The Forgotten (East) Palestinians
American ConservativeDec 23, 2022
The Facts
On Friday, US Pres. Joe Biden directed federal agencies to visit East Palestine, Ohio, and go door-to-door to check on families affected by the toxic train derailment that has become a national controversy.
The "walk teams" started work on Saturday and aim to visit at least 400 homes by Monday.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Biden has made his priorities abundantly clear, and unfortunately, the president seems more concerned with helping Ukraine than he is with an American city in ruin. Americans are breathing in toxic chemicals and have to fear for their long-term health, while Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv after handing them millions of dollars.
Democratic narrative
Pres. Biden is more concerned with fulfilling his duties as commander-in-chief than with scoring cheap political points. The president made a daring trip to Ukraine while it fights for democracy, and that has nothing to do with a lack of concern for East Palestine. While Trump may have shown his face in the city, he has done little to actually help the situation.
Cynical narrative
Both sides of the political aisle are exploiting the situation to tear down their political opponents at the expense of East Palestine residents who have been rendered mere political props. This incident requires comprehensive government and civic action, but leaders have favored polarization instead in an effort to score political points. This is a disaster on all fronts.
