Kary Moss on Detroit water shutoffs

October 22, 2014

Kary Moss speaks on the Detroit water shutoffs in Henry Gass’s “Do Detroit's water shutoffs violate international law? UN to investigate,” posted in the Christian Science Monitor on October 17.

The United Nations visited Detroit last weekend to examine whether the city’s decision to discontinue water services to certain homes constitutes a violation of international law. The stay was prompted by a letter written to the United Nations from the NAACP and the ACLU of Michigan, of which Moss serves as executive director. “We certainly welcome the special rapporteurs and United Nations’ probe in to this municipal mess, and we appreciate their willingness to look deeper in to what should have been a wholly avoidable situation for Detroit,” said Moss.

Detroit officials argue that the city cannot afford to provide water to those who have not paid their utility bills, but the United Nations recommends an immediate restoration of water access to all citizens.

Kary L. Moss will be a visiting lecturer at the Ford School for the winter 2015 semester. She has served as the executive director of the ACLU of Michigan since 1988.