http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/09/world/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico-cnnphotos/
From September through the beginning of October, Hurricane Maria, which was classified as a deadly level 5 storm, slammed the coast of Puerto Rico. With sustained winds of 175 mph and torrents of heavy rain, the island's entire infrastructure was obliterated. Over three million people were left without power, homeless, food and water, and means of communication. Trump immediately took to Twitter, preaching the importance of offering humanitarian aid in times of crisis and helping Puerto Rico get back on its feet. As promised, the U.S.'s FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) dispatched response teams to Puerto Rico, however now President Trump is repetitively publishing tweets such as "We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!"
Considering that the federal government intends to aid Texas in its recovery from Hurricane Katrina for years to come, it seems unjust and, frankly, discriminatory that Trump views Puerto Rico (an American territory!) as a lower priority. Pictures and reports from sources in Puerto Rico indicate that the relief efforts are far from sufficient, as many people still don't have access to even safe drinking water, and are instead force to drink from wells next to a Superfund (nuclear waste cleanup) site. Thus, I believe that Trump should discard any financial or political reasons he has for withdrawing emergency aid and focus on his humanitarian obligation of providing food, water, shelter, and safety to millions of Americans struggling in the aftermath of a horrific disaster.
Do you believe there is a discrepancy between the importance of helping Texas recover vs. helping Puerto Rico? What are the possible economic and political effects of choosing to continue helping Puerto Rico, and how do you think will the public respond to this?
2 comments:
Since Puerto Rico is an American territory, Trump needs to give them just as much aid as he is giving Texas. People in Puerto Rico deserve to have, at minimum, clean water, food, and shelter. Trump, regardless of the costs, should provide them with these basic necessities. If cost is such a huge issue, Trump should also donate some money as he definitely has enough for to go around. Nearly half of the American population does not know that Puerto Rico is American territory, so the public's reaction to this could be negative or positive depending on where in America the people are reacting; however, as president, Trump should speak up and inform the public that Puerto Rico is American territory and that they deserve to be given aid.
There is definitely a discrepancy between helping Texas and Puerto Rico. Trump decided to aid Texas over Puerto Rico where both regions have different cultures and ethnicities, suggesting the underlying discrimination that Trump has against Puerto Rico. As Natalie said, most of the American population does not know that Puerto Rico is American territory; thus, President Trump could use that opportunity to gain awareness for more help to those affected by the storm. Furthermore, I think the economic costs of not helping Puerto Rico will be greater than helping Puerto Rico, as before the storm, commodities and products previously garnered profit for the area and the US. Despite President Trump’s lack of action for Puerto Rico, FEMA (https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-maria) is still providing aid to those affected by Hurricane Maria.
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