Wednesday, September 04, 2019

WHAT THE EYES DON'T SEE, Mona Hanna Attisha

In 2014, virtually with no one looking or investigating the safeness of the switch, the state of Michigan shifted the source of Flint's water from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Almost immediately citizens complained about the color or the water, the taste, but they went unheard.

Dr. Mona Hanna Attisha took the officials at their word initially and told her pediatric patients' parents that the water was safe. But over a brief period of time, children were getting sicker and early studies began to trouble the doctor.

This book details her fight to obtain undeniable truth that the water was full of lead and to get city and state officials to admit it and do something about it. Time after time, people who should be on the side of the citizens, turned a deaf hear, preferring to either ignore or uphold the lies being bandied about.

This is a very disheartening book because you know similar problems exist in other cities (Newark) and are especially prevalent in black areas. When this was first noticed in Flint, GM and state offices received water that was not from the Flint River. So even here distinctions were made by state officials.

The dire nature of the story is somewhat lightened by Attisha's story of her own family and their trip to the US from Iraq. They are a family of activists indeed.

For more book reviews, go to Barrie Summy's blog. 

12 comments:

Margot Kinberg said...

I can see why you thought this was disheartening, Patti. But I'm glad it's being explored and talked about. To me, that's an important way to deal with it.

Lucy said...

When I saw the title of the book I was thinking something else. This is a sad situation. I had no idea that it was basically a selective decision as to who got what water. It's something that definitely needs more attention than it's gotten so far. Thanks for the review.

Jerry House said...

So many shameful acts of greed, stupidity, and cowardice today. I hope that we, as a people, will eventually shine a bright light on each of them, one by one.

George said...

Flint and Newark are just the tips of the iceberg of pollutants in the drinking water. Our century-old water pipes needed to be replaced long ago. But, of course, the money for infrastructure was spent on the trillion dollar Tax Cut for the Rich.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Yes. We all understand what happened and yet we are impotent in the face of it.

Barrie said...

How very scary. Jerry House, above, worded it well: "so many shameful acts of greed, stupidity and cowardice" Hurray for activists like Dr. Attisha. It's shocking how hard she had to fight for change. Thank you for reviewing!

Phyllis Wheeler said...

Sobering.

Jenn Jilks said...

It really is shameful. It is a story that must be told, and that we must read.

Jeff Meyerson said...

But we need The Wall!

Powell River Books said...

Flint's water issues have been a tragedy. - Margy

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Sarah Laurence said...

Such a horrific tragedy! And I believe they're water issue still hasn't been resolved.