Did Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick Make a Racist Comment?

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Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick appeared on Fox News Thursday night and blamed African Americans for the spread of COVID in Texas.

“The COVID is spreading, particularly, most of the numbers are on the unvaccinated,” Patrick said in response to a question about people attacking the policies of Governor Greg Abbott, who is embroiled in legal battles with school districts and counties that have required masks despite the Republican governor’s ban on such mandates.

“The Democrats like to blame Republicans,” continued Patrick, a Republican. “Well, the biggest groups in most states is African Americans who are not vaccinated. Last time I checked, over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties.”

The comments from Patrick were deemed racist by a former Stanford instructor in a story from the Washington Post.

“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.”

A statement in the Post story says "Black Texans hold the lowest vaccination rates among racial groups statewide, at 28 percent".

So, what do you think of Dan Patrick's statement? Was it racist to target an ethnic minority for the spread of disease or did he make a statement backed up with facts? Give us your thoughts and opinion on Facebook or on our station app.