In a series of social media posts on Tuesday, Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel made a racially loaded comment that sparked immediate backlash online, including from a Detroit News editor and columnist.
In response to reports that the coronavirus is disproportionately impacting minorities, Nessel posted a pair of tweets declaring that African Americans are “treated like garbage” in terms of equal opportunity and access to healthcare — and mocking “white folks” for supposedly being “outraged because they can’t go golfing.”
“The high rates of infection and death within our African-American population from [COVID-19] is staggering and horrific. It further establishes how AA’s are treated like garbage when it comes to equal opportunity and access to health care, housing, education and employment,” wrote Nessel. “Every one of us who serves in government must double-down on our commitment to do right by the African-American communities in our state and across our nation. Failing to do so is a complete abdication of our obligation as office holders.”
“I just can’t hear about one more black health care worker, police officer or bus driver die while getting a barrage of complaints from white folks outraged because they can’t go golfing,” the attorney general added in a follow-up post.
Every one of us who serves in government must double-down on our commitment to do right by the African-American communities in our state and across our nation. Failing to do so is a complete abdication of our obligation as office holders.
— Dana Nessel (@dananessel) April 7, 2020
I just can’t hear about one more black health care worker, police officer or bus driver die while getting a barrage of complaints from white folks outraged because they can’t go golfing. https://t.co/PfpYOYdDeh
— Dana Nessel (@dananessel) April 8, 2020
Along with other blowback from residents of the state, including calls for Nessel’s resignation, the thread prompted Detroit News deputy editorial page editor and columnist Ingrid Jacques to call out Nessel for making the crisis into a racial issue.
“Why is our attorney general turning a pandemic affecting all of us into a racial issue? ‘White folks outraged because they can’t go golfing.’ Seriously? White folks are dying, too,” wrote Jacques.
Nessel responded by declaring that those who don’t support left-wing policies, like universal health care, are hurting minorities: “[Because] when you advocate against universal healthcare, a living wage, paid sick leave, public education and environmental regulations, the virus disproportionately impacts communities of color and black Americans get sick and die at exponentially higher rates.”
“I never said there aren’t disparities, [Dana Nessel],” Jacques, a self-described conservative, replied. “We should be concerned, and we must tackle those issues. But right now, we are all in this together, and it affects all of us.”
That inspired another snarky response and loaded accusation from the progressive attorney general: “‘Right now’ we all in this together. But [tomorrow] you will go back to railing against policies badly needed to assist communities most in need which would mitigate the racial disparities evident from the impact of the virus. Use this event to promote fairness and justice for all.”
Bc when you advocate against universal healthcare, a living wage, paid sick leave, public education and environmental regulations, the virus disproportionately impacts communities of color and black Americans get sick and die at exponentially higher rates. https://t.co/ZmFcDvf1Tw
— Dana Nessel (@dananessel) April 8, 2020
“Right now” we all in this together. But tmr you will go back to railing against policies badly needed to assist communities most in need which would mitigate the racial disparities evident from the impact of the virus. Use this event to promote fairness and justice for all. https://t.co/DAq0PKpEIo
— Dana Nessel (@dananessel) April 8, 2020
As The Daily Wire reported, President Trump addressed the issue of the disproportionate impact of the virus on African Americans during the daily coronavirus briefing Tuesday. “We are actively engaging on the problem of increased impacts – this is a real problem, and it’s showing up very strongly in our data on the African-American community – and we’re doing everything in our power to address this challenge, which is a tremendous challenge.”
“We’ve known literally forever that diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and asthma are disproportionally affecting minority populations, particularly African-Americans,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, explained. “Unfortunately, when you look at predisposing conditions that lead to a bad outcome with the coronavirus – the things that get people into ICUs, require intubation, and often lead to death – they are just those very co-morbidities that are unfortunately disproportionately prevalent in the African-American population. So we’re very concerned about that, it’s very sad, there’s nothing we can do about it right now except to try and give them the best possible care to avoid those complications.”