As days and months drag by for our fellow U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico — never knowing if they will awaken to yet another blackout, wondering if they will have lights, trying to scrape up the money for fuel for the generator, worrying about the drinking water, trying to figure out if they can get a shower, knowing their water isn’t safe without boiling, traveling hours to get to dialysis, watching rain leaking through the tarp covered roof, dumping food that has spoiled — again, unable to see or hear the news or connect to the internet, thinking of suicide...simply trying to cope — we here on the mainland go on with our daily lives.
We have “power privilege.”
There is no massive outcry, no huge marches to Washington. Our mainland lives are caught up in news stories about Donald Trump and his corrupt cronies, there are gun violence protests (which is great) and the train wreck that is daily life in Puerto Rico is a news afterthought for the most part — unless loss of power threatens a baseball game on the island.
The largest blackout in U.S. history is a non story. It does not merit 24/7 round the clock coverage from cable news.
Ask yourself why?
Today marks seven months that the island has not had full power. That date is actually arbitrary, starting the count from Hurricane Maria. There are still people who haven’t had power since Irma, which hit the island two weeks prior to Maria.
So — now we have the “biggest” and the “longest” — and it isn’t making a damn bit of difference. We like to list records.
Second largest world wide — longest in U.S. History
Only The New York Daily News has been doing daily tracking.
I get up every morning and tweet out the day count — not that it makes much of a difference, It does make me feel less powerless and frustrated.
I talk to my friend Bobby in Puerto Rico every day. Sometimes it takes several tries since his cell service is spotty. Other times I have to wait till he can power up his phone using his friend’s power pack. He’s accepted that nothing is going to be done by the powers that be on the mainland. He soldiers on, simply trying to keep from being eaten up by rage. I get to listen to the sound of the coqui in his yard. We laugh. We cry.
We read the ugly comments posted to tweets about Puerto Rico. People screaming about “their” tax dollars going to support “those people”.
We shake our heads over comments advocating that “Puerto Rico should just leave the U.S….hook up with (pick one) Spain...Cuba,.. Canada...the EU… or just become a state and everything will just be fine.” We shake our heads when we read comments like “just move everyone off the island and let them be distributed to states where they can vote for Democrats.” Sigh.
We realize that essentially most people here on the mainland don’t give a damn. We applaud all those who have donated, and still donate, and who call their elected officials ...we tweet out the earnest statements by politicians (almost all are Democrats) who voice support ...and we know that they won’t accomplish anything. Perhaps if that blue wave takes place..perhaps if Democrats can snatch control of the Senate, and House and White House, maybe if in the next Puerto Rican elections the current party in power gets the boot...things may get better for Puerto Rico. Perhaps. Meanwhile, the milk has to be thrown out ‘cause it went bad in the last power outage, the dog has to be walked, and a drive to the hospital is dangerous since the traffic lights still aren’t working.
Puerto Ricans are in daily survival mode. They will persist. Some will die. Some will leave. The majority, who are staying put, will continue the fight.
Bobby said yesterday, “Nobody here really wants to talk about the fast approaching hurricane season. However, everyone is thinking about it.” It’s almost as if mentioning it will jinx the island. June first is looming.
Prayers aren’t going to affect climate change. The actions that need to be taken — now — ain’t happening. The only major U.S. figure traveling throughout the Caribbean, meeting with leaders to address climate change efforts is former U.S President Bill Clinton. Our current White House occupant probably thinks folks can mop up storm damage with those paper towels he tossed.
People always ask, “What can I do?”
Let me ask back — what have you done today to make a dent in the silence?