Flint and our priorities. (from Donna Edwards)
Over 10,000 children have been exposed to toxic levels of lead in Flint, Michigan. As a mom, as a person -- that makes me angry.
But what should make us all furious is that this is not uncommon. Low-income, black, and brown communities are affected by lead poisoning across the country, threatening the long-term health and cognitive development of these exposed children for their entire lives.
Communities of color bear the brunt of the failure to invest in testing, early intervention, and repair. In 2013, a Center for Disease Control and Prevention Study showed that black children are at twice the risk for lead exposure than their white counterparts.
Thousands of Maryland's children have been exposed to hazardous levels of lead. State tests found that between 1993-2013 nearly 65,000 children in Baltimore suffered from dangerously high blood lead levels. We must complete the repair and replacement of water pipes, and build infrastructure to make it safe for children to drink water and live in their homes safely.
This is a question of priorities. It is time to prioritize critical infrastructure funding in black, brown, and low-income communities immediately to ensure they are protected from these dangerous environmental hazards. And we must restore the fund to prevent lead poisoning which has been cut by this Republican Congress by more than half.
It is our responsibility as leaders to be voices for our most vulnerable citizens. For the children in Flint, in Baltimore, and the estimated 500,000 more affected by lead poisoning across the country, we need to take action now.
Thank you,
Donna
P.S. If you would like to donate directly to help the Citizens of Flint. You can do that here.
http://www.unitedwaygenesee.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=5