HARTFORD – The Black and Puerto Rican Caucus is demanding Connecticut State Representative Anne Dauphinais (R-Killingly/Plainfield) refrain from making any further hateful remarks and to apologize immediately for her anti-Semitic statements made in response to the vaccine requirement for state employees.
Rep. Dauphinais (R-Killingly/Plainfield) continued to double down on her anti-Semitic rhetoric during an “America First Rally” in Plainfield on Saturday in which the controversial U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) was the headline speaker.
“We know what happened in the 30’s when that started happening to a community of people. They were taken out of their jobs and they were segregated and discriminated against,” Rep. Dauphinais said to the crowd.
While it is troubling that Rep. Dauphinais continues to make these types of remarks unapologetically, it is even more shocking the degree to which her remarks on Saturday not only make an insensitive comparison to one of the worst atrocities in modern history, it also makes light of the horror and inhumanity experienced by Holocaust victims and survivors. In other words, it is a slap in the face to Holocaust survivors and their families.
It is also concerning to see Rep. Dauphinais use terms like “segregated” and “discriminated” without a complete understanding of their meaning and history. To use this type of language in relation to a public health mandate, in which people have options for compliance, is ignorant of and insensitive to the decades of racial discrimination and oppression faced by Black Americans because of the color of their skin.
Saturday’s remarks in Plainfield follow similar statements by Rep. Dauphinais earlier this month, comparing the emergency orders by Governor Lamont to actions by Adolf Hitler, a despot responsible for the genocide of millions of people.
Sadly, Rep. Dauphinais’ hateful speech is not the first time this year that a state legislator has made insensitive comments which demean and belittle the experiences of others. State Representative Gale Mastrofrancesco (R-Southington/Wolcott), also speaking on the actions of the governor, invoked the murder of George Floyd and compared his dying words, “I can’t breathe” to children being required to wear a mask in school to protect against the spread of COVID-19 in September.
These types of remarks inspire hate and cause division.
The BPRC is calling on Reps. Dauphinais and Mastrofrancesco, and any others who would follow their example, to put an end to this insensitive and hateful rhetoric. We are also demanding Republican leaders in Connecticut address this ongoing behavior in their party and help stop any further comments from being made.
Hateful and divisive speech has no place in our state legislature or in the civil discourse we must have to debate and pass legislation for betterment of our state.
As always, the BPRC membership stands ready and willing to work with our colleagues in both chambers and parties on all matters, legislative and otherwise.
State Representative Geraldo Reyes (D-Waterbury), BPRC Chairman
State Representative Bobby Gibson (D-Bloomfield/Windsor), BPRC Vice Chairman