After informing an audience that “communities of color” would receive aid first in the wake of Hurricane Ian’s devastation, Vice President Harris faced a storm of criticism and mockery, especially from people on social media. While some people called her unfair, others claimed that such a comment made her a terrible VP.
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In a conversation with Priyanka Chopra at the DNC’s Women’s Leadership Forum, she remarked, “We have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity, understanding that we fight for equality, but we also need to fight for equity.” “If we want people to be in an equal place sometimes we need to take into account those disparities and do that work,” she explained.
Christina Pushwa, a fast response director for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, was one of the first persons to comment on the awkward statement, per NY Post.
“This is false. @VP’s rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background,” Pushaw said.
Real people “don’t talk like this,” Sadanand Dhume, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, noted.
“If a hurricane hits a state, we should expect the government to help all those affected: black, brown white, purple, green,” he said.
Elon Musk, one of the world’s wealthiest people, commented by saying that resource allocation “should be according to greatest need, not race or anything else.”