Monday, September 22, 2014

If I told you to think about a water crisis, the United States may be the last thing you would think of. However, the citizens of Detroit wouldn't. In the last few months, thousands of people living in the city have had their water cut off. The city is one of the poorest in our country, and yet they also have one of the highest costs of water. 
So, what happens when citizens can't afford the water? It gets cut off. What happens when those people no longer have access to water? Outbreaks. 
Water riots, something that one would expect to see in countries like Egypt, have been taking place in our very own country. People can't clean themselves, flush toilets, or even cook. Many of these families without water are ones that have children. This is causing huge health concerns in the city. Some people who have come out of surgery recently can't even clean bandages or wounds. 
Not only is this a concern of health, but it's a debate of whether water is a right or a privilege. The United Nations stated that the scene in Detroit is, "a violation of the human right to water and other international rights." However, some people in Detroit disagree. The people who can still pay for water have seen a raise in the water bills to as much as $20 to help compensate for the loss of water users and also some have had problems with neighbors stealing water.

1 comment:

  1. No "moral economy" in Detroit, is there? I did not know this was going on, and it's fascinating that the UN would weigh in. I wonder what Newt Gingrich has to say about "American Exceptionalism" in this case? It is a violation of human rights and decency in my opinion.

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