Kristin Urquiza, an Arizonan whose father died from Covid-19, delivered probably the most scathing indictments of America’s response to the pand
Kristin Urquiza, an Arizonan whose father died from Covid-19, delivered probably the most scathing indictments of America’s response to the pandemic through the first night time of the 2020 Democratic Conference on Monday, saying that his solely preexisting situation was “trusting Donald Trump, and for that he paid together with his life.”
Her father Mark Anthony Urquiza, a 65-year-old who voted for Trump in 2016, had heeded the president’s urges to reopen the nation’s financial system and roll again social distancing tips. He went to a bar together with his associates after Arizona’s stay-at-home order was lifted on Could 15, making it one of many first states nationwide to reopen, and by June 11, he fell ailing. Regardless of being placed on a ventilator to assist him breathe, he died from the virus solely weeks later.
Urquiza mentioned Monday that her father’s dying was emblematic of the way in which that communities of colour have been disproportionately affected by the virus. In line with the Covid Monitoring Challenge, Black People and Latinos are dying at 2.four instances and 1.four instances the speed of white folks, respectively.
“The coronavirus has made it clear that there are two Americas,” Urquiza mentioned. “The America that Donald Trump lives in and the America that my father died in. Sufficient is sufficient. Donald Trump could not have brought on the coronavirus however his dishonesty and irresponsible actions made it a lot worse.”
Kristin Urquiza, whose father, a Trump voter, died of Covid-19: “My dad was a wholesome 65 year-old. His solely preexisting situation was trusting Donald Trump, and for that he paid together with his life.”#DemConvention pic.twitter.com/Smb4e4oSPZ
— Cameron Peters (@jcameronpeters) August 18, 2020
Urquiza had delivered a equally blistering obituary for her father within the Arizona Republic that went viral. She blamed his premature dying on the failures of each Trump and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who she invited to the funeral.
Ducey had downplayed the virus for months, solely instructing folks to put on masks in mid-June. He even claimed in late Could that “it’s secure on the market,” including, “I wish to encourage folks to get out and about, to take a cherished one to dinner, to go retail purchasing.”
However Ducey didn’t take Urquiza up on her invitation.
“His dying is as a result of carelessness of the politicians who proceed to jeopardize the well being of brown our bodies by means of a transparent lack of management, refusal to acknowledge the severity of this disaster, and lack of ability and unwillingness to provide clear and decisive route on how one can decrease danger,” Urquiza’s obituary mentioned.
A couple of week after her obituary went stay, she acquired a letter she shared with the Arizona Republic from Joe Biden, the previous Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee, expressing his condolences.
“The household bonds that Mark spent his life strengthening are meant for instances like these,” Biden’s letter mentioned. “They’re meant so that you can lean on to share a few of these burdens which might be terribly troublesome to bear alone.