The next day it all went up in flames. “Train derailment sparks massive fire, prompts evacuations,” read the headlines. “Videos show major fire raging after tanker train derails.”
The derailment of a 50-car freight train carrying toxic materials shattered daily life in East Palestine. Potentially lethal chemicals spewed into the air, ground and water. A month on, a new set of headlines has billowed up from right-wing outlets and commentators. Now the tragedy of East Palestine has morphed into a racialised lament for the “forgotten” people abandoned by the uncaring “woke” Biden administration. For “forgotten”, read white.
Leading the charge is Fox News star Tucker Carlson. “East Palestine is overwhelmingly white, and it’s politically conservative,” he said. “That shouldn’t be relevant, but it very much is.”
This story is from the March 03, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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This story is from the March 03, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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