Despite the President’s and the White House’s Spokeswoman’s Office constantly harping on the forgotten men and women of America (aka the same cranky white conservatives that everyone has been pandering to for over 200 years), there are actually real forgotten Americans. They live in Puerto Rico. Many (most?) still don’t have reliable power and won’t for several more months. And since the GOP controlled Congress is happy to add $1.5 trillion to the deficit for corporate and affluent tax relief and to further screw Puerto Ricans over by treating it as not part of the US for import purposes, but not to actually properly provide for the general welfare of US citizens that live in Puerto Rico, let alone any other US citizens that aren’t wealthy, the rest of us have to step up.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, an example of someone who is doing an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice, has taken the initiative to make sure the children of Puerto Rico have as merry a Christmas as possible. Puerto Ricans traditionally give gifts on the Feast Day of the Three Kings/Dia de los Tres Reyes, which is on 6 January. So he’s been pushing Toys for Puerto Rico, as well as Unidos: Disaster Relief and Recovery Program to Support Puerto Rico.
TOY DRIVE UPDATE:
Just checked in, and we have blown past our goal of 20,000 Toys for the children of ??!
Your holiday spirit is UNSTOPPABLE.
Three Kings’ Day is January 6.Can we get to 30K by New Years Day?https://t.co/gfXvSVGxV5 pic.twitter.com/F7YjoemtI6
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) December 22, 2017
Chef Jose Andres and his colleagues are still going above and beyond trying to feed all the Puerto Ricans in need.
2018 here we go! ?? #ChefsForPuertoRico amazing volunteers cooking and dispatching hot meals every day. How can we stop, when over a million American citizens in Puerto Rico still don’t have power and too many are still without water… Know of critical need? Tell us @WCKitchen pic.twitter.com/akZ6Vpdrt5
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) January 2, 2018
Here’s the link to World Central Kitchen’s page.
I know someone here is always asking you all for money. Usually it is Doug! using ActBlue to actually pay for his new kid’s college fund er, um, fund Democratic candidates. And that is very important. But too many of our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico have lost almost everything and with all the other meshugas going on they’ve largely dropped off the news media and political radar. So if you can afford to help make sure a girl or boy in Puerto Rico has something to brighten their holiday or to help make sure they and their family get a hot meal or necessary disaster relief, please pitch in.
And for those in the path of the bomb cyclone – stay warm, stay safe!
Open thread!
Mnemosyne
And you guys made fun of me for my LMM worship … ?
Seriously, though, he does seem to be a genuinely good guy who tries to use his powers for good. He also owns a t-shirt company that hires disabled people and AIDS patients, all made in the USA, of course.
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: No, we made fun of you for untreated monomania. Had nothing to do with Miranda.
Mnemosyne
@Adam L Silverman:
And that monomania was regarding … ? Not in a vacuum, in other words.
Mnemosyne
Also, a medical PSA for folks on the East Coast: weather migraines are a thing, and having a huge pressure drop like that is probably going to induce them in people who usually aren’t that prone to them. If you have preventative medication, ask your doctor if you should take it.
satby
I’ve been donating to World Central Kitchen since I first heard about their work in Puerto Rico, and will keep doing so as long as they continue there. The response to the disaster in that and other Caribbean islands should shame every American.
Edited to add: the government response, I mean.
NotMax
No electric trains, please.
And BTW, congrats to today’s newly sworn in Senator Jones.
Another Scott
The toys drive seems to be over at 36,000 toys.
The main donation site seems to be – https://hispanicfederation.org/donate/
Donated.
Thanks for the pointer.
Cheers,
Scott.
arrieve
Thanks, Adam. It looks like the toy drive is over but I donated to World Central Kitchen.
And I agree that LMM is a good guy. He raises a lot of money for Planned Parenthood among other causes.
? Martin
Happy to donate.
Can we set a policy whereby everyone who gets a $2500 or more tax break must live in Puerto Rico for the next year? That would make me feel better about my donation.
amygdala
@Mnemosyne:
Daveed Diggs?
*ducks*
Couple of other things on Puerto Rico:
1) Evidently 95% of the PR water supply before the storm was substandard, which calls into question the numbers the federal government is pushing.
2) CT Senators Blumenthal and Murphy have been in Puerto Rico the past couple of days, assessing the situation. Might be nice for Nutmeg jackals to thank their Senators for, like Lin and Chef Andres, doing what they can for PR and its people.
rikyrah
they are truly trying to kill these American Citizens. I’m sure of it, with their deliberate negligence.
When people tell me that there was no difference between Dolt45 and Hillary,
I know, without hesitation, that President CLINTON wouldn’t be trying to deliberately kill the American citizens of Puerto Rico, so that real estate buddies can get land cheap.
trollhattan
@Mnemosyne:
It’s just a shame we won’t be able to see “Jihad!” the musical….
tobie
This is a good idea and would love to help out but I’ve been giving in regular installments to the Hispanic Federation since Hurricane Maria and am a bit overextended at the moment. Will do more as soon as I can.
Frank McCormick
“But too many of our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico have lost almost everything and with all the other meshugas going on they’ve largely dropped off the news media and political radar.”
I can see why the Trump administration would like to keep its personal “Katrina” off the radar. But that fact that to the media this is “old news” is a national disgrace.
Adam L Silverman
Cue the conspiracy theory folks:
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@rikyrah: Tell it. It’s disgraceful, and for damned sure HRC’s administration would be offering those Americans help as opposed to negligent (at best) homicide.
NotMax
@Adam L. Silverman
Damn rambunctious little kiddies being held in bondage in the basement figured out how to turn on the pizza oven..
Also too,
Teddy K.: Chappaquiddick.
Clintons: Chappaqua.
Coincidence?
/RWNJ effluent outlets
Lee
I’ve got a good friend that just got back from a 10 day family vacation in Puerto Rico of all places. She booked it many months ago and was a bit hesitant in going but called they were very grateful that she was still considering it and not straight-up cancelling.
She had a blast. Yeah not everything worked at 100%. But she didn’t sweat the small stuff as all her kids are late-teens/early twenties. She had everyone pack an extra bag full of stuff to donate.
Mnemosyne
@amygdala:
Someone remembers! ???
Mnemosyne
@Lee:
Your friend is good people.
West of the Cascades
Great post! Minor snicker – s/b “Dia de los Tres Reyes” (not day of the three beeves).
Adam L Silverman
@West of the Cascades: Thanks, I’ll fix it. My Spanish is very rusty.