Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez D-N.Y., called out people who are resistant to extreme action to address climate change Wednesday, comparing them to their grandparents who protested the Civil Rights Movement.
“How many years until the world ends again? We have 12 years left to cut emissions by at least 50% if not more,” said Ocasio-Cortez as she crouched on the ground, looking at the camera and eating a snack while on Instagram Live. “For everyone who wants to make a joke about that, you may laugh but your grandkids will not.”
Ocasio-Cortez said a lot of Americans are hiding their families’ past history opposing the civil rights movement.
“You look back and you open history books on the civil rights movement and you see those folks who are protesting against the ability for African Americans and black Americans to have the right to vote and they would hold up these bigoted signs,” she said. “Just know that in the present day, there are a lot of people who hide the fact that their families and that their grandparents fought against principles of equal rights in the United States.”
On Instagram live, AOC just compared climate change and the world ending in 12 years to the civil rights movement and people protesting against African-Americans… pic.twitter.com/6fcC74h5ny
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) April 4, 2019
[Related: Threat of climate change pushes 2020 Democrats to embrace nuclear]
Ocasio-Cortez said the grandchildren of these “bigoted” Americans that oppose climate legislation will be held in contempt by history.
“The Internet documents everything and your grandchildren will not be able to hide the fact that you fought against acknowledging and taking bold action on climate change. And, people who are trying to mock and delay this moment. I mean, I just feel bad for you. I just pity you for your role in history right now,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram chat with her followers came after she was hit with another Federal Election Commission complaint Wednesday alleging she ran a subsidy scheme to skirt federal campaign laws.
