On a night when Gov. Rick Snyder addressed the state of Michigan during his annual State of the State Address, thousands of Michigan citizens converged on the steps of the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan, to voice their displeasure with the governor.
With temperatures well below freezing, the vigorous crowd yelled at the top of their lungs to protest Snyder for creating a water crisis in Flint. “Snyder’s got to go!” “Tell me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!” and “Flint Lives Matter,” were some of the chants that were yelled by protesters. Many in the crowd also held up signs that called for the arrest and imprisonment of Snyder.
“They have been poisoning us for two years,” said Flint resident Arthur Woodson. “They lied and tried to cover it up. Now that everything has unfolded, it’s time for everyone involved to go to jail or resign from their positions.”
In his State of the State of Address, Snyder apologized to the citizens of Flint for the debacle and promised to put $28 million into fixing the problem. However, he never spoke about resigning from office.
In an effort to reportedly save money, Michigan’s state-appointed emergency manager switched Flint’s water from the Detroit water system to the Flint River two years ago. But the city failed to treat the corrosive river and it damaged Flint’s old pipes. As a result, lead contaminated the drinking water. Instead of solving the issue, government and city officials pointed fingers at each other and the people in Flint continued to drink poison.
Since the initial water switch, 87 residents have been confirmed for Legionnaires disease and 10 people have died. Two years prior to the water switch, only 21 people in Flint were diagnosed with Legionnaires. The disease is a pneumonia that can affect lungs when people are exposed to contaminated water.
Also, there have been elevated levels of lead in children over the last 18 months, according to health officials. Children who are exposed to lead can become sick with the flu, develop behavioral issues and learning disabilities. The effects of lead can take years to appear.
Snyder’s negligence and failure to respond to the initial crisis should be viewed as a crime against humanity.
Check out images from the protests below.
