Summary: A once thriving blue-collar Michigan city has been struggling ever since the auto industry died down and many plants had to let a lot of people go, forcing a large percent of the population to look for jobs outside Flint. Since then, not only have crimes rates gone up, but rumors are being spread around about the cleanliness of the city's water source. Mothers warn children not to drink the water, and some cases are being looked into concerning children accumulating health issues supposedly thanks to the lead contaminated water. Many current residents have stated they believe Flint is spiraling downhill and plan to get away from their hometown to raise their children for fear of their well being.
Analysis: This is an interesting article to me because my great great grandparents were born and raised in Erick, Oklahoma. Located on Route 66, Erick was a popular pit stop with tons of motels, pizza joints, souvenir shops and other tourist attractions. However, once the interstate was built and people didn't need to stop in Erick for gas or souvenirs, the small town almost withered away. Like Flint, a lot of the population moved elsewhere and those that stayed caused a lot of trouble. Erick's population is less than 1000 people, there's one gas station, and when going to visit my great grandmother, my cousins and I are told to stay in the house as much as possible, especially at night. Stories like these honestly remind me of the Pixar movie "Cars." It's just really unfortunate to think about cities like these that fell into unfavorable situations and now don't have enough support or motivation to get back on track.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/07/health/children-flint-water-crisis/index.html
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