Monster Typhoon Takes Aim at Guam

 

by Pa Rock

World Traveler

A friend and I visited the small of Guam twice during the years 2011-2012.  It is a beautiful and secluded paradise in the Western Pacific that the US has controlled since 1898.  Guam is a US Territory which means you do not need a special visa or passport to travel or live there.  English is the primary language on Guam, and the US dollar is its legal currency.  It is a very easy locale for US tourists to navigate.

People who were born on Guam are US citizens, though they are denied the right to vote in our presidential elections and can only send non-voting representatives to the US Congress.

The island of Guam is small, approximately 12 miles by 6 miles, 212 square miles, and between 130,000-135,000 acres in size.  It is easily possible to circumnavigate the entire island by car, at a leisurely pace (the maximum speed limit is around 35 m.p.h.), in under two hours with beautiful ocean vistas along the entirety of the drive.  Guam has around 175,000 residents including personnel stationed at two major US military bases, some major US stores (at the time I was there it had a K-Mart, Macys, Ross, and a shopping center with a 6-screen movie theatre).  There is also a small university on the island.

All of my memories of Guam are good ones.  I would return there for another visit in a heartbeat if an opportunity were to arise.

Today, Guam is being pounded by a monster typhoon, a Category 5, the largest and most dangerous storm to strike anywhere on the planet so far this season.  The rain is torrential and there are sustained winds in excess of 175 miles per hour.  The little island has weathered severe storms before, but this one, named "Sinlaku," appears to be aiming for the record books.

As a US Territory, "the place where America's day begins," Guam should be in line for levels of aid and assistance comparable to what would normally be available to US states during and after weather disasters, but since our government has pared back federal assistance for states to dangerously low levels, and since over half of the population of the island is Chamorro (the native population) and Filipino (non-white), chances are less than stellar that the Trump administration will rush in with medical or construction aid.  

Trump's lackluster response fo the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico (another US Territory) in 2017 and his rage that people and officials on the island wanted "everything done for them," established an attitude and a template that will likely be dragged out again and used to marginalize what is happening right now on Guam.   The only time people of color are a priority with this administration is when it is conducting ICE raids.

Trump brags about supporting war over social programs which his administration wants to shuffle off onto the states.   He says the federal government should not be involved in child care, Medicare, Medicaid, or things of that ilk.  With that militaristic attitude and anti-humanitarian agenda, my worry is that the immediate needs of the residents of Guam will be totally ignored by the white nationalists who populate the Trump administration, and they will see the entire tragedy in Guam unfold as little more than an interesting weather tidbit on Fox News.

The Trump family may also see  devastation on the island as another opportunity for a Trump resort and golf course.

The people of Guam deserve better than that, and the United States of America should be better than that!