AS FLINT, MICHIGAN DEALS WITH ITS CONTAMINATED WATER,
SCHOOLS AND DETROIT ARE DEALING WITH THEIR OWN CONTAMINANTS.
THAT IS WIDESPREAD IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FORMS.
FIRST, TO THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF A TEACHER IN
DETROIT.
SHE SAID
THE GREENHOUSE HAS SOME SORT OF MOLD OR FUNGUS
ON IT.
OBVIOUSLY TO THE EXTENT THAT HE
CAN, THE MAYOR ALSO NEEDS
TO DO THINGS TO FIX THESE CONDITIONS.
BUT DETROIT HAS A GIGANTIC FINANCIAL PROBLEM.
THE KIDS HAVE TO WEAR COATS IN THE WINTER, IN THE SUMMER
THEY GET HEATSTROKE BECAUSE IT IS SO HOT.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME VISUAL EVIDENCE FOR YOU.
TEACHERS AND PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN
TWEETING OUT PHOTOS.
DOES YOUR SCHOOL LOOK LIKE THIS?
JUST A DESTROYED STAIRCASE THERE.
YOU WILL SEE IN THIS NEXT ONE BUCKLING FLOORS, TRAPS OUT
IN THE OPEN, MUSHROOMS IN THIS NEXT ONE.
APPARENTLY SOME LIFE CAN BE SUSTAINED IN THE SCHOOLS.
IN THE NEXT ONE YOU ARE SEEING THE FLOOR JUST BUCKLING.
GOD KNOWS WHAT IS GOING UNDER THEIR.
THIS IS THE CEILING RIGHT THERE.
WATER POOLING THROUGH, NOT BEING FIXED.
A SHOT OF FOOD BEING SERVED AT.
SOME MOLDY BREAD THING.
NEXT, ACCESS TO WATER, A BIT COMPLICATED WHEN IT
ACTUALLY DOESN'T RUN TO THOSE MACHINES.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY SAD.
APPARENTLY CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES DON'T NEED
TOILET SEATS.
THAT WOULD BE 20 OR $30, WHICH THEY DO NOT HAVE.
I AM JUST WONDERING WHEN WE ARE GOING TO HOLD THESE TEACHERS
ACCOUNTABLE FOR DESTROYING THE SCHOOL.
IT'S VERY THE TEACHER'S FAULT, RIGHT?
THAT IS WHAT SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING.
WHENEVER WE HAVE COMMENTS ON OUR VIDEOS WHERE WE TALK
ABOUT INSTANCES OF MINORITY GROUPS BEING TARGETED BY
POLICE OR GROUPS LIVING UP IN POVERTY.
THEN PEOPLE COMMENT AND SAY WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?
THESE BLACKS ARE LAZY, MEXICANS ARE CRIMINALS.
UNDERSTAND THAT IS NOT WHAT IS HAPPENING.
WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT USED TO VALUE EDUCATION AS THE
GREAT EQUALIZER.
NOW ACCESS TO EDUCATION IS DEPENDENT ON YOUR
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.
IF YOU ARE FROM A LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND
HAPPEN TO LIVE IN THIS AREA, THIS IS THE KIND OF SCHOOL
YOU ARE ABLE TO GO TO.
THIS IS A BIG OPPORTUNITY TO LIFT YOURSELF UP BY THE
BOOTSTRAPS AND BE SUCCESSFUL.
THIS COUNTRY HAS A HUGE ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM.
THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE.
MORE THAN ANYTHING, THOSE WHO ARE BORN IN UNDERPRIVILEGED
SITUATIONS, LOWER SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUSES, DO NOT HAVE THE SAME
OPPORTUNITIES AS THOSE GROWING UP IN WEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS.
I AM SO HAPPY THESE TEACHERS ARE RAISING AWARENESS OF THESE
SITUATIONS.
IF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS COUNTRY AND OPPORTUNITY,
THEN YOU SHOULD BE FIGHTING TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE PAID THEIR
FAIR SHARE OF TAXES; PROPERLY FUND THE SAME SCHOOLS AND
INSTITUTIONS THAT GAVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT MADE
THEM WEALTHY IN THE FIRST PLACE.
BUT WE HAVE NOW CREATED A SYSTEM WHERE THE WEALTHY TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
THEY BECOME SUCCESSFUL, THEN THEY SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND
THEM AND HOARD THE MONEY.
HERE IS WHAT PATRIOTISM IS, GETTING BACK YOUR COUNTRY AFTER
YOU HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU.
PATRIOTISM IS NOT SUPPORTING TROOPS OR PREVENTIVE WAR IN
THE MIDDLE EAST.
PATRIOTISM IS MAKING SURE THAT YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN,
YOU MAKE SURE THAT THE YOUTH IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE THE SAME
FUCKING OPPORTUNITIES YOU HAD.
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT.
STORIES LIKE THIS ENRAGE ME.
THE GREAT EQUALIZER HE ONCE HAD IN THIS COUNTRY DOES NO
LONGER EXIST.
YOU CONTINUE TO EARN THAT DEFENDER OF MILLENNIAL'S TITLE.
IT IS THE DEFENDER OF AMERICAN OPPORTUNITIES.
IMAGINE IF EVERY DAY THAT WAS THE SITUATION.
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LEARN PRE-CALC.
IF THERE IS A BE IN THE ROOM, IT IS DISTRACTING DURING A TEST.
CAN YOU IMAGINE GROWING UP IN THESE SORTS OF SITUATIONS?
TEACHERS GET OPENLY DISRESPECTED IN THIS COUNTRY CONSTANTLY.
TEACHERS GO IN IT DAY AFTER DAY TO WORK IN THE SCHOOLS.
WHAT INCENTIVE DO TEACHERS HAVE TO BE TEACHERS IN THIS
COUNTRY?
TO DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN FOR THE KIDS.
THAT IS LITERALLY AT.
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE STILL TEACHING IN THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT AND HAVE FOUGHT THROUGH ALL THESE UNSAFE CONDITIONS
TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE EDUCATING, I THINK
THEY ARE AMAZING.
THEY ARE NOT DOING IT FOR THE MONEY, OR GLITZ AND GLAM.
THEY ARE CONSTANTLY CRITICIZED OR PUT DOWN.
THERE ARE NO INCENTIVES.
TO ME THEY EARN ALL THE RESPECT
THAT I CAN GIVE THEM.
WE CAN FIND THIS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
WE SHOULD NOT BE INSULTING THEM.
THEY ARE SERVING THEIR COUNTRY IN A WAY THAT OTHERS THAT
WE RIGHTFULLY CHEER FOR DO.
ONE FINAL COMMENT, TO THE POLITICIANS, MOSTLY REPUBLICANS,
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT AND YOU DON'T WANT TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM,
SOME DAY THE KIDS WHO WERE IN THAT SCHOOL LEAVE THAT SCHOOL.
WHEN THEY LEAVE THAT SCHOOL, WHO DO YOU WANT THEM TO BE?
DO YOU WANT THEM TO BE PEOPLE WHO NEVER HAD A CHANCE AT
LEARNING ANYTHING AND THEN GO OUT THERE AND GRIND OUT A
LIVING, OR SOME BECOME CRIMINALS BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCES
THEY HAD?
OR DO YOU WANT THEM TO COME OUT AMBITIOUS, EDUCATED PEOPLE
WHO ARE GOING TO MAKE THE COUNTRY BETTER.
YOU HAVE THAT CHOICE.
YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE WHEN YOU DEFUND SCHOOLS.
I DON'T THINK THEY CARE ABOUT THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS.
I DON'T THINK THEY CARE ABOUT ENSURING THAT THESE KIDS ñ
BUT THEY SHOULD.
WE DON'T HAVE A COLLECTIVIST SOCIETY ANYMORE.
IT IS VERY INDIVIDUALISTIC.
IT IS VERY US VERSUS THEM.
THAT IS A COUNTRY WE ARE LIVING IN RIGHT NOW.
WE NEED TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT.
AT ONE POINT, WE DID VALUE EDUCATION, OPPORTUNITIES
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, AND INNOVATION IN THIS COUNTRY.
YOU CAN'T HAVE INNOVATION WITHOUT EDUCATION.
THE WEALTHY DON'T WANT MINORITIES AND THOSE OF LOWER
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IS TO BECOME WEALTHY OR SUCCESSFUL.
THEY ARE FUCKING THEMSELVES OVER.
THEY
WANT TO PRIVATIZE EDUCATION SO THEY CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEIR
KIDS GET A GOOD EDUCATION AND EVERYONE ELSE CAN JUST SCREW OFF.