Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 7-3-20

OP-ED
Rep. Maxine Waters: ‘Donald Trump Is More Focused On Saving Statues Of Slaveholders And Confederate Generals Than Protecting Americans From The Coronavirus’
Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ (CA-43) statement on Donald Trump’s negligence in the fight against the coron- avirus pandemic and his threats to protestors calling for the removal of statues of Con- federate generals and slave- holders:
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “One would hope that the president of the United States would rise to the level of leadership that our country needs in con- fronting the deadly uptick in coronavirus cases in America,” said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chair of the House Committee on Financial Serv- ices. “Instead, we are left with Donald Trump, an incompe- tent and heartless man who is more focused on saving statues of slaveholders, Confederate generals, and racists, than pro- tecting the health of living and
breathing Americans.”
“The United States remains
the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 2.4 million cases and more than 124,000 deaths. My home state of California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida have seen their coronavirus cases skyrocket in the past two weeks.
“On Tuesday, Texas and California set records for hav- ing more than 5,000 coron- avirus cases in a 24-hour period, and 33 states have re- ported a spike in their weekly average of coronavirus cases. Instead of using the full power of his office to fight this deadly pandemic, Donald Trump would rather ignore the coron- avirus and call in U. S. marshals to confront protestors who are taking down memorials to racist Confederate generals and slaveholders.
“For months, my colleagues
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chair of the House Committee on Finan- cial Services.
and I have rung the alarm and done everything in our power to pass legislation that addresses the need for life-saving per- sonal protective equipment (PPE), increases testing capac- ity, provides ventilators, and supports hospitals, community health centers, and frontline workers.
“Instead of bipartisan ac-
tion, we have been faced with opposition from a president and a Republican party that are hiding their heads in the sand as thousands of Americans die. In the past week, Donald Trump has defied the guid- ance of public health experts and held two large public events that placed the lives of his supporters at risk.
“Instead of enforcing mask wearing and social distancing in his events, he required atten- dees to sign waivers to protect his campaign from being sued if attendees contracted the virus. Donald Trump has de- cried efforts to increase coron- avirus testing, and his administration has stripped federal funding for community testing sites in at least 13 states, including Texas, which is en- during a sharp increase in coro- navirus cases.
“Donald Trump’s negli-
gence and lack of care for the American people is con- temptible.
“We have a real, deadly public health crisis on our hands, and Donald Trump is more concerned about statues and relics of the Confederacy and slavery than he is the survival of the American people.
“He’s already had protes- tors in front of the White House forcibly removed and tear- gassed for a photo-op, now he is poised to do it again with pro- testors who are calling for the removal of statues and monu- ments to slaveholders and Con- federate generals who withdrew from the United States and fought against the Union in the Civil War. All patriots who love this country and care about the well-being of its citizens must unite and hold Donald Trump accountable.”
A Message From The President Of Tampa Housing Authority
Dealing with the Coron- avirus Pandemic is one thing, however with the re- cent civil-unrest now tak- ing place across the country regarding the death of George Floyd and others preceding him and since, at the hands of a po- lice officer, we are more aware than ever that we are living in a racial pandemic, as well.
We believe that all lives matter, but in this case specifically, that black lives matter. I say this due to the number of deaths of African Americans by the hands of those who were hired to protect and serve.
The Tampa Housing Au- thority stands in solidarity with those supporting the movement against the needless violence and op- pression that our commu- nities of color have consistently faced.
We have been and will continue to be a part of change that begins with treating all people, always with dignity and respect. Today, we lend our voice to advocate on this issue of racism, about which we cannot be silent. In the in- terest of unity, calm and peace during these turbu-
lent times, we want you to know that we stand with you knowing that this event may have caused many of you to feel disengaged, afraid, angry, and hurt.
As we grapple with the devastating impact of racism and hatred in our society, it is easy to misin- terpret the feelings of oth- ers or not acknowledge their feelings at all. Please know that we understand and feel your pain and en- courage you all to do the right thing.
Reacting by destroying or defamation is never the right thing! The Tampa Housing Authority is not in support of violence as a re- action, but the nonviolence social activism that MLK fought for.
Racism is not just a Black people problem, it is everyone’s problem be- cause it erodes the beauti- ful tapestry called society, of which we all are a part. The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people...Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sincerely, Jerome D. Ryans President/CEO
PAGE 6-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020