National Nurses United
 
June 2, 2020 protest by medical students in Minneapolis, MN against the
Hennepin County Medical Examiner's misleading preliminary report on the
death of George Floyd.
Following a weekend of nationwide protests,
National Nurses United (NNU) today [June 1] said the nation is long
overdue in confronting the systemic racism that is at the heart of much
of the current crisis and long overdue in dedicating itself to
fundamental reforms.
"There's a common link between the latest wave of
police and white supremacist killings of African Americans and the
disproportionate racial impact of the pandemic and the economic
crisis," said NNU Executive Director Bonnie Castillo, RN.
"Nurses understand that when you have pain and
suffering, whether it is one patient or a community that is hurting,
the first priority must be healing and recovery, driven by compassion
and humanity," Castillo said. "We're seeing far too much of the
opposite reaction."
Across the United States, African Americans and in
many areas Latinos, have died of COVID-19 in numbers as high as three
to four times the rate of whites, and have lost jobs in greater
percentages since March. "Coupled with the murders of George Floyd,
Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, there is a palpable outrage and
frustration after years of inaction that has prompted the protests,"
said Castillo.
"Instead of addressing the persistent thread of
racism, and working for transformative change to policing practices and
the health, economic, and political crisis that harms African Americans
and other communities of color in far greater numbers, they see
inaction, evasion of responsibility, and outright blaming of those most
harmed by these policies," said Castillo.
For example, the medical examiner in Minneapolis
issued a report asserting it could find "no physical findings that
support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation" that caused
the death of George Floyd, blaming instead underlying medical
conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart
disease.
"He didn't die of heart disease last Monday,"
Castillo said. "He died when he had a police officer heavily kneeling
on his neck, for up to nine minutes while handcuffed and lying on his
stomach imploring him to stop because 'I can't breathe.' He did not die
due to pre-existing conditions, he died because of police misconduct."
"Pre-existing illness is a marketing tool
developed by the insurance industry to deny health coverage, or charge
exorbitant prices, for people who may be ill for many reasons that have
nothing to do with their health practices, ranging from genetic
conditions to environmental pollution to racial disparities in medical
treatment."
"We all exist and need and deserve care throughout
our lifetimes, which is the fundamental commitment of nurses, and
pre-existing illness should never be used as a pretext for denying care
or denying the actions of those who inflict harm, injury or other
suffering. What really pre-exists is the legacy of racism."
The examiner's report resembled a recent statement
by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar who cited African
American comorbidities such as obesity and diabetes for the drastically
high black COVID-19 death rates, noted Castillo, calling it "a
transparent attempt to cover up the disastrously failed response of the
Trump Administration to the pandemic."
"In fact, it is racism that is the deadly disease,
whether it is infusing police killings, the decades of racist
disparities in health care, housing, employment, education, criminal
justice, and so many other facets of our society that have boiled over
in a call for change now in our streets," Castillo concluded. "This is
an extremely perilous moment. We are at a crossroads in this nation. It
is increasingly evident that verbal opposition to the policies in
Washington and in many states, is not enough.
"We have to fundamentally challenge the systemic
roots of this crisis, notably the systemic racism Trump's people not
only deny but foment.
"And we must acknowledge that it is the economic,
political, legal, and corporate system that reinforces this crisis. We
must push for the transformative changes that will protect the health
and safety of everyone, protect our diversity, and protect our
democracy."
National Nurses United is the largest and
fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses
in the United States with more than 150,000 members nationwide.
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 20 - June 6, 2020
Article Link:
National Nurses United
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
|
