These Girl Scouts voiced their concern for kids affected by the Flint water crisis in Michigan.
Independent research and citizen science organization Flint Water Study recently shared letters from Brownie Girl Scout Troop 71729 to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, asking him to take action and help the citizens of Flint -- especially the kids.
Their words are heartbreakingly honest.
"Dear Governor, We are worried about the kids in Flint," one letter regarding the water supply reads. "That can make them sick."
Following a 2014 switch to the Flint River as the city's water source to save money, the water began to corrode the city's old pipes, which in turn caused lead to leach into the supply. Because of this, an unknown number of kids have been exposed to dangerous amounts of lead -- something particularly devastating as once a small child is poisoned, there is no cure. Lead poisoning at an early age can lead to various health effects like stunted growth and brain damage.
On Saturday, President Obama declared a state of emergency due to the toxic water.
In their letters to the governor, the Girl Scouts expressed their worry for their peers in Flint, wrote about their anger over the situation and even offered a few suggestions.
"I am so mad," one Girl Scout wrote. "Flint's water is not good for kids to drink and eat. It is lead."
Another Scout presses Snyder to make things right.
"The kids in Flint do not have clean water and the water might have lead in it. And the kids are consuming it," she wrote. "I would like you to fix the lead pipes and make sure they have what they need. I hope you like this idea."
While the letters are sweet and show enormous compassion on the Girl Scouts' part, Siddhartha Roy of the Flint River Study told The Huffington Post that the girls have an important message -- one we should all take seriously.
"On one hand, we were amazed (but not surprised) at how these young girls got right to the heart of the issue," Roy wrote. "Their message was unequivocal: The health of our children and families should matter more than any financial savings."
He told HuffPost that hopefully the kids' letters can put into perspective just how serious the situation is, and perhaps inspire them to make a difference in the future.
"While I wonder how children across America are making sense of this tragedy, I hope it shapes their worldview in that they would grow up to help people and fix the many problems we face," he said. "These sweet letters are a testament and should remind us what we should value as a society."
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