this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2026
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A Trump-appointed judge also said Americans have no “constitutional right to truthful information” during a public health crisis.

On Friday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit against the city of Jackson, Mississippi, which alleged the city knowingly let residents drink lead-contaminated water.

The lawsuit, first filed in 2022, says the contamination violated Jacksonians’ constitutional right to bodily integrity. Donald Trump-appointed judge Kurt Engelhardt disagreed. “The Constitution does not provide redress for every governmental wrongdoing,” Engelhardt said.

“Defendants’ actions allegedly deprived Plaintiffs of clean water and guileless information. These deprivations, while grievous, do not infringe upon any deeply rooted constitutional right.”

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[–] LadyMeow@lemmy.blahaj.zone 62 points 2 weeks ago

Well if judges had the right to not be harassed and have their houses burned, it would be in the constitution too!

[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 57 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Says right here, "Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness."

Without clean water there's no life. With no life, there's no liberty, and no pursuing happiness.

How do you "promote the general welfare" with filthy, poisonous water?

This is like the most fundamental thing, even Rome provided clean water. We've been surpassed by ancient Rome.

[–] credo@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Yes, but- Someone forgot to transfer that line to the constitution. We’re all going to die or become bonded corporate slaves because of an administrative oversight.

Edit: on second thought, maybe the first one was a well-written a call to arms and they knew exactly what they were doing when they wrote the actual charter.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Not sure why I have to be the person in this thread to explain basic civics to everyone, but "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is from the Declaration of Independence, it is not in the US Constitution.

The Declaration is not law, it was just a declaration. You can't cite it like this, that's not how it works.

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[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 57 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

"Oh look at me, I'm an entitled American. I want water to drink and to not be lied to. Wha Wha Wha"

You give people this and they'll start asking for healthcare next instead of just dying in the street with pride.

Bunch of greedy entitled fucks.

[–] muffedtrims@lemmy.world 24 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Who invited Steven Miller to this thread?

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 weeks ago

Steven Miller has probably never been invited to anything. He just pops out from around a corner or behind a bush and your heart stops beating for a second.

[–] thatKamGuy@sh.itjust.works 46 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Elections have consequences, everyone who stayed home and allowed Trump to be elected to two terms has enabled this.

I honestly don’t know if the US will actually be able to recover from those 6 (and counting) years, as an Aussie it feels like we’re watching the equivalent of the Fall of Rome in real time.

That bastard has managed to isolate you from your allies, line his pockets with billions of dollars, nearly bankrupt your country, destroy your military credibility, pollute your water, air & food, roll back your rights, and so much more.

It will take at least a generation to undo this damage, and I don’t think there’s enough political will to do what would need to be done to arrest this decline.

You will likely fall into oligarchy, to become another Russia in my lifetime. Just another regional brute, living off the fear and intimidation you were able to impose on your glory years.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

I think it depends on how you define "recover". America will never be what it was.

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[–] bigmclargehuge@lemmy.zip 37 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Opening line of the Constitution. Pretty sure anything bold could be applied to safe, clean drinking water.

[–] spacegoat@lemmy.world 25 points 2 weeks ago

Conservatives have no concept of truth, justice, or rule of law. They wield the law as a weapon and ignore it when it suits them.

[–] cley_faye@lemmy.world 34 points 2 weeks ago

In some parts of the world, people are thinking about UBI.

In other parts of the world, having safe drinking water is put into question.

[–] ryper@lemmy.ca 33 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

The judges there regularly issue decisions so far right even SCOTUS won't get on board. "Fifth Circuit" really ought to be in the headline of articles about their ridiculous decisions. It's the Fifth Circuit doing Fifth Circuit things.

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 29 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If only the US had integrated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into law. It's only 78 years old. Guess they haven't had time yet.

Article 25

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services,

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[–] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 28 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (8 children)

What exactly do Americans have the right to...?

[–] Holytimes@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Guns. We have the right to guns.

But only some times...

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[–] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 10 points 2 weeks ago

Spend money so the rich can get richer.

[–] PangurBan@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Nothing unless it's in the constitution. Judge is technically correct.

We should probably change that.

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[–] Suavevillain@lemmy.world 20 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah lets wrap this US gov up at this point. No right to clean water and the truth lol.

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[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh, it was a conservative deciding this. This tracks.

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[–] pentastarm@piefed.ca 18 points 2 weeks ago
[–] Tiger666@lemmy.ca 17 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Then what is the point of governance?

[–] MountainVeil@slrpnk.net 8 points 2 weeks ago

In the USA? To protect and serve the rich.

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[–] PlaidBaron@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Do Americans have any rights anymore?

[–] YurkshireLad@lemmy.ca 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] CaptPretentious@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago

Those aren't Americans. Those are rich people with American money vacationing in America.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Ofc not. This colony was founded by literal enslavers. It's hard to enslave a comfortable population with their basic needs met. No water, no food, no shelter, no healthcare... Instead it's "freeze peach" and corporate personhood.

[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago

Sooooo... Abortion is cool, right? Either they're humans and not entitled to the necessities to live, or they're not humans and can have separate constitutional rights.

Or maybe there's a third option here? Is there something special about people from Jackson, Mississippi that would preclude them from enjoying constitutional/human rights?

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 11 points 2 weeks ago

they want flint to be repeated in every state.

[–] ulkesh@piefed.social 10 points 2 weeks ago

Because fuck the common good, right?

[–] cloudshouter@lemmy.zip 10 points 2 weeks ago

It shouldn’t have been a “right to safe drinking water”, it’s an assumption of risk issue. The default setting in the US for a few generations is that the tap water is safe to drink. This reeeally smells like a malicious ruling.

[–] MithranArkanere@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

When some rights you should have aren't given to you, you need to do something to make sure you take them.

[–] supernicepojo@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

What about the water youre paying for that had the implied value of being safe. Being defrauded by a group selling the water is a crime and every customer should have access to what they are paying for.

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[–] Redditisbollocks@feddit.uk 9 points 2 weeks ago

Land of the Free motherfuckers!

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

That is some 3rd World shit right there. Hire a plumber to reroute that asswipe's water supply.

[–] nanometer1625@thelemmy.club 6 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

This is pretty fucking obvious to anyone who has received a water bill.

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