Weaponized Words and Whitewashed Truths: MLive's Smear of Flint Must Be Called Out (Opinion)
A direct response to Gus Burns’ July 16 MLive article, “A white casket, middle fingers and F bombs: governing through chaos.”
Flint is tired.
Tired of being poisoned.
Tired of being ignored.
Tired of being slandered.
And now, thanks to Gus Burns and MLive, Flint is tired of being publicly humiliated by a biased and wildly irresponsible article that calls Black pain “chaos” and righteous protest “a circus.” The racial undertones aren’t subtle — and yet MLive published it anyway.
Burns’ July 16 hit piece, titled “A white casket, middle fingers and F bombs: governing through chaos,” paints a lurid portrait of Flint City Council meetings, amplifying profanity, conflict, and arrests — while stripping away all historical and political context. As the late Councilman Eric Mays often reminded us, you can’t understand what’s happening in Flint without understanding the history.
But there is no history in this article — only spectacle.
What Burns wrote isn’t journalism. It’s a modern-day minstrel show. A spectacle that reduces a majority-Black, historically disenfranchised city to clickbait for white suburban readers. It ignores the deep injustice that fuels the frustration in the room. And worse, it reinforces the narrative that when Black people demand accountability, they are somehow uncivilized and violent.
Ignoring Pain, Framing Protest as Performance
The right to protest is a constitutionally protected right. It doesn’t require politeness or a permit. Flint residents were poisoned — and they still don’t have clean water. Their outrage is valid. Yet Gus Burns frames their actions not as activism, but as nuisance.
He describes the June 1 protest as a:
“Slow-moving mock funeral procession led by activists rolling a white casket down Saginaw Street.”
By calling it a “mock funeral,” he strips the action of its symbolism — which was about mourning public trust, grieving political betrayal, and demanding justice. He doesn't quote a single organizer. He doesn’t ask why residents are angry. He doesn’t examine how the arrest of Terence Leavy during that protest may have been an abuse of power. Instead, he presents their anger as a threat, not a demand for change.
This framing is not neutral. It reinforces centuries-old stereotypes of Black resistance as unruly and dangerous. It erases the legitimacy of protest and paints residents as the problem — not the government that has failed them.
Profanity Isn’t the Problem — Poisoning People Is
Yes, some residents curse at council meetings. And they have every right to. Free speech doesn’t come with a civility clause. The late Councilman Eric Mays often often reminded people of the famous Supreme Court case of the “cussing canoeist” — a Michigan man who was arrested for shouting “f***” after falling out of his canoe. The courts struck the charge down, ruling that profanity alone isn’t a crime. If cussing on a river isn’t illegal, then it certainly shouldn’t be in a city council chamber where people are demanding justice.
But rather than asking why people are resorting to intense language — grief, rage, generational trauma — Burns sensationalizes it. He opens the piece with an editor’s note warning readers:
“This story contains graphic language, including curse words. MLive has included this to illustrate the scope of incivility at meetings.”
The very first quote in the article is this:
“F--- you, shove it in your ass…”
That quote sets the tone — not for an investigation, but for a hit piece. Rather than exploring what drove someone to that level of frustration, Burns frames it as evidence of dysfunction. Later, he compares council meetings to a “Jerry Springer show taping,” reducing a space of public protest and democratic expression to cheap entertainment.
And let’s not ignore the racial dog whistle in that comparison.
What is Gus implying here — that Black residents are too emotional, too loud, too angry to be taken seriously?
Because that’s not journalism. That’s a caricature.
Omitted Truths, Distorted Power
Burns goes out of his way to quote angry residents — but completely ignores ongoing abuses of power by city officials.
Let’s start with Council President Ladel Lewis, who has been accused of committing perjury on her nominating petitions. MLive’s senior director of news was sent direct evidence of this, but ignored it. Calls and emails were sent — no story was written. That’s not journalism. That’s complicity.
Lewis has also weaponized the police against residents, having over 60 Flint residents forcibly removed from public meetings. Many were arrested simply for speaking out. That’s the real scandal — but MLive says nothing.
Gus also omits the illegal attempt by the Ethics and Accountability Board to remove a board member — something the board has no legal authority to do. Again, not a word.
Delegitimizing Community Voices
Burns even takes shots at Flint residents who livestream council meetings or share them on social media — implying they’re only doing it “for clout.” That’s not just dismissive, it’s dangerous.
Social media is one of the few tools residents have left for accountability in a system that has failed them. It’s not about fame. It’s about survival.
Even Mari Copeny, known nationwide as Little Miss Flint, is minimized. Burns quotes her profanity but ignores her message. He doesn’t interview her, doesn’t ask what she’s fighting for, doesn’t mention her years of advocacy since the age of eight. She’s not new to this — she’s true to this.
So Let’s Be Honest
This article is a hit piece with clear racial undertones. Gus and MLive dressed this article in faux concern, devoid of integrity, and completely detached from the lived reality of Flint residents.
Gus Burns is f**king wrong. And if I curse, I guess that makes me “uncivilized” too.
But here’s what’s actually uncivil and harmful:
Poisoning an entire city.
Ignoring that pain for over a decade.
Publishing an article that mocks community outrage instead of investigating its cause.
Ignoring pressing issues while constantly pushing a one-sided narrative.
Ignoring youth violence.
Ignoring gun violence.
Failing to create a real public safety plan with measurable goals.
911 calls taking hours to get a response.
Using an assault rifle to evict a tenant — and traumatizing the children inside.
Lying about protesters.
Claiming to be a Second Ward resident when you’re not.
Claiming to live in Flint while really living in Mt. Morris.
Walking out on a grieving mother.
Sowing division on City Council while propping up your four rubber-stamping allies.
I could go on all day.
If you want civility in Flint’s council chambers, then you need justice for the people who were poisoned — and accountability for the officials who have abused their power.
This article doesn’t tell the truth.
But Flint will.
I’ll keep calling out the dying legacy media.
I’ll keep informing the people.
And I’ll keep exposing the injustice Flint residents face — until the world finally listens.