Americans Speak on Clean Water (Part 2)

By Phil Dimotsis, Organizer. Follow Phil on Twitter (@PhiluptuousD) Yesterday I shared with you just a few of the passionate words that people from across the nation had to say about the fight to protect clean water. There were too many, and too many good letters, not to share more.

“From an informed laymen’s perspective the goals of the Clean Water Act in 1972 have been largely missed. Now 29 years behind schedule, what should have been a downhill battle is turning into an uphill battle. I’d like to see the Clean Water Act’s 1972 goals actualized.” – a concerned citizen “Are more words really needed? Any sane, responsible, and self-aware person knows the critical importance of clean water. Please improve and strengthen the Clean Water Act.” - a certified shorthand reporter “I am old enough to remember when my father would go out to a stream in the country, throw a line, and catch catfish for our dinner. Now those same streams are so polluted that the fish are not safe for humans to eat. I hope that my grandchildren might someday be able to fish in those streams again. Your action is essential if that hope is to be realized.” – a concerned mother “Water is important because we drink that water and it needs to be clean. If it gets worse, we won’t have enough water for everybody.” – a quote from a concerned mother’s nine year-old daughter “Clean water is vital to every living thing on this entire planet. This is probably not news to anyone but it seems as though it is taken for granted by everyone. It seems as though the stewardship of our waters has given way to special interest and lobbyists. We should all care that we our children may one day live in a world where a gallon of water costs more than a gallon of gasoline. It is absolutely a worthwhile effort to keep our waters clean.” “I am concerned that the constant development of open spaces (the ones that filter our water, keeping it free of pesticides and chemicals like benzene) will lead to higher incidences of cancer in New Jersey communities. With the implementation of socialized medicine, costs to the government and taxpayer may increase to say nothing of the many families that will suffer as water continues to get polluted unnecessarily. Is my America going to continue leading the world in pollution by developed nations?” – a concerned citizen “No waterway is unimportant, since every one can affect our larger ecology. For clean water today and in the future, we must act now.” - concerned citizen “Clean water is amazing. It helps us live every day. We appreciate all our clean water. So let’s give a round of applause to lakes, rivers, and streams.” – written by a concerned man’s young daughter “This is not a democrat or republican issue, it should not be political; this act is intended for the good of everyone. Please give this your immediate attention and protect our nation’s vital water resources.” “Having clean drinking water is not just an issue only faced by struggling third world countries, but we face these same issues in our own backyard, in the greatest country in the world. I plead with you to keep the Clean Water Act strong…” “We are heavily dependent on the revenue generated by tourism on the largest lake in our town. Without clean water to feed our lake, the local economy would be severely negatively impacted.” – a concerned woman’s words that reflect the sentiment of many letters I read. “I enjoy the small pleasures in life – including, but not limited to: fishing in lakes and streams, walking along the local reservoir, and enjoying a glass of clean water from my tap. In order to enjoy these activities, I rely on the integrity of my elected officials and government to protect my interests. My generation is armed with more science than ever before that proves resoundingly that all of our nation’s rivers, lakes, and bays are protected only when we protect the smallest but vitally connected streams and wetlands.” – a concerned future-father

The average person that we talk to knows just as much about the conclusions experts come to on the importance of our water resources. Their stories echo just a sample of the millions of other people’s stories that exist in support of these protections. We have only a few chances in a decade, in a generation, or even in a lifetime to take the kind of action necessary for our natural environment, for our recreation, for our economy, for our social equity, and of course for our drinking water – so take a moment to take action HERE, if you haven’t already. WWW.PROTECTCLEANWATER.ORG