It’s not easy for some of us. We aren’t all Capables by nature. But it’s my responsibility, even though it feels like civil words are sticking in my throat.
Literature (I’m counting all media narratives here) is a powerful tool for building empathy and creating change. Science fiction has even more tools.
Flint, Michigan, is dealing with another outbreak. This time it’s an infectious bacterial disease called Shigellosis, which can cause bloody diarrhea and fever and typically spreads when people don’t wash their hands.
According to health department officials, the gastrointestinal disease has been occurring at a higher rate in that county than in any other county, with 85 cases just last week, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
People in Flint – who are still forced to use either filtered or bottled water because of damaged water pipes – are bathing less, and refusing to wash their hands.
“People aren’t bathing because they’re scared,“
said Jim Henry, Genesee County’s environmental health supervisor. The residents of Flint have been loathe to trust the water coming from the taps after government officials switched the water source to the #FlintRiver, leading to lead contamination in the water and causing a crisis that had repercussions nationwide. Even though the source was switched back, trust still remains low in the water and in the government in that area.
Why hasn’t this been fixed yet? It’s absolutely appalling that we’re giving billions in aid packages to other countries yet our own citizens don’t have clean water! WTF is wrong with this government!!
likeanantennastraighttoheaven 