We can now add the coronavirus to the ongoing saga of "everything is racist."
On her MSNBC show this morning, Joy Reid, speaking with failed presidential candidate Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, noted that the rates of coronavirus infections and deaths are disproportionately high among African-Americans.
Replying, Gillibrand blamed it on "institutional racism," in both health care and our economy.
Ironically, just moments before, Gillibrand was overflowing with praise for the health care system:
"My heart goes out to those health care workers and nurses and doctors who are literally putting their lives on the line every day. Their heroism is beyond [sic]. It is so inspiring for all of us and my prayers go out to them."
So which is it, Sen. Gillibrand? Are the health care workers heroes, or a bunch of racists discriminating against patients of color?
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
AM Joy
4/4/20
10:14 am EDTJOY REID: We know that African-Americans are actually contracting and dying of Covid-19 at higher rates.
. . .
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND: First regard to the troubling data that you’ve just talked about about how a lot of the deaths are disproportionally harming communities of color. I think that probably has to do with institutional racism that can be found in our health care system but also in the nature of the work that often communities of color have . . . Those types of jobs tend to be held by communities of color because they’re lower wages because of institutional racism within our economy.
