. They justified this type of treatment, because sometimes the act of the man that got them in trouble would be the act of a child, such as the example given of the one man peeing in the turkey factor line. I think another reason that the employees did not speak up for change, though not always comfortable with these forms of punishment, was because they were not educated in any other ways to handle problems. They did not have any past experiences or training on working with intellectually disabled people. Because of this they were at a loss for an alternative solution to behavioral problems. 
   
         While I understand that order in any society or community does need to be maintained, I feel that there must be a better and less patronizing way to go about this. I guess that this would be my question to my classmates; In what way do you think the bunkhouse employees could have gone about keeping order and rules in the bunk in a less patronizing way that respected the men, their freedoms, their intellectual capabilities, and their age?