A New York politician posted video on Facebook from an assembly session Tuesday, where she calls out assembly members for their hypocrisy regarding the softer treatment of white drug addiction versus the more harsher treatment of Black drug addicts.
New York State Assemblywoman of the 43rd Assembly District Diana C. Richardson says in the 2-minute clip that $25 million out of a $100 billion budget is not nearly enough to address the issue of drug addiction in the state.
“I found out early on in life that if you want to find where their principles lie, follow the money,” Richardson tells the assembly. “Twenty-five million is a joke and a slap in the face to the cries of the public.”
She points out the hypocrisy of her colleagues’ vehement response to white people addicted to opioid drugs.
“When there was a drug issue in the African-American community, [Black people] were persecuted, we were put in jail, children were put in foster care, and families were ripped apart. It was treated as a criminal justice issue … but now we have an opioid issue that is affecting another demographic and now it is a health issue. Now we have to put money diverting people out of prisons into treatment. What’s missing from this package is a restorative justice package.”
