MSNBC gave a platform to the truth by interviewing former New York City Council President Melissa Mark-Viverito who explained the federal government’s disregard for the deaths in Puerto Rico as the racist policies of the Trump administration.
Video:
When asked why the federal response has been so poor, Mark-Viverito said:
We know this administration, the racist policies that it implements devalues black and brown lives. That’s bottom line. When you look at a response to the hurricanes in Texas and Florida, there’s been analysis and from the reporters that have had access to information from FEMA that the response was very different. And there was no almost no preparation I would say no preparation anticipating a hurricane hitting Puerto Rico the way we know it was going to hit. It was known it was going to be a category five. It was known it was going to be a massive — there was a dead-on hit to the island. The fact there was no preparation anticipating that is obviously very troubling. So the idea is to continue to ask for information to demand justice, to put voices at stake and the image is very important, it’s not only about holding the federal government accountable, but we have to hold the central government on the island accountable too.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Negligence is on both sides, you have a government on the island that’s refusing to criticize the federal government and said along the way that things are okay or that things are — we’re getting the response we need. So we need to make sure that we continue to put the pressure on and this is again the report from Harvard is really important. And I think we hope to see congressional hearings as a result of what is being — light being shed on this.
It was a statement that viewers won’t hear on any other network. As news divisions fret about how to cover Trump without alienating their White House access, MSNBC hosted a guest who told the truth. The reason why almost 5,000 Puerto Ricans are dead is as simple as their skin was not white. The reason why this story is not getting more coverage on television is that their skin is and was not white.
A congressional investigation won’t bring back the dead or help those who are still suffering.
America needs more than investigations. It is time for this nation to stand up and confront the consequences of the policies enacted and decisions made by a racist administration.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
