Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says racist shit about Covid being spread ...

[marble falls]

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says 'African Americans who have not been vaccinated' are driving Covid surge

Julian Mark
Fri, August 20, 2021, 7:08 AM·4 min read

https://news.yahoo.com/texas-lt-gov-dan-patrick-120812724.html

-snip-

"Democrats like to blame Republicans on that," Patrick said. "Well, the biggest group in most states are African Americans who have not been vaccinated. The last time I checked, over 90% of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties."

-snip-

The latest data from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows that the African American population there is not driving the increase in cases. Black residents in Texas accounted for 16.4% of the state's cases and 10.2% of deaths as of Aug. 13. While vaccination rates are low among Black Texans, the highest coronavirus case rates are among Whites and Hispanics, who make up 34.9% and 35.8% of the state's cases respectively, according to the latest data.

"Making a statement that casts blame on a racial or ethnic minority for the spread of disease is a well-known racist trope that predates most of us," Jorge Caballero, a former instructor at the Stanford University School of Medicine who is now working as health data scientist, told The Washington Post. "People are already getting hurt by this virus, and it makes absolutely no sense for us to add insult to injury."

On Thursday night, Caballero cast doubt on Patrick's claims on Twitter, referencing U.S. Census Bureau data collected in July and August that suggests unvaccinated White Texans outnumber unvaccinated Black Texans roughly three to one. Texas's vaccination and case numbers are so stark, he said, "there's just no room for misinterpretation."

About 46% of Texans are fully vaccinated, according to The Post's tracking. The nationwide rate is about 51%.

-snip-

[EarlG]

1. Further reading.....

We Fact-Checked Fox News' Racist Lie. It Turns Out, the Pandemic Is Worse in Republican States

Despite the GOP’s incessant whinery about “identity politics” and the “race card,” racist dog whistles are part of their political ideology. They literally sponsored a white supremacist insurrection and made taxpayers foot the bill for white nationalists like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, who were on the White House payroll. Then they lied about the election. Then they tried to toss out Black people’s votes in that election. Then they lied about the insurrection to undo that election. Then they passed laws targeting Black people’s votes.

They are liars. They are racists. We already knew this.

But when Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (not that one) and Fox News’ resident Nazi Barbie blamed the worsening COVID pandemic on Black people’s lack of vaccination and affinity for TikTok, it wasn’t just a racist, stupid lie. It was mathematically, scientifically and factually wrong. It was so wrong, the only way someone could believe such a blatant disregard for facts is if they, too, were racist. And stupid. And a liar.

https://www.theroot.com/we-fact-checked-fox-news-racist-lie-it-turns-out-the-1847523366

[marble falls]

3. The Root is an under-appreciated resource. The article is a good 'un ...

I really appreciated the push back that documents that in Texas and other states, PoC are vaccinated at a higher rate than white folk.

Bad math made worse by race goggles.

[crickets]

11. Excellent article. Nice touch that the data table is sortable. Bookmarked! nt

[BlueTsunami2018]

2. It sounds like he's making a political argument more than anything.

Vaccination rates in the African American community aren’t anywhere near what they should be. Whether that’s because of logistics or economic status or whatever, I don’t think that fact can be denied. Everyone is focused on the MAGA idiots because they’re so in your face about it but he’s not wrong about the statistics. He’s trying to turn this around on Democrats because a large part of our constituency is the Black demographic. But there aren’t any Democratic politicians or left leaning pundits trying to dissuade people from getting the shot. That’s where I see his argument falling apart.

Just mentioning the fact of the low rates isn’t racist. As I see it, anyone of any race refusing to be vaccinated are the problem.

[LanternWaste]

4. Sounds like he's blaming his state's failures on everyone but his base more than anything

[marble falls]

6. That's why he's in power now. Times running out.

[BlueTsunami2018]

7. I agree that he's trying to push off the responsibility of the dopey MAGAts.

He’s using whataboutism to deflect. I think all the people refusing to be vaccinated are to blame for the continuing problem.

[marble falls]

5. Read the Root article, Texans of color are more vaccinated by porportion than anyone but ...

... Hispanic Texans.

The problem is not the AA 12 or so % of the population is holding us back, it's that only 51% of the population is vaxxed. And that unvaxxed population is at least 80% white. Whites are unvaxxed beyond their proportion of population.

[bluedevil4]

8. Did anybody bother

to check before calling this guy a racist? I did a few googles and I suggest, if you want to know, you do the same

[marble falls]

9. He's my Lt Gov, he makes a lot of statements out loud so anyone can hear them. He's a racist ...

Cite a source, I have.

https://democraticunderground.com/1016299882

[bluedevil4]

10. I'm sure that

is true but I just got a little education on the demographic characteristics of who’s not getting vaccinated. I was a bit taken back but not surprised when it was explained. As for your LT Governor I can only say I’m sorry ❤️

[marble falls]

12. I appreciate your condolence!