Puerto Rico

It has been three months since Hurricane Maria hit and devastated the island of Puerto Rico and still, about half of her residents are without power. Imagine, three months. Many of us can't live without power for three hours. But what about three days, three weeks, three months? And electric power impacts many other things like water, commerce and life in general. The real question however is, where is the outrage? Where is the anger? Where is the accountability?

Would this be acceptable in any state - Texas lets say, or Florida, or New Jersey? We all know the answer. There is no way that any of this would be acceptable or tolerated. So why do we accept it in Puerto Rico? Is it the distance, the fact that it's an island? Is it because most of her people are brown and speak another language? Is it because we don't even realize that her people are US citizens?

I would guess that it's for all of those reasons and more but there's something worse going on that I don't totally understand. It seems that we have accepted the incompetence of the federal government and its leaders. We have accepted Donald Trump's failure in meeting this emergency as well as others and in the process, we have said it's ok. We have accepted the failure of our Congress, FEMA and other federal agencies. Think for a minute about how horrible that is.

We are so engaged in the joke of a reality presidency that we have all lost sight of what used to be our greatest values - those of caring for each other and making sure our government worked. In the meantime the people of Puerto Rico fight for their lives or leave their homes behind as they migrate to Florida or New York.

The media, the resistance movement, and just plain citizens have fallen short in terms of Puerto Rico and that really needs to change. Every White House briefing, every interview, every protest, march or visit to an elected officials' office has to begin with and include questions about Puerto Rico and her people. Demand accountability.

Two Oaks

12/23/17

Two massive Oaks

Stand and watch

Over Seneca Lake.

Still holding leaves

In late December

Brown and brittle.

One leaf dances

In the wind as

Others remain quiet. 

Beautiful Oaks

Guarding the lake

In mist and snow

And waiting.