President Barrack Obama visited Flint, Michigan on Wednesday, May 4th to address the city’s water contamination issue. The town’s corroding lead pipes have caused heavy pollution in their water. Thousands of children in Flint have been poisoned by lead and 10 people have died from Legionnaires’ disease. In an attempt to comfort Flint residents, President Obama took a sip of Flint water during his speech to show that when properly filtered, the water is perfectly fine. The residents were not convinced; experts have already deemed their water unsafe for consumption. President Obama’s action offended and disappointed many Flint residents. 

“These types of issues are commonly found in third world countries but this is America,” said Wayne Hills junior and clean water advocate Sophia Jeon, “I feel like we should have gone past this already.”

The people of Flint are especially angry towards Michigan Governor Rick Snyder for not doing anything about their water contamination problem. Residents who attended the President’s speech booed Snyder when his name was mentioned. President Obama attempted to defend Snyder and continued addressing the bigger issues in Flint.  

“The problems of water were a symptom of a broader issue, and that is a city that had lost a lot of resources, lost a lot of its tax base, was cutting a lot of services, and increasingly, didn’t have capacity,” said President Obama at the end of the meeting.

President Obama does not blame anyone for the crisis, he only stated that “poor decisions were made.” The President promised free water, filters, Medicaid to treat afflicted victims, and job training programs.