Updates: In Puerto Rico, the Storm ‘Destroyed Us.’”), and as of September 21st there was a record of at least 10 deaths. One of the biggest problems was that the island had lost complete power. In recent news, according to The Atlantic, it is estimated that only about 40 percent of residents have internet or cell service. The effects of Hurricane Maria, as shown in the left image of a flooded neighborhood by Ricardo Arduengo, can clearly be seen as devastating. Puerto Rico is not a state of the United States, and it would seem it will not be in the near future, but it is still a part of the country. Being a territory means they don’t have a vote in congress, but the government still has responsibility for them. The only thing that separates a territory like Puerto Rico and a state like New Hampshire would be that Puerto Rico does not have any federal input. Both locations have U.S. citizens who are entitled to the same things. Therefore, citizens in Puerto Rico are just as deserving of immediate federal aid as citizens in Texas were after Hurricane Harvey. On September 22nd, it was recorded that Texas had already enforced actions to prepare for hurricane Harvey. Puerto Rico should have also been receiving that type of immediate response, especially since they had just been hit by hurricane Irma just 14 days before. Not only does Puerto Rico need additional help from the US because they are our responsibility, but also because they had already been trying to recover from a natural disaster.
Photo by Jamie Springett
18