Iceland’s President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson is making headlines for gifting a disabled former Twitter employee a pair of socks from his homeland. His show of compassion comes after the now former employee was the subject of ridicule from technology mogul, Elon Musk.
Last month, German carmaker Volkswagen was accused of using a “defeat device” to cheat U.S. emissions tests. Heather Potter, a Twitter employee disabled since birth, replied to a complaint about the environmental damage caused by Volkswagen’s actions with the message, “Hey VW, perhaps you should be held accountable”. The tweet caught the attention of Elon Musk, who responded with “you don’t think they will be?”
Many internet users perceived Musk’s comment to be sarcastic, mocking the disability of Jarvis, a user Potter followed on Twitter, who is unable to speak. Potter then revealed that she, too, is disabled. While the Tesla CEO received a significant amount of criticism in response to the unclear sentiment of his remarks, he has not apologized or clarified his intent.
In a show of both solidarity and kindness, President Jóhannesson has reached out to Heather Potter, sending her a package containing two pairs of socks from his home country of Iceland. Jóhannesson, who has held office since 2016, was previously an educator and lecturer in Icelandic history. In a message of support to Potter, he wrote that “In those trying times, please know you have the support of Iceland.”
Potter has since tweeted her thanks for Jóhannesson’s gesture, saying “Socks can say more than any apology. Thank you for your kindness and your humanity.” The Iceland President’s show of support for the disabled community has been celebrated by many, including Potter’s former employer, Twitter.
This display of compassion, coupled with Volvo’s announcement to donate $50 million towards the fight against climate change, serves as an example of how businesses and political figures are becoming more aware of their responsibilities towards both the environment and the disabled community.
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