Representative McCarthy Vahey Denounces Anti-Asian Statements Made in Public Hearing
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTHY VAHEY DENOUNCES ANTI-ASIAN STATEMENTS MADE IN PUBLIC HEARING
"Racism, discrimination, hate and intolerance are destructive forces that not only tear apart relationships but the very fabric of our society. They cannot and must not be tolerated anywhere. Reports of hate incidents against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community are on the rise. This is well documented. We saw the worst culmination of this only last week in the targeted attacks on people in the AAPI community, as 6 of the 8 women brutally murdered in Atlanta were women of Asian descent.
Yesterday, during the legislature's Planning and Development Committee public hearing, a member of the committee made statements that discounted these truths and the very real experience of members of the AAPI community. There is no place either within the committee or within the legislature for statements that attempt to diminish or discount that very real discrimination. As chair of that committee and as an American and elected leader, I want to make clear that I stand against such statements as I stand against racism and discrimination anywhere.
This afternoon I participated in Bystander Intervention Training to Stop Anti-Asian/American Hate. Fighting racism, discrimination, hate and intolerance requires us to put aside our preconceptions about ourselves and others. It requires strength to speak out and the humility to look within ourselves. We must stand in solidarity with those who face discrimination, and work to remove this stain on our democracy. I am committed to learn and grow in my awareness and abilities as an upstander, and will continue ask that my fellow leaders do the same."
-Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey