Officials dodge blame for Flint water crisis in heart-stopping ACLU video

As those who've watched the the crisis in Flint play out over the last few months know, water flowing into homes and schools in that city had dangerously high levels of lead. That problem stemmed from the switch from Detroit water to water from the Flint River, without the corrosion control chemicals needed to ensure the hazardous metal does not leach into the water supply. 

Say what you will about the state and local officials involved in this crisis, but they certainly have their story straight. Though they claim they don't want to assign blame, they do reserve some culpability for Detroit, which, they say, cut off Flint's water supply, forcing the beleaguered city to resort to drawing water from the river. It's a story they have repeated over and over again.

The problem is that the claim is almost certainly a lie. As the ACLU points out, they have obtained a document proving that the city deliberately decided to switch from the Detroit water system to the river. 

These charges are dramatically presented in a brand-new video from the ACLU, punctuated by deep percussion, dramatic pull quotes, and hard-hitting graphics. It presents the facts about as clearly as a brief video can.

What's more, it drives home the point that the ACLU is repeatedly making: Federal action is needed. When state and municipal officials all keep repeating the same fib, and when evidence suggests that the responsibility for the decision reaches all the way up to the governor's office, no "independent" commission appointed by that governor can uncover a truth that officials seem to be making a concerted effort to undermine.