Current Events > Vance Ginn says Texas schools should reopen as most dying are old or Hispanic

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https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/28/vance-ginn-texas-coronavirus/

Vance Ginn, the chief economist for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, is facing fierce backlash for a recent racist tweet that said schools should open since most of the people dying from the coronavirus in Texas are elderly or Hispanic.

Before Monday, the states racial and ethnic breakdown of deaths had large gaps, with up to 18% of deaths last month recorded as unknown. A revised count of the data released Monday by the Department of State Health Services, however, shows that Hispanic Texans are overrepresented in the states updated fatality count.

Citing the revised data, Ginn tweeted that the people most likely to perish from the deadly virus are people older than 50 and Hispanics, whose death rate increased from 24.8% on May 27 to 47.4% on July 27. Hispanics make up about 40% of the states population.

Meanwhile, about 180 deaths, or 3% of the total, occurred among Texans younger than 40. About 2,000 people who died were 80 or older, making up the largest age bracket of COVID-19 deaths.

Why not #openschools, end universal mandates, target vulnerable & check those from #Mexico? Ginn wrote in a since-deleted tweet. He juxtaposed his tweet with a GIF of Prince Harry of Wales miming a mic drop.

He later apologized for tweeting the GIF. Its been brought to my attention that the gif may have been perceived as insensitive. I apologize as that was not my intention, he tweeted.

In an interview with The Texas Tribune, Ginn said the intention of his Twitter thread was to outline the more thorough data provided by the state. He also said his tweet with the GIF was woefully taken out of context out of bad faith.

What were really focused in on is, How can we best make sure that Texans are taken care of during this time? he said. Given the revised data that shows demographic breakdowns, he questioned whether state and local officials should take a more targeted approach to combatting the virus, rather than passing blanket policies.

Ginn later removed the tweet and apologized. I believe strongly based on my deep faith that every life is precious, he wrote. My intent was to highlight the positive development of more data available to make better policy decisions and help the vulnerable.

Almost 53% of public school students were Hispanic in 2018-19 and more than 60% are economically disadvantaged, according to Texas Education Agency data. Public health experts have said schools that reopen in areas with high and fast-rising rates of community spread are likely to exacerbate the effects of the virus. That means staff and students could bring the virus home to their families.

This is my grandfather Albert. He was an Hispanic citizen of the U.S. & passed from #Covid, tweeted former state Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas. His grandchildren (born in Dallas) lived with him and also got #Covid. They survived. W/ great respect, the death of elderly Hispanics does not necessarily make the schools safe to open.
Ginn, who previously served in the White House under President Donald Trump's administration as associate director for economic policy at the Office of Management and Budget, also served as senior economist for the think tank.

While children may not be the most vulnerable to contracting the virus, fear of community spread has prompted some large school districts to delay the start of the fall semester for in-person instruction.

In mid-July, Texas education officials said school districts could delay on-campus instructions for at least four weeks and ask for waivers to continue remote instruction for up to four additional weeks in areas hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. During that time, districts must educate at least a small percentage of students in person and give the state information on what public health conditions would allow them to bring more kids into classrooms.

In recent months, the Republican Party has faced criticisms for appearing to prioritize the economy over public health, while research shows that COVID-19 disproportionally affects Black and Hispanic people.

Gov. Greg Abbott, too, has faced pushback from Democrats on his coronavirus response efforts. Although he implemented a statewide mask mandate earlier this summer, hes been chided for a speedy phased reopening of the economy to which public health experts attribute a record number of coronavirus deaths in the state.

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Saying the quiet part out loud, apparently.

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we have so many shitstains in positions of authority in this country

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Wow that was so blatant

I need to leave this state.

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Taken out of context, he says. Alright, show us a good context, you fucking hack.

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What does he mean by "check those from Mexico"?

And why is he confusing hispanic with Mexican?
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boxington posted...

we have so many shitstains in positions of authority in this country

Yep

I mean I could understand saying reopen the schools if its mostly old people dying, but adding the and Hispanics? In Texas? This guy must want to get shot.

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My deep faiths means I care for everyone equally, unless youre Hispanic.

Also why dont Republicans realize that while kids might not always get the brunt of COVID, they still spread that shit like wildfire.
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Tmaster148 posted...

Why not #openschools, end universal mandates, target vulnerable & check those from #Mexico? Ginn wrote in a since-deleted tweet. He juxtaposed his tweet with a GIF of Prince Harry of Wales miming a mic drop.

He later apologized for tweeting the GIF. Its been brought to my attention that the gif may have been perceived as insensitive. I apologize as that was not my intention, he tweeted.

haha let the Mexicans (he means Hispanics) die was not the bad part. It was the mic drop what made it inappropriate

what an idiot

here come the judge

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sktgamer_13dude posted...

My deep faiths means I care for everyone equally, unless youre Hispanic

do you remember when ted yoho refused to apologize for harassing AOC because of his faith? I think we are on to something here. These idiots truly think the Bible says that Hispanics are the enemy

I really don't see what context would make this better.

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The_homelander posted...

do you remember when ted yoho refused to apologize for harassing AOC because of his faith? I think we are on to something here. These idiots truly think the Bible says that Hispanics are the enemy

I remember that when someone asked Rudy Guilliani about his infidelity after he said that Trump going after Hillary over Bill's infidelity, Rudy said that that was an inappropriate question because since he was a catholic that was between him and his priest.
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The_homelander posted...

do you remember when ted yoho refused to apologize for harassing AOC because of his faith? I think we are on to something here. These idiots truly think the Bible says that Hispanics are the enemy

Yeah, its a bullshit excuse because if you attack it, they can clutch their pearls and say the other side hates Christianity.

Fuck the GOP.
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Anyone surprised that this man doesnt consider Hispanic people to be americans?

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This guy apparently believes Hispanics don't go to school or something

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TheGoldenEel posted...

Anyone surprised that this man doesnt consider Hispanic people to be americans?

at this rate I think the only high profile republicans that consider Hispanics as Americans are Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and they also happen to spend most of their time for their flaw

"you see, too many old people and hispanics are drying. we gotta get our young non-hispanic kids back to school so we can balance it out"

/s

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