title:  Obama’s Response To 8-Year-Old Girl In Flint Should Give Us All Hope (VIDEO)
text: Yesterday, an eight-year-old girl from Flint, Michigan got a response from President Barack Obama that she ll never forget.Mari Copeny, also known around her town as  Little Miss Flint , had written to Obama about Flint s water crisis, which had been poisoned and contaminated with lead thanks to corruption and negligence by the state s Republican administration. In her message to the President, Copeny spoke up for many children growing up in Flint when she wrote: I am one of the children that is affected by this water, and I ve been doing my best to march in protest and to speak out for all the kids that live here in Flint. Copeny also mentioned that she would be in Washington, DC this week  to watch the congressional hearings of our Governor Rick Snyder and wanted to meet the President and First Lady Michelle Obama despite the fact that My mom said chances are you will be too busy with more important things. Copeny was hopeful, but she didn t expect a prompt response from the busy commander-in-chief. Little did she know, her request was about to be fulfilled in a major way. Obama wrote back, and his response was nothing short of the amazing warm-heartedness that we ve come to expect from our President: Thank you for writing to me. You re right that Presidents are often busy, but the truth is, in America, there is no more important title than citizen. And I am so proud of you for using your voice to speak out on behalf of the children of Flint.That s why I want you to be the first to know that I m coming to visit Flint on May 4th. I want to make sure people like you and your family are receiving the help you need and deserve.Letters from kids like you are what make me so optimistic for the future. I hope to meet you next week,  Little Miss Flint. The White House confirmed those plans in a statement that read, On Wednesday, May 4th, the President will travel to Flint, Michigan where he will hear first-hand from Flint residents like Mari about the public health crisis, receive an in-person briefing on the federal efforts in place to help respond to the needs of the people of Flint, and speak directly with members of the Flint community. Despite her young age, Copeny is a big activist in her community and frequently uses YouTube to raise awareness for the important issues the area is facing. To make sure that no one forgets that people in Flint are still depending on bottled water for their drinking, cooking and bathing needs, Copeny has created a video where she speaks about the hardships the community must endure. You can watch it below:Unfortunately, the polluted water in Flint will be life-altering and affect future generations to come. Not only will children have learning disabilities and behavioral issues, but the lead will be passed onto younger generations by women who are pregnant. Until every last lead pipe in Flint is replaced, this situation will not be resolved. We can only hope that the President s visit to Flint will push Congress to find a solution to this injustice.Featured image via Alex Wong/Getty Images and screenshot