On April 4, a lawsuit over the Flint water crisis brought forth by several organizations—including the ACLU of Michigan, Concerned Pastors for Social Action, and the Natural Resources Defense Council—was settled.
Flint had been on my mind recently, before news of the settlement. It was about two years ago that news first broke: Inadequate treatment and aging infrastructure gave way to lead-contaminated drinking water, sparking a tragic—and avoidable—humanitarian crisis. I was weighing the crisis as an instance of “access” and how complicated that concept can be. Flint residents had access to drinking water, but in a far different way than their Detroit counterparts a mere 57 miles away.
Clean drinking water is fundamental to our lives: We cannot survive without it. This is a simple premise, but access to clean drinking water is anything but. Access is not a binary issue—it can mean something entirely different depending on who and where you are. As Flint taught us, when access to basic resources like water is solely driven by economic and social factors, the consequences are catastrophic.
In an ever-connected world, the internet has taken on a fundamental role. While internet access is not quite as essential as clean drinking water, it is starting to get close. In less than 25 years, the internet has become woven into every aspect of our society. Access to the internet is essential if you want to get a job, access financial and government services, do homework or simply stay in touch with your family. Increasingly, good-quality, affordable access to the internet is a key dividing line between whether you are included in or excluded from our society.