Written by Tyler Anderson, Opinion Editor
The Puerto Rican power grid infrastructure was failing long before Hurricane Maria touched down in September 2017. The local government requested assistance with modernizing, or at least repairing, the decades-old technology the island’s single power company relied on. After the hurricane swept across the U.S. territory, much of the island was without power and basic necessities.
Six months later, after all but 10 percent of the island had power once again, a major blackout brought the territory to its knees. This time it was a contractor whose machinery toppled a major transmission line.
Yes, this one incident caused the island-wide blackout. And yes, the events of the past six months could have been avoided had the mainland U.S. cared as much about the territory as it does the states.
The U.S. is a nation built on the back of colonialism, though it was one of the last nations to jump on the world domination bandwagon. But dominate it did and we have Hawaii and several territories to show for it.
What did these territories get in return? According to a report by Engadget in 2012, American Samoa, an unincorporated U.S. territory, is home to the world’s most expensive broadband service at abysmal speeds. The unemployment rate in Guam for “youth ages 15-24 totale[d] 29.4 percent,” according to the CIA’s “The World Factbook.” And Puerto Rico: a power grid which has become increasingly unstable over the years and a rising poverty rate.
However the U.S. came to be in control of these territories ultimately doesn’t matter now. Though they are not full-fledged states, they are under the protection of the U.S. and are ultimately our responsibility.
Browsing through Yahoo.com article comments perfectly illustrated the general population’s opinion concerning the issue: “who cares,” “why are we taking care of them,” and my personal favorite, “why don’t we just give them back?”
Unfortunately, the inhabitants of Puerto Rico aren’t a Christmas fruitcake you can pass from one person to another. The U.S. Virgin Islands aren’t playgrounds for mainland vacationers. The relief given to these territories isn’t a handout, these are government programs which the territories legally qualify for.
Following the initial Puerto Rican blackouts, many called into question the validity of sending aid and other resources to the nearly-destroyed island. “Let them take care of themselves – U.S. first,” came the battlecry.
Hawaii and Alaska aren’t connected to the mainland, but their statehood protects them from cynical hypocrisy. Is what many have legitimately failed to realize is that they are part of our nation. If we cannot support all of our brothers and sisters, no matter how far they are from the other states, perhaps our priorities are not in the right place.