So a group of kids went to Senator Feinstein’s office to urge her to support the Green New Deal. She could not have been more rudely condescending.
The kids (young kids) were clearly eager to be engaged on this issue. They talked about the fact that scientists say we have 12 years to seriously attack global warming before it becomes too late. They showed up excited and full of purpose. Exactly what we want young citizens to be.
So how did Senator Feinstein respond?
She told them that she has been in the Senate for 30 years and was just re-elected by a large plurality. She told them that she has a better, more “responsible” plan. One that apparently doesn’t deal with the actual emergency as defined by scientists since she also told them that climate change wasn’t going to be fixed in 10 years (reminder: scientists say we have 12 before it is too late). She chided exuberant kids about being “my way or the highway” (reminder, they were there because they are terrified about their own futures in light of global warming) and said she “doesn’t respond to that”. When they told her they were from California and that government was by the people and for the people, she asked how old they were. They were under 18 so she told them “so you didn’t vote for me” (i.e. I owe you nothing). She told them that people need to learn to listen (something she clearly wasn’t prepared to do). When they pressed on, she told them that if they knew better than her they should run for office. They told her that by that time it would be too late. She responded by saying that she had just won a big election.
Wow.
All around, a terrible showing.
I like Senator Feinstein but this was really and truly appalling on so many levels.