By SJ Otto
The reports coming out of Flint Michigan , are painting a distinct picture of class war far-fare. A report from CNNasked: "Was the city neglected because it is mostly black and about 40% poor?"
We are seeing more and more proof that this situation is about wealthy people ignoring the problems of poor people. There is also a racist element, as many residents are black. But as with political decision made all across the country, including here in Kansas , we see wealthy people ignoring dangerous elements that are killing poor people.
Here in Kansas , Governor Sam Brownback has absolutely refused to expand Medicaid. Estimates are that between 113 and 330 Kansans will die, over this next year, without this health care. The people who die will be working poor and it seems that such people just don't matter to a lot of other people, especially right-wing ideology such as Brownback and other wealthy and middle-class people. Not only the Republicans, but the wealthy people who will vote for people who are more concerned about keeping taxes low rather than saving the lives of poor people.
I don't remember a time when the lives of poor people have meant so little to the general public. For the benefit of the people of Flint , many probably didn't realize this was going on.
Again, from CNN:
"Would more have been done, and at a much faster pace, if nearly 40 percent of Flint residents were not living below the poverty line? The answer is unequivocally yes," the NAACP said in a statement.
Others go further.
"While it might not be intentional, there's this implicit bias against older cities -- particularly older cities with poverty (and) majority-minority communities," said Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, who represents the Flint area.
"It's hard for me to imagine the indifference that we've seen exhibited if this had happened in a much more affluent community," he said.
So it is up to us, political activists and voters, to make sure we expose these creepy right-wingers and the ass holes who just don't care about poor people's lives. Just recently Brownback was at an anti-abortion rally in Washington DC , according to CJONLINE;
“Let us see an end to the killing of children in Kansas ,” Brownback said during the Rally for Life event outside the Capitol. “The most pro-life state in America — Kansas .”
He claims to be pro-life when his is literally letting children die of disease in Kansas . WHAT A HIPPOCRIT!!
This kind of indifference over human rights is unacceptable and it is an abomination. We need to use upcoming elections to get rid of those who have relentlessly waged class war-fare against poor people in Kansas and elsewhere.