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

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

 
Students weigh in
 
What happened to the water?

 
Local newspapers publish the governor’s emails

 
The rush to help
 
No end in sight

 

 

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