Flint, Michigan Is More Than Just A Water Crisis | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

Flint, Michigan Is More Than Just A Water Crisis

If American's can't even have their basic rights, then what else is there?

45
Flint, Michigan Is More Than Just A Water Crisis
YouTube

Many people don’t realize this, but the Flint water crisis says more about our country than we would like to believe. If American’s can’t even have clean water, what’s next?

According to CNN, Flint, Michigan is a city where 41.2% of residents live below the poverty line. Not only that, but the majority of the population is African American. This isn’t OK. In America, we have this problem where minorities get stuck without basic human rights, like water, and since people in these communities live under the poverty line, their human rights become compromised because they're unable to move away or change their situation.

Why do we continue to let things like this happen? People in Flint are living without clean. Water. Clean water! Why are more people not infuriated about this??

More facts coming at you about their water that is sure to make you cringe: “Historically, the water in the Flint River downstream of Flint has been of poor quality, and was severely degraded during the 1970s, due to "the presence of fecal coliform bacteria, low dissolved oxygen, plant nutrients, oils, and toxic substances.” This is a direct quote from CNN that states there is presence of fecal coliform bacteria. Do any of you know how repulsive this is?

The water simply wasn’t being properly treated, and it still isn’t. The worst part is that we have continued to let this happen. We have just let people live like this.

Even more so, there has been high amounts of lead in the water which leads to all kinds of negative side effects, such as behavioral problems and impaired cognitive functions.

As of June 2017 there have been charges against several state officials for involuntary manslaughter, which is a huge break for Flint. So, why do I still mention this crisis then? I’ll tell you.

If we allowed this crisis to continue to happen for around 40 years just because this was a lower income area, and people seemed not to care as much, then what’s next? This wouldn’t have been an issue in Miami or Beverly Hills where rich people live. What else is happening right under our noses because the government simply doesn’t care about those less fortunate? We need some serious justice for Americans. We can’t allow things like the Flint Water Crisis to happen anymore. We need change.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

621
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

1971
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2572
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments