(GNB- Washington D.C.): President Joe Biden delivered his first primetime address to the nation yesterday evening on the anniversary of the COVID-19 Shutdown.
During his first primetime address, President Biden denounced violent attacks against Asian Americans during the coronavirus pandemic as un-American, calling on the attacks to end immediately.
“Too often, we’ve turned against one another,” the president said. “Vicious hate crimes against Asian Americans, who have been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated.”
While hate crimes fell overall by 7% in 2020, a new report published this week found that Asian Americans experienced a 150% surge in attacks. In July 2020, there were more than 2,100 anti-Asian American hate incidents that were directly related to the pandemic.
President Biden noted that the attacks are happening despite the fact that “so many of them, our fellow Americans,” are health care workers working on the front lines of the pandemic.
“And still, still, they are forced to live in fear for their lives, just walking down streets in America,” the president said. “It’s wrong, it’s un-American, and it must stop.”
Many on social media were quick to thank President Biden for addressing the issue, saying that “words matter,” and comparing Mr. Biden’s rhetoric to that of former President Trump, who referred to COVID-19 as “China virus,” among other derogatory terms.
Maryland’s Republican Governor Larry Hogan tweeted a photo of his family saying the hate Asian Americans are experiencing “truly is ‘un-American.”
All Americans will be eligible to get a vaccine by May 1
During his address, President Biden announced that as part of the next phase in combatting the coronavirus, he is directing states, tribes, and territories to ensure everyone is eligible for vaccination by May 1.
The new directive comes as part of a broader strategy that included increasing the number of vaccine sites and active-duty troops supporting the vaccination effort. The White House is also rolling out a new website and 1-800 number to assist with finding vaccines.
During his speech, Biden set a goal for Americans to begin holding gatherings by July 4.
President Biden said, “Photos and videos from 2019 feel like they were taken in another era, the last vacation, the last birthday with friends, the last holiday with extended family.”
“While it was different for everyone, we all lost something, a collective suffering, a collective sacrifice — a year filled with the loss of life and the loss of living for all of us, but in the loss, we saw how much there was to gain. … Finding light in the darkness is a very American thing to do. In fact, it may be the most American thing we do, ” President said during his opening remarks.
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