Off Topic Spin Off from Halloween Bakes Thread

[ninamari]

Oh Ninamari, I am so saddened by the tragedy that struck your family and friends. The situation in Puerto Rico is beyond heartbreaking. The totality of the devastation in which absolutely nothing and no one was spared is a humanitarian crisis of epic portion.

The world needs to call Trump and Rossello into account for their utter failures in dealing with this crisis. Trump needs to be taken to task for creating a divide between hurricane victims in Texas and Florida, and hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. And Rossello needs to stop putting Trump and political party politics before the health and welfare of the people.

With the Whitefish contract evolving into a scandal, Rossello is now trying to find an out for himself. But awarding a $300 million contract to a six person company with neither the means nor experience to rebuild the energy grid is completely indefensible. Even more indefensible is the fact that up to this point, Rossello has not so as as whispered a word on the failings of FEMA and the Army Corp of Engineers. And the failures are many.

Something is seriously wrong when a Spanish born chef who resides in Washington DC flies to Puerto Rico to feed 2.2 million Americans in the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, while FEMA and the American Red Cross—agencies funded and tasked to provide humanitarian aid in times of disasters, are feeding only a few.

Now that the Whitefish is in the news, Rossello is trying to negotiate utilities mutual aid with companies in New York and Florida. Rossello should have started that process before the sun rose the morning after the hurricane.

I know this isn’t a political forum. And if I get blocked because of this post, so be it. Action starts with people speaking up. And when our fellow Americans are suffering, and the president is trying to pretend Puerto Rico isn’t part of the United States of America, then all Americans need to speak up and cry foul.

If we’re going to espouse the concepts of America First and the sanctity of life, then we need to actually walk the talk. Americans need to contact their congressional representatives to express their displeasure with our government’s poor humanitarian response.

Ok, not the most original thread name but at least, hopefully, this won’t get @Norcalbaker59 (or me or anyone else) kicked off from this awesome forum

From the bottom of my heart, thank you NorCal! I honestly have no words to even begin to describe the pain and sadness at seeing the devastation of my beloved island. The anguish at not knowing if my family was ok. But I know I was one of the fortunate ones, while I couldn’t reach my mom for 5 days (and those were the longest 5 days of my life), there were many others who were unable to reach their loved ones for weeks. And whatever I went through with this, whatever I’m feeling and dealing with is absolutely nothing compared to what our fellow brothers and sisters are going through in the island. And not just in Puerto Rico, but the US Virgin Islands, and all the other islands in the Caribbean that were devastated by both hurricanes.

The world we live in can be dark, depressing, and discouraging, but it is people like you who give me hope. Because it’s a reminder that, while all the negatives are highlighted 24/7 (because, let’s face it, good news don’t rake in the ratings), there are people who are not indifferent to another person’s suffering, who are compassionate, who treat everybody as equals and with dignity, who are willing to speak up and not stand by in silence.

The management and execution of the emergency response to this disaster has failed in so many levels that, at this point I truly believe it’s criminal negligence that has and will continue to cost lives. I pray that those responsible are held accountable for their actions (or, more appropriately, their inaction).

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I can’t imagine what it must have been like not know whether your mother, family, and friends survived the hurricane. Emotional healing begins when we know where and how well our loved are a disaster.

I’m glad you were able to get your mother safely to your house. While I can understand your wanting her to stay with you until the end of the year, I too can understand her need to be home. She is connected to her home and community by friendships and a shared history.

I totally agree that what is been happening has risen to the level of criminal negligence. How the government can sit back and let people drink water from a contaminated hazardous waste site is as criminal as it is inhumane. I simply cannot comprehend how much bureaucratic BS has gotten in the way of relief efforts. The notion that there has to be authorizations to distribute food, water, medical supplies is beyond idiotic.

I understand destruction of roads makes some areas accessible. But to hold emergency supplies in warehouses waiting for proper authorization to distribute is just asinine. A medical ship station offshore with the capacity of 250 beds sat near empty because of a cumbersome bureaucratic process to approve patient to be transported from the island to the medical ship. All the while desperately ill people lay suffering in hospitals with no medical supplies.

I am so deeply troubled by the disparity in how the governments respond to communities in times of crisis. It is a fact that when wealthier communities are struck by natural disasters, the response is swift and plentiful. I witnessed it here during the fire storm. The world is witnessing it in Puerto Rico.

When natural disasters hit places like Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, The world seems to simply sigh, then move on with their business. I cannot comprehend this indifference to human suffering. I read the news and I literally cry.

The media is constantly chasing the next story. Journalists forget that many stories cannot be told in a day, that many stories take years to tell.