Congresswoman Kathleen Rice Stops Traffic to let Ducks Cross, Women Leaders are a Lesson in Empathy

Congresswoman Kathleen Rice won hearts world over, when a video of her stopping traffic on the busy roads of New York to let a duck and her ducklings pass, surfaced online on July 4. In the video, she, along with a few others, can be seen running to the rescue of these birds just as they were about to venture onto the street, gesturing and yelling for cars and buses to "stop" until the road was clear. The internet was delighted with this video that went viral, with many hailing Rice as a "hero."

Journalist Chris Sommerfeldt later reported that Rice had "shepherded the ducks all the way from Third Ave. to Central Park — a trek that took 45 minutes." She was quoted saying, "I’m proud to serve every New Yorker, including those with webbed feet."

Rice is a 55-year old Democrat who serves as the United States Representative from New York's Long Island. She has formerly served as the District Attorney for Nassau County and a federal prosecutor in Philadelphia. She has introduced reforms to issues of drunk driving, teen education, social-service for criminals, and gender pay gap.

Also Read: Why Women Leaders Are Important In Crisis Response

Social Media is All Praises for Kathleen Rice

Here is the video, first posted by American journalist Yashar Ali, that went viral:

BTW the woman clearing a path for the mother duck and her ducklings is Congresswoman @KathleenRice https://t.co/fe5kIN6QaN

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) July 3, 2020

The video has since garnered over 3 lakh views and invited some heartwarming responses from viewers who lauded Rice's compassion and empathy. Many even corroborated Rice's "way with animals", with one user citing that his dog was obsessed with her when it first met her. Others went on to narrate their own similar stories of clearing roads for stray animals.

Also Read: Young Girl Interrupts Health Policy Expert Mom’s BBC Interview, Demands To Know Anchor’s Name

Women Leaders Show the World How It's Done

These grave times of global crises have shown the world that women make for better leaders. Forbes reported that the countries handling the coronavirus emergency best have just one thing in common - women leaders. Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand, Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan, Angela Merkel in Germany - all were quick to respond to the crisis and able to adequately provide for their countries with acumen and empathy.

Keen attention was paid to those aspects that other countries aren't even venturing near. For instance, Jacinda Ardern declared nationally, especially to the kids watching, that the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy were "essential workers" and would continue work amidst the pandemic as usual. Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg held a press conference which was a kids-only zone where no adults were allowed. She addressed children's' questions and anxieties pertaining to the pandemic, telling them that it was alright to feel scared. Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's youngest-ever Prime Minister, kept her country's morale up by posting a lighthearted video of herself doing the dishes and singing along to Danish pop songs during the weekly TV singalong.

Tanvi Akhauri is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.