US Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has caused a considerable stir on social media after she posted a series of tweets aimed at exposing “racist tropes”.
Her remarks came following a controversy related to Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar who last month criticised pro-Israel lobby groups’ influence in Washington, earning her the scorn of both US President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Commenting on a tweet about Rep. Steve Scalise suggesting that Omar should not be getting intelligence briefings, Ocasio-Cortez inquired why, “if we’re so concerned about implied tropes”, no concern was seemingly exhibited over 26 Democrats voting “for a GOP amendment to expand ICE powers rooted in the racist + false trope that Latino immigrants are more dangerous than US born citizens”.
If we’re so concerned about implied tropes, why aren’t we concerned about this one?
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) 6 марта 2019 г.
Where was the concern last week when 26 Dems voted for a GOP amendment to expand ICE powers rooted in the racist + false trope that Latino immigrants are more dangerous than US born citizens? https://t.co/KNzRDWJH4z
She further insisted that the entire premise of Donald Trump’s wall along the border with Mexico “is a racist + non-evidence based trope that immigrants are dangerous”, and lamented the willingness of some Democrats to compromise “because we’ve accepted some kinds of racism as realpolitik in America”.
None of this is “whataboutism.” Racism and bigotry of all forms is inextricably linked.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) 6 марта 2019 г.
When you don’t address them as a system and attempt to pick them apart as though they are distinct and separable issues, eventually the thing that gets advanced is white supremacy + classism.
But while Ocasio-Cortez claimed that “none of this is whataboutism”, not everyone seemed to be convinced by her reasoning.
This is really becoming whataboutism at this point.
— Elad Nehorai (@PopChassid) 6 марта 2019 г.
This should not be a contest. It can be a yes/and discussion, not an opportunity to air other grievances. Each issue deserves its own space.
none of this means anything until you unequivocally stand with ilhan
— raandy (@randygdub) 6 марта 2019 г.
That whataboutism is gonna bite you on the tushie
— Shasta Barbell (@shastableus) 6 марта 2019 г.
A number of people also seemed unamused by the congresswoman’s assessment of the “GOP amendment” she mentioned.
Those 26 voted to allow ICE to be notified when an illegal attempts to purchase a weapon. Common freaking sense.
— Dan Zuba (@dan_zuba) 6 марта 2019 г.
You know NOTHING of tropes.
— Sean "Goodwood" Nash 🐸🥓👌 (@GoodwoodAlpha) 6 марта 2019 г.
Illegal immigrants *are* more dangerous, on average, than U.S. citizens, especially those who earned their citizenship the legal way and not just through birth. To equate this to racism is to de-power the term; you do your cause a grave disservice.
Not Latino Immigrants; ILLEGAL ALIENS! Huge difference but you don't seem to notice.
— Joey Stone (@20chiveon13) 6 марта 2019 г.
You mean when they voted to inform ICE when an illegal immigrant wants to purchase a gun? So illegals can have them but U.S. citizens cannot? Right, makes sense.
— Stacey Marcinkowski (@StaceyMarcinko1) 6 марта 2019 г.