When disaster strikes it’s not out of the ordinary for politicians to tour the area.
Recently, Governor Gavin Nesom and United States Senator for California and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris toured Fresno County to assess some of the damage caused by the recent wildfires.
According to reports, both were briefed by officials about the challenges of fighting such a large fire.
While standing in front of Pine Ridge Elementary, Harris remarked how climate change affects all aspects of our lives.
“When we’re talking about the climate crisis, we are talking about a public health crisis,” she said.
After speaking in front of the burned and melted school, Harris and Newsom walked across the street to where a home once stood. She compared the chimney, which was the only thing that remained from the house to a tombstone.
While many admired Harris and Newsom for discussing climate change and showing the damage caused by the wildfires, some were not pleased when they saw the photos.
“What has me really frustrated right now is the fact that these two politicians used my parents loss for a photo opportunity to push their political agenda!” Trampas Patten wrote on Facebook.
“Political party wouldn’t have made a difference in this moment. Decent human beings that have character and class, wouldn’t air someone else’s misfortune on national television!”
Patten, who is the son of the homeowners, said that his parents haven’t even been allowed to return to their property nor did they give Newsom or Harris permission to enter.
“When we saw those photos, it was – there aren’t words, because it’s like, we haven’t even seen our house. We haven’t seen our property. There is no house, we haven’t even seen our property,” Bailee Patten, Trampas’ sister, told KMPH.
Bailee said her family is upset because they haven’t had a chance to return to their property and the first time they’re getting to see it is online.
“Because we weren’t there, we haven’t gotten to deal with our loss. Instead, we’re having to watch it play out on social media and news.”
Newsom hasn’t commented on the photos, but Harris’s Communications Director told KMPH, “I’m not going to have anything about that.”
What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s right for politicians, no matter their political party, to step on a person’s property after it has been destroyed by some disaster or should they get permission?
Let us know your thoughts on Facebook.
