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By demonizing pleasure, we set ourselves up for unfulfilling sex lives.
Opinion: Let’s talk about sex
Published March 27, 2024

Follow Flint to our local waterways

When Flint, Mich., switched its municipal water supply, Mayor Dayne Walling said, “It’s a historic moment for the city of Flint to return to its roots and use our own river as our drinking water supply.” We sadly know that this switch was a historic moment for the incredible failings of local, state and federal agencies.
 
 
As someone who lives and works with the Mississippi River, it is disheartening to see the community of Flint unable to rely on their local waterway to provide safe drinking water. On campus and in my home, I am able to turn on my tap and drink Mississippi River water with full confidence in quality and safety. 
 
 
In fact, the city of Minneapolis is so proud of its tap water that the city government has rolled out a flashy campaign called TapMPLS. The campaign encourages residents to turn to the tap over bottled water. 
 
 
Flash to Flint: Last January, city residents snatched up 200 cases of bottled water within the first 30 minutes of a giveaway program. The Flint water crisis is a reminder that what we do not think to protect today might not be able to support us later.
 
 
One of the most unsettling aspects of the Flint water crisis is the separation of people, policy and water resources. How many people in Flint understand the intricacies of their municipal water system? How many University of Minnesota students understand the intricacies of ours? 
 
The blatant disregard of community concerns relating to their water supports the emerging narrative of the Flint Water Crisis as an incident of environmental racism. 
 
 
True, Minneapolis isn’t Flint. Our river is seated in a completely different social, economic and political landscape than the Flint River. We have political leaders who propose river-conscious policies (like the comprehensive street sweep the Public Works Department tackles every spring and fall). We have communities engaged in river clean-ups and storm water mitigation practices. 
 
 
Yet the Flint River wasn’t always a waste site for industrial pollution, and just because our river is relatively healthy today doesn’t mean it will be indefinitely.
 
 
More than 18 million people rely on the Mississippi River for drinking water. May the frustrating events in Flint galvanize our own community against practices that harm the river, and may we seek opportunities to understand our relationship with the river.
 
Maria Lee
University student
 
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