Flint, Michigan, Water Poisoning: Michael Moore Says This Never Would Have Happened In ‘White City,’ Blames Governor
Michael Moore is leading a protest in Flint, Michigan, where water was contaminated with a number of toxins and pollutants including lead. The water is being named as a factor in 10 deaths, and Moore says that the incident never would have happened in a “white city.” In fact, Moore says that Governor Rick Snyder intentionally ignored complaints by residents due to the race and poverty level of the residents living in Flint. Now, Moore is demanding action and is calling for Snyder to resign as the water crisis was “not a mistake,” but rather a “political decision.”
These graphics from @WashingtonPost really show how much damage has been done to Flint, MI. #ArrestGovSnyder pic.twitter.com/KVoCE2KUpg
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 15, 2016
The Daily Mail reports that Michael Moore was joined by over 200 protesters in Flint, Michigan, after residents were killed and sickened by an unsafe water supply. Moore notes that the problems in Flint began when a state-appointed emergency manager switched Flint over to the nearby Flint River in April, 2014. Prior to the switch, Flint was on the Detroit water system. The move was made as a means to “save money.” However, after the switch, residents of Flint began complaining of water that tasted funny and was orange in color.
According to the Detroit Free Press, despite the residents’ complaints about the water and strange color, the state officials continually claimed that the water was safe to drink. However, after a number of children tested positive for lead in the blood, state officials tested the water in October of 2015 and found that it was contaminated with lead. Following the discovery, the state Department of Environmental Quality acknowledged that they made a mistake by failing to require the addition of needed corrosion control chemicals to the water. This lack of corrosion control chemicals resulted in lead leaching from the pipes into the water and into the drinking water of Flint, Michigan, residents.
Doctors note that the effects of lead poisoning are irreversible, and that the full extent of the lead poisoning in Flint is currently unknown. However, it is known that a number of children have tested positive for lead in their blood. Additionally, Michael Moore is calling Flint a “crime scene,” because 10 people died from complications related to Legionnaires’ disease, a type of pneumonia that has been attributed to the switch in Flint’s water source.
And 4 some or the better part of the past yr, the StateofMI knew they were poisoning the ppl of Flint &sought 2 cover it up #ArrestGovSnyder
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 17, 2016
Just to be clear: all 102K residents of Flint have been exposed to toxic water, all of Flint’s kids have ingested lead, & 10 ppl have died.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 17, 2016
If this were elsewhere, & the white leader blocked a black city’s clean water supply &made them drink poison, we’d call it ethnic cleansing.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 17, 2016
Moore notes that this type of atrocity never would have taken place in a “white city,” but since Flint is a heavily black community with high levels of poverty, the issue was overlooked.
“Ten people have been killed… because of a decision to save money. They would never do this to West Bloomfield. They would never do this to Ann Arbor. They would never do this to Farmington Hills.”
Singer Cher has also stepped in to help the people of Flint and bring awareness to the issue. She has pledged to provide 180,000 bottles of water to the city next week. Cher took her outrage to Twitter and posted a rant against Governor Rick Snyder, in which she echoed Moore’s sentiments on the situation.
WTF IS GOING ON W/POWER MAD,GREED DRIVEN,KILLER, INCOMPETENT,POLITICIANS?THEY R CRIMNALS?? GOV.RICK SNYDER OF MICH. #FIRINGSQUADWORKSFORME
— Cher (@cher) January 6, 2016
Can say,cause it’s on Wires. Been working 4Wks W/Wonderful Co,Icelandic Glacial,2Send 181,000 Bottles of water 2 Flint.PRES IS Sending MORE????
— Cher (@cher) January 16, 2016
????DIDNT KNOW PPL R DYING FROM LEGIONNAIRES DISEASE IN FLINT GIFT FROM UR POISON WATER GOV.SNYDER? #WhatWillWashAwayYourSins CLEAN WATER??
— Cher (@cher) January 14, 2016
President Obama has answered the call of support to Flint by declaring a State of Emergency in the town. However, Moore wants Obama to do more and come visit Flint to see the people in person.
I’m outraged at what’s happening in Flint, so I wrote @BarackObama a letter. Read this & RT! https://t.co/uaPzpkapcr pic.twitter.com/aTlZ85Spxf
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 16, 2016
What do you think of Michael Moore’s assessment of the Flint, Michigan, situation? Do you agree that Governor Rick Snyder should be fired or resign following the water poisoning case?
[Image via Twitter/Michael Moore]