Racism, Trump, Passive Eugenics, and COVID-19
It’s 2020 and the American Medical Association has deemed racism to be a public health threat. They’ve come to the same conclusion as 145 cities and counties across 27 states.
As much as I’m tempted to say something snarky here (about time!), I’ll just nod my head in approval, because racism is at the core of America’s contradictions, and everybody needs to step up.
From USA Today:
The American Medical Association’s House of Delegates – which includes 600-plus members from every medical specialty – released a statement last week that describes three tiers of racism detailed in the policy: systemic, cultural and interpersonal. Each poses specific barriers to quality medical care and good health and hinders the advancement of health equity, the group wrote.
The AMA also implored its medical professionals to identify strategies to mitigate racism’s health impacts, teach future doctors about racism in medical school curricula and support policy development for researching the issue.
About the only positive thing I can say about COVID-19 is that it has increased awareness of the shortcomings of health care in the United States. (Hey, did you know that most states don’t have the money to vaccinate people for the coronavirus? Thank Mitch McConnel!)
“Essentially, with COVID, the Band-Aid was ripped off our health care system,” said Dr. Edwards, an internist. “And the disparities were so blatant as we see more Black and brown and Native American communities hard-hit by COVID. And we just said, ‘This has got to stop.’ We’ve got to be able to do something more than just talk about the stats.”
She’s referring to the disproportionate impact certain illnesses like heart disease and diabetes have on Black and Hispanic communities. But she's also talking about unconscious bias that has influenced medical treatment for minority patients.
Evidence of racism abounds in the world of economic statistics.
https://twitter.com/ryanstruyk/status/1334864849155878915?s=20
Black workers make up about one in nine workers overall; representing 11.9% of the workforce. In front line industries black workers make up about one in six of the workforce. They are disproportionately represented in employment in grocery, convenience, and drug stores (14.2%); public transit (26.0%); trucking, warehouse, and postal service (18.2%); health care (17.5%); and child care and social services (19.3%).
Black workers also face greater underlying pre-pandemic health insecurities making them more prone to be at risk for the coronavirus. An estimated 30% of the country’s overall population live in the counties at greatest risk of health and economic disruption from COVID-19, while a much higher share—43%—of black Americans (17.6 million) live in those same counties.
From Scientific American:
The reason for these disparities is not biological but is the result of the deep-rooted and pervasive impacts of racism, says epidemiologist and family physician Camara Phyllis Jones. Racism, she argues, has led people of color to be more exposed and less protected from the virus and has burdened them with chronic diseases.
https://twitter.com/DrPhillipsMD/status/1334670474400444419?s=20
I argue that the data about mortality rates for people of color is the basis for (perhaps made after they saw the initial stats) the lack of response by the Trump administration.
Facing a future demographic challenge, they and the GOP that enables them are okay with doing as little as possible about a pandemic because it amounts to passive eugenics, which also just happens to be at the root of our nation’s immigration policies.
Note that all the election challenges filed by the Trump campaign have concerned areas with majority black populations.
And who could forget all these comments made by the president:
‘Very fine people on both sides' (Link)
'I have a great relationship with the Blacks' (Link)
'Pocahontas' (Link)
'Go back to crime infested places from which they came' (Link)
'Total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the U.S.' (Link)
'Kung flu' (Link)
'China virus' (Link)
'They should be executed.' (Link)
Proud boys: Stand back and stand by.' (Link)
'When the looting starts, the shooting starts.' (Link)
'These aren’t people. These are animals.' (Link)
Lookie! How about that name for this Georgia rally?
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Much of the data used in this post comes via the Economic Policy Institute.
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Hey folks! I’ll be taking a “holiday break” starting on Dec 11th for cancer surgery. I really appreciate all the support and good wishes people have sent my way since going public. As I said, my break could be from 10 days to 10 weeks, depending on what they see when I’m cut open.
Email me at WritetoDougPorter@Gmail.com
Lead image credit: Laborer's Health & Safety Fund of North America