The Houston Astros visited the White House, but Carlos Correa opted out. Instead of joining in that historic visit, he decided to spend the day working with his family to get supplies to Puerto Rico.
Correa assured reporters that there was no political message in his decision to devote his time to helping Puerto Rico. Correa grew up in Puerto Rico. “I don’t only represent the Houston Astros, I don’t only represent my family, but I also represent the American citizens that are living in Puerto Rico,” Correa said. “I just want to bring some awareness to what is going on.”
“I didn’t think it was right for me to go and talk to the president about Puerto Rico when we were going there for the team, for the amazing year we had and for what we brought to the city of Houston,” the Washington Post quoted Correa as saying. “It’s an honor to be invited to the White House. I want to thank the president for all the help he provided to my second hometown, which is Houston, and some of the help he’s provided to Puerto Rico, but we’re still in need in Puerto Rico.”
Correa, like many others, expressed frustration over the fact that Puerto Rico continues to be in a state of emergency six months after the hurricanes that devastated the Island. Texas and Florida also experienced storms, but have been able to restore power and rebuild.
Puerto Rico has yet to restore power and safe drinking water to all its residents. As of this writing, the government website status.pr shows that 96.91% have running water and 86.50% have electricity.
Carlos Beltran, who also comes from Puerto Rico, also skipped the White House visit. He did not make any statements on the subject.
This is unconscionable that Puerto Rico still lacks electricity in 14 percent of the island. I consider Puerto Rico my second home in spite of having never resided there. Our trips to the island have piqued our interests towards an eventual move there. We love the people and the culture. Regarding Trump, I don’t regard him whatsoever. But if I was forced to, his pejorative view of Puerto Rico as somehow underserving to receive ALL resources necessary in an emergent fashion perplexes me. I have never observed anyone so myopically minded and miserly given how almost overbearingly blessed financially the old boy has been. Trump’s very exclusionary and monomaniacal self-aggrandisement rivals the likes of a Himmler or Husain . The president studies stupidity with an embarrassing degree of prideful fervour. The Puertorican people generally do not overthink every conceivable thing to death unlike us hurried and worried rubes in the US. What’s the rush? Where are we all going at such a frenetic frenzy? Well, we have no earthly idea as we scurry along like walking and talking rocks with eyelids. In the states, we beat the same horse to death because it never occurs to us to bury the thing. We just cannot or will not catch on and come up for air. I’m thankful to live in the United States and Lord willing will be no less thankful at which time Puerto Rico becomes our more peaceable place to live.