Day3 - Flint

These days, its seems like everyone has heard about the Flint water crisis. What most people don't know, is that even though this issue is now getting large amounts of national attention, the people of Flint have had lead in their water for 2+ years.

What is worse: this problem is not going anywhere fast.

Flint is in a bad way. Over 2 years ago, the city stopped buying its water from Detroit and started pumping and processing water from the Flint river. The problem is, they chose to save money by not putting the usual anti-corrosion chemicals in the water. This has ruined the city water pipes, so that even now that the city has switched back to Detroit water, lead is still leaching into the water from the corroded pipes.

Now people in Flint have poison coming out of the tap and must resort to unbelievable quantities of plastic water bottles for drinking, bathing, and cooking.

Such conditions have led Flint's population and industry to drop like a rock, further starving the city for the funds necessary to replace the corroded infrastructure. Thus, despite public outrage, the problem of lead in tap water may be a reality for the people of Flint for years to come.

This is about more than Flint

This is a tragedy for the people of Flint, but it highlights a larger injustice prevalent in this country and elsewhere in the world.

Today, the only restitution for the people of Flint are irregular water bottle distribution centers...this inadequate response to such a catastrophe seems to highlight the marginalization/suppression of the affected community.

If you found out today that your water has been grossly damaging the health of you and your neighbors for the last two years, what do you think would happen?

I can't claim to know the socio-politic-economic complexities of overhauling such large infrastructures as a city's water pipes, but I have to assume that there would be so much public outrage that the situation would be addressed in a matter of months, not years.

Injustice begets injustice. Apathy begets apathy.

But, empathy also begets empathy, and so with compassion.

The only way I see forwards, for the people of Flint, for the poor and destitute everywhere, is for one and all to FEEL for the struggle of one's fellow humans.

That can look many ways: speaking out, donating to a foundation, or rolling up your sleeves to more personally show people that you care.

Resist the urge to close your eyes and wish it all away

Because the problems of the world are here to stay

Together

We can do anything

Today

#socialjustice