US govt's decision for pledging funds to Notre Dame met with criticism

Mari Copeny nicknamed as Little Miss Flint is a 11 year old activist who is notable for her advocacy and involvement in the Flint water crisis. On April 16, she took to Twitter to call out the White House on their negligence of the Flint Water Crisis, reminding them that April 24th marks five years since the crisis first started. She stressed that Flint is a city in America, expressing her dissatisfaction with the lack of attention given by the US Government to issues pertaining to the United States. 

This comes in wake of the US government pledging to give financial aid to help rebuild Notre Dame. The iconic cathedral was partially destroyed due to a fire on April 15. Though in a release by the White House it is not clear as to how much amount will be given. Donald Trump also has promised a personal donation towards the iconic cathedral

Copeny gained popularity after Obama replied to her letter regarding congressional hearings on the Flint water crisis, back in 2008. He replied to her stating that he will arrive at Flint to ensure that the people recieve the help they need. She also raised over $10,000 to provide backpacks for children to go to school.

Ibrahim Darden, commonly known as Ebro is an American media executive and notable Radio personality. He too, expressed his dissapointment with the White House’s decisions with a short tweet, mentioning both the Flint issue and Puerto Rico, that is still recovering in the aftermath of hurricane Maria.

He is a co-host on the American radio show “Ebro in the morning” named after him.

The Flint water crisis has been going on since 2014. It started when the water source for the city of Flint, Michigan, was changed from Lake Huron and the Detroit river to Flint river which was less costly. Lead contamination in the water supply —due to the concerned officials failing to apply corrosion inhibitors to the water—has made the water unfit for consumption and usage. Between 6000 to 12,000 children have been exposed to lead contaminated drinking water making them vulnerable to serious health risks. The Government, has been criticized by the public for their lack of immediate action.

When Ebro mentioned Puerto Rico, he was referring to its ongoing process of recovery from Hurricane Maria that struck the island on September 20, 2017. The hurricane caused storm surges and flash flooding in various parts of the island killing over 3000 people and caused widespread destruction of land and property. Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rossello has estimated that the damage from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was probably over the $8 billion damage figure from Hurricane Georges.

Mari Copeny and Ibrahim Darden are two among the several people voicing their disagreement on social media with the White House’s decision to assist financial aid to France for Notre Dame rehabilitation.