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The Poisoned Kids of Flint, Michigan: A Social Media Timeline of an Unraveling Man-Made Disaster

By Mitchell Trinka

January 21, 2016

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Over the past two weeks, national news outlets have finally zeroed in on the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan, questioning how a major American city could have poisoned its residents with lead-laden water for months on end.

With the toxic water, and the dysfunctional state response, now leading the evening newscasts, even President Barack Obama has weighed in with questions of why residents’ pleas for help were dismissed, or ignored.

Indeed, a quick scan of recent social media posts captures not only the human cost and public anger surrounding the water crisis, but also reveals that people have been begging for help since early 2015.

The scale of the crisis

Pleas for help began more than a YEAR ago

@BarackObama @WhiteHouse #FLINT #MICHIGAN KIDS, ANIMALS, ANYTHING THAT TOUCHES WATER HERE IS GETTING SICK 1 WAY OR ANOTHER #HelpUs

— Jacque Yoder (@JacqueTweets2) January 9, 2015

The school water from the drinking fountains tastes nasty

— Ethan (@ethan_taljonick) March 27, 2015

Flint water is literally poisoning city children!! PLZ SIGN & SHARE this petition to The whitehouse… https://t.co/khQOXbwVPv

— Matisa Jones (@matisa1974) October 8, 2015

The water is killing people's pets. Children are losing hair. pic.twitter.com/3rXc6A4lJV

— Destiny (@__DKA) January 13, 2016

I don't live in Flint but I got to school in Flint right now. It has a separate water filtration system. But I know that everybody (1/4)

— Becky McDermott (@beckyamcdermott) January 20, 2016

around here knew about the crisis going on. Everyone's pointing at it saying "here! look at this!" and it was brushed off. (2/4)

— Becky McDermott (@beckyamcdermott) January 20, 2016

Then some news finally caught wind of it and thought "wow this is a big deal." THEN suddenly everyone comes rushing in looking to help (3/4)

— Becky McDermott (@beckyamcdermott) January 20, 2016

way late, when they could have fixed it before it ever got this bad. Bigger news came around November and it is JANUARY. (4/4)

— Becky McDermott (@beckyamcdermott) January 20, 2016

Students weigh in

What happened to the water?

#Flint Water Crisis: How Lead got into the Drinking Water, #Michigan Governor Rick Snyder: https://t.co/x4gvX37ghD via @YouTube

— David Ramos (@BMDRamos) January 21, 2016

#FlintWaterCrisis: @karenaboutflint says, "Politics & profit were put over the lives of people." #NewsOneNow https://t.co/hwQJDDFN6y

— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) January 21, 2016

Swell. First kids poisoned with lead, then those responsible blame others for doing it #morintoon #FlintWaterCrisis pic.twitter.com/Hm7mHrriqR

— Jim Morin (@MorinToon) January 21, 2016

Local newspapers publish the governor’s emails

9 must-read pages from Gov. Rick Snyder's e-mail drop on the #flintwatercrisis and children's lead exposure https://t.co/5cMdlyzCCt

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 21, 2016

A jawdropping email trail of blind and willful neglect in Flint's water crisis. https://t.co/O3eK8o1ccV pic.twitter.com/MseaopiHJC

— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) January 21, 2016

"I can't figure out why the state is responsible." Forgive me, but this is nuts #FlintWaterCrisis #SnyderEmails pic.twitter.com/BASLTWsfSI

— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) January 20, 2016

"My God, they poisoned the kids": 150 protest at Michigan capitol over #FlintWaterCrisis https://t.co/HKYFfcONXo #BlackLivesMatter

— Progress Michigan (@ProgressMich) January 15, 2016

"I'm going to have to calm down, I'm a little upset myself having drank the #Flint water for the past 2 years." pic.twitter.com/gI7aU6mulp

— Senator Jim Ananich (@jimananich) January 20, 2016

The rush to help

No end in sight

Flint switched from Detroit water to Flint River water, 10 people in my county have died from Legionnaire's disease. https://t.co/Y7LfJJqfnA

— Jonathan Diener (@jonodiener) January 14, 2016

Nearly 9,000 Flint children under the age of 6 were poisoned by their gov't https://t.co/4FecECdHwi

— elias isquith (@eliasisquith) January 16, 2016

State of emergency over Michigan water https://t.co/phliJaasnO

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 17, 2016

Lead found in water at Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint https://t.co/je5KmKaDjc

— The Flint Journal (@flintjournal) January 21, 2016

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                <h1>The Poisoned Kids of Flint, Michigan: A Social Media Timeline of an Unraveling Man-Made Disaster</h1>

                <h2></h2>

                <p class="sans">By <a rel="author" href="https://www.the74million.org/contributor/20095/">Mitchell Trinka</a></p>

                <img src="https://www.the74million.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1453409489_5069.png">

                <p>This story first appeared at <a href="https://www.the74million.org">The 74</a>, a nonprofit news site covering education. <a href="https://www.the74million.org/about/newsletters/?utm_source=republish-button&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=republish">Sign up for free newsletters from The 74</a> to get more like this in your inbox.</p>
                <div class="article__paragraph">
<div class="article__paragraph opening" dir="ltr">Over the past two weeks, national news outlets have finally zeroed in on the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan, questioning how a major American city could have poisoned its residents with lead-laden water for months on end.</div>
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">With the toxic water, and the dysfunctional state response, now leading the evening newscasts, even President Barack Obama has weighed in with questions of why residents’ pleas for help were dismissed, or ignored.</div>
<div class="article__paragraph">Indeed, a quick scan of recent social media posts captures not only the human cost and public anger surrounding the water crisis, but also reveals that people have been begging for help since early 2015.</div>
<div class="article__intro">The scale of the crisis</div>
<div class="storify"><iframe loading="lazy" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/The74/water-crisis-in-flint-michigan/embed?header=false&border=false&template=grid" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/The74/water-crisis-in-flint-michigan.js?header=false&border=false&template=grid"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/The74/water-crisis-in-flint-michigan" target="_blank">View the story “Mainstream Media Covers Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan” on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>
<div class="article__intro"> </div>
<div class="article__intro">Pleas for help began more than a YEAR ago</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama">@BarackObama</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse">@WhiteHouse</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLINT?src=hash">#FLINT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MICHIGAN?src=hash">#MICHIGAN</a> KIDS, ANIMALS, ANYTHING THAT TOUCHES WATER HERE IS GETTING SICK 1 WAY OR ANOTHER <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HelpUs?src=hash">#HelpUs</a></p>
<p>— Jacque Yoder (@JacqueTweets2) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacqueTweets2/status/553544921475334144">January 9, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The school water from the drinking fountains tastes nasty</p>
<p>— Ethan (@ethan_taljonick) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethan_taljonick/status/581444668040327168">March 27, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Flint water is literally poisoning city children!! PLZ SIGN & SHARE this petition to The whitehouse… <a href="https://t.co/khQOXbwVPv">https://t.co/khQOXbwVPv</a></p>
<p>— Matisa Jones (@matisa1974) <a href="https://twitter.com/matisa1974/status/652068676179521536">October 8, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The water is killing people's pets. Children are losing hair. <a href="https://t.co/3rXc6A4lJV">pic.twitter.com/3rXc6A4lJV</a></p>
<p>— Destiny (@__DKA) <a href="https://twitter.com/__DKA/status/687394139713986560">January 13, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I don't live in Flint but I got to school in Flint right now. It has a separate water filtration system. But I know that everybody (1/4)</p>
<p>— Becky McDermott (@beckyamcdermott) <a href="https://twitter.com/beckyamcdermott/status/689899153099481088">January 20, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">around here knew about the crisis going on. Everyone's pointing at it saying "here! look at this!" and it was brushed off. (2/4)</p>
<p>— Becky McDermott (@beckyamcdermott) <a href="https://twitter.com/beckyamcdermott/status/689899283684933632">January 20, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Then some news finally caught wind of it and thought "wow this is a big deal." THEN suddenly everyone comes rushing in looking to help (3/4)</p>
<p>— Becky McDermott (@beckyamcdermott) <a href="https://twitter.com/beckyamcdermott/status/689899467374510080">January 20, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">way late, when they could have fixed it before it ever got this bad. Bigger news came around November and it is JANUARY. (4/4)</p>
<p>— Becky McDermott (@beckyamcdermott) <a href="https://twitter.com/beckyamcdermott/status/689899574291517441">January 20, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<div class="article__intro"> </div>
<div class="article__intro">Students weigh in</div>
<div class="article__paragraph">
<div style="width:100%; padding-bottom: 56.25%; position: relative;">
<div class="video-start"><img decoding="async" class="video-embed-image" id="video-start-button" src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/TA53UEr2vaQ/maxresdefault.jpg" /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="article__intro"> </div>
<div class="article__intro">What happened to the water?</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flint?src=hash">#Flint</a> Water Crisis: How Lead got into the Drinking Water, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Michigan?src=hash">#Michigan</a> Governor Rick Snyder: <a href="https://t.co/x4gvX37ghD">https://t.co/x4gvX37ghD</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/YouTube">@YouTube</a></p>
<p>— David Ramos (@BMDRamos) <a href="https://twitter.com/BMDRamos/status/690236245608415232">January 21, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlintWaterCrisis?src=hash">#FlintWaterCrisis</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/karenaboutflint">@karenaboutflint</a> says, "Politics & profit were put over the lives of people." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewsOneNow?src=hash">#NewsOneNow</a> <a href="https://t.co/hwQJDDFN6y">https://t.co/hwQJDDFN6y</a></p>
<p>— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) <a href="https://twitter.com/rolandsmartin/status/690206464128843777">January 21, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Swell. First kids poisoned with lead, then those responsible blame others for doing it <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/morintoon?src=hash">#morintoon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlintWaterCrisis?src=hash">#FlintWaterCrisis</a> <a href="https://t.co/Hm7mHrriqR">pic.twitter.com/Hm7mHrriqR</a></p>
<p>— Jim Morin (@MorinToon) <a href="https://twitter.com/MorinToon/status/690027819645177856">January 21, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<div class="article__intro"> </div>
<div class="article__intro">Local newspapers publish the governor’s emails</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">9 must-read pages from Gov. Rick Snyder's e-mail drop on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/flintwatercrisis?src=hash">#flintwatercrisis</a> and children's lead exposure <a href="https://t.co/5cMdlyzCCt">https://t.co/5cMdlyzCCt</a></p>
<p>— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) <a href="https://twitter.com/USATODAY/status/690216076421042177">January 21, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A jawdropping email trail of blind and willful neglect in Flint's water crisis. <a href="https://t.co/O3eK8o1ccV">https://t.co/O3eK8o1ccV</a> <a href="https://t.co/MseaopiHJC">pic.twitter.com/MseaopiHJC</a></p>
<p>— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) <a href="https://twitter.com/nycjim/status/690164621857165312">January 21, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I can't figure out why the state is responsible." Forgive me, but this is nuts <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlintWaterCrisis?src=hash">#FlintWaterCrisis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SnyderEmails?src=hash">#SnyderEmails</a> <a href="https://t.co/BASLTWsfSI">pic.twitter.com/BASLTWsfSI</a></p>
<p>— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) <a href="https://twitter.com/maddow/status/689934920500822018">January 20, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"My God, they poisoned the kids": 150 protest at Michigan capitol over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlintWaterCrisis?src=hash">#FlintWaterCrisis</a> <a href="https://t.co/HKYFfcONXo">https://t.co/HKYFfcONXo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash">#BlackLivesMatter</a></p>
<p>— Progress Michigan (@ProgressMich) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProgressMich/status/687793832096747521">January 15, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I'm going to have to calm down, I'm a little upset myself having drank the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flint?src=hash">#Flint</a> water for the past 2 years." <a href="https://t.co/gI7aU6mulp">pic.twitter.com/gI7aU6mulp</a></p>
<p>— Senator Jim Ananich (@jimananich) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimananich/status/689620803567108096">January 20, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<div class="article__intro"> </div>
<div class="article__intro">The rush to help</div>
<div class="storify"><iframe loading="lazy" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/The74/scenes-from-flint-michigan-s-water-crisis/embed?header=false&border=false&template=grid" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/The74/scenes-from-flint-michigan-s-water-crisis.js?header=false&border=false&template=grid"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/The74/scenes-from-flint-michigan-s-water-crisis" target="_blank">View the story “Scenes From Flint, Michigan’s Water Crisis” on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>
<div class="article__paragraph">
<div style="width:100%; padding-bottom: 56.25%; position: relative;">
<div class="video-start"><img decoding="async" class="video-embed-image" id="video-start-button" src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/vIfFVnhWlLA/maxresdefault.jpg" /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="article__intro"> </div>
<div class="article__intro">No end in sight</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Flint switched from Detroit water to Flint River water, 10 people in my county have died from Legionnaire's disease. <a href="https://t.co/Y7LfJJqfnA">https://t.co/Y7LfJJqfnA</a></p>
<p>— Jonathan Diener (@jonodiener) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonodiener/status/687446738219601920">January 14, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nearly 9,000 Flint children under the age of 6 were poisoned by their gov't <a href="https://t.co/4FecECdHwi">https://t.co/4FecECdHwi</a></p>
<p>— elias isquith (@eliasisquith) <a href="https://twitter.com/eliasisquith/status/688383643652329473">January 16, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">State of emergency over Michigan water <a href="https://t.co/phliJaasnO">https://t.co/phliJaasnO</a></p>
<p>— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/688524027850289153">January 17, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lead found in water at Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint <a href="https://t.co/je5KmKaDjc">https://t.co/je5KmKaDjc</a></p>
<p>— The Flint Journal (@flintjournal) <a href="https://twitter.com/flintjournal/status/690002461462040576">January 21, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>

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The Poisoned Kids of Flint, Michigan: A Social Media Timeline of an Unraveling Man-Made Disaster

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