WaPo, wtf?

[bigtree]

Senator Jeff Merkley? @SenJeffMerkley

Hey @WashingtonPost, everyone in Puerto Rico is American.



Nathalie Baptiste? @nhbaptiste 2m2 minutes ago
wow, that's embarrassing

[MLAA]

1. What a huge blunder of ignorance...don't usually expect that from WAPO

[pnwmom]

34. From what I can see, the article is about many stranded travelers, including a group of students

from St. Martin, and not all of them were American. They had been evacuated from other islands to P.R., and now they were all stuck.

[Caliman73]

2. They do not see PR as "American"

When I speak to people who are talking about "American this..." and "American that..." I always ask them to close their eyes and think about what image comes to mind when they say "American" who do they envision? It is most certainly not a person from Puerto Rico, a Black person, a person of Asian heritage, nor a person of Latino ancestry.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. that paper has really gotten shitty lately.

[RAFisher]

4. I guess it should say 'Stranded Idahoan' but someone from Idaho is an American. It's not wrong.

It's hard for me to get outraged over this.

[Blue_Adept]

7. It should say stranded tourist

The problem is when what, 60% of people don't know that the people in PR are citizens that it gets weird like this.

[SunSeeker]

8. It is very wrong. It implies Puerto Ricans are not Americans.

It is headlines like this that cause so many US mainlanders to think Puerto Ricans are not US citizens. It is dead wrong.

[AtheistCrusader]

16. I think it depends on your perspective.

You and I know Puerto Ricans are Americans. To anyone who doesn't (probably half of America) that specific callout means something very different along the lines of 'These are American Citizens by the by you dumb shit, and you should care about it like you care about your self'.


(I think we should care just because they are humans, but citizenship is a litmus test for these things, and a lot of WaPo's readers probably do not know they are citizens.)

[SunSeeker]

25. It is wrong from any perspective.

The very fact that most Americans don't realize Puerto Ricans are US citizens is why it is so wrong. That headline purpetuates that racist error.

[AtheistCrusader]

29. I don't know how else they can emphasize to ingnorant readers that the victims here are Americans.

Certainly not in so few words.


Edit: Hmm. KCR's post 19 has actually maybe changed my opinion on this. I was reading a little more charitable intent into the headline than maybe it is.

[iluvtennis]

37. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Agree

[Pacifist Patriot]

10. I'm with you.

I didn't read it as an implication that Puerto Ricans weren't Americans. It is a story about Americans stranded there. Okay, they could have said "tourist" or "traveler" or what have you, but the story is specifically about American tourists and travelers. I think it's unfair to assume the WaPo editor doesn't grasp that Puerto Ricans are also Americans from this headline.

[yardwork]

17. It doesn't make any sense that way.

Would WaPo have written the same headline about somebody from Kansas trying to get home from Houston? Did they write this about people from New Jersey trying to get out of Florida?

[Pacifist Patriot]

21. Fair point

[SunSeeker]

26. Exactly. nt

[kcr]

19. Does anyone ever talk about Americans stranded in Texas or Florida after a hurricane?

No. That's the same reason it shouldn't be worded that way for PR and it most certainly does imply Puerto Ricans aren't Americans. It's to set them apart and distinguish them as Americans, with the implication being the opposite for anyone from there.

[Pacifist Patriot]

22. I get it, but it could easily have been used to distinguish from...

German or Italian tourists trying to get out of Puerto Rico since the article didn't mention any foreign stranded tourists. I'm willing to stand corrected though I just don't see WaPo editors not realizing Puerto Ricans are Americans too. But I could very well be wrong.

[politicaljunkie41910]

23. Likewise, I'm not outraged over this. I think anyone near a TV the past couple of weeks knows that.

In the age of Trump, you won't hear me uttering a disparaging word against the WP. With all the BS they've had to put up with from the current occupier of the Oval Office, I'm not going to give them any grief. I just want them to keep investigating this regime and keep reporting on what they are up to. Hillary didn't receive a break and neither should this fake administration. If this hurricane had happened on President Obama's watch, the GOP and their ilk would have been reminding us of that administration's shortfall everyday. So when the GOP nominates and elects an ignorant and incompetent fool to the hardest job in the nation, than the public needs to be reminded of the error of their ways every day he's in office, lest we repeat ourselves, the next time an ignorant and incompetent fool decides he wants a shot at the job, because he's bored.

[Tanuki]

31. If that same Idahoan were stranded in Florida, the headline would never

identify him as a "stranded American."

[dalton99a]

33. Precisely.

Stupid headline

[SunSeeker]

5. OMG

[MineralMan]

6. The Answer: There was this hurricane, see?

You might have noticed it while you were there. It did lots and lots of damage, and the full flight schedule at San Juan airport has not resumed. Like you, many Americans, including people who live in Puerto Rico, are trying to leave, due to the hurricane damage. More people want to leave than there are seats available on the limited flights.

I realize that it is frustrating for you. It is equally, if not more, frustrating for people with serious medical issues who need proper care, and others who need to leave on an emergency basis. I know it's hot and humid. Puerto Rico is like that during this time of year. Sadly, the hurricane knocked out all electrical power for most of the island, making air conditioning equipment unable to operate.

I see that you are at the airport, which is a good thing. I'm sure you'll be able to get on a flight relatively soon, since you have that advantage over many Puerto Ricans, who cannot get to the airport. Soon, you'll be on your way home to Idaho, with stories to tell for years to come. I hope you get to leave soon. Sadly, many people who live in Puerto Rico do not have the means to buy a ticket off the island they call home. I hope relief comes to them in time to prevent illness and loss of life.

Good luck!

[SHRED]

9. Their online it's a different title

[KY_EnviroGuy]

11. I could care less....

...about what story they have on page A11. What disgusts me is not having photos and stories about starving, sick and thirsty Puerto Ricans on the front page, in big type every day until this emergency is over. Same thing applies to those suffering in Texas and Florida, and wildfire victims in the West.

Our collective morals must totally be in the shitter when a major paper gives top priority to every fart tRump lets, an Alabama GOP primary election, a returning GOP representative, and Hugh Hefner.

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. Bad copyeditor -- they usually write headlines.

[IronLionZion]

13. To remind us whose lives matter

and that citizenship doesn't mean a thing to some people

[kydo]

14. I bet if you tell these tourist from the mainland that they should contact the US embassy

Like fools they really try to do that.

[cwydro]

20. True story.

When I lived I Key West and was working in the tourist industry, on more than one occasion tourists would ask me if they'd have to declare their purchases to customs when they returned, or if it was legal for them to take Key West cigars back with them.

I'd always try to be kind.

[HopeAgain]

28. I grew up in New Mexico

Back when you would do catalog orders by phone. People would often say things to New Mexicans like "we don't ship out of the country."

[cwydro]

35. Lol!

It's quite amazing, isn't it?

[uponit7771]

15. Part of the reason Captain Fuck Up is ignoring the area !!!

[ehrnst]

18. My thought on seeing this this a.m.

is that it was a big finger to the GOP and DT that they are not talking about the people of PR as Americans.

[maxsolomon]

24. "Stranded Mainlander"

I guess the hard part was:

Mainlander = 10 letters
American = 8 letters

I'm available for consults, WaPo.

[SunSeeker]

27. "Tourist" is only 7 letters, which is the word they should have used. nt.

[maxsolomon]

36. Ooh, you win.

its almost editorial that way, though...

[SergeStorms]

38. 'Why can't we get out of here"?

Pretty simple, actually. We have a supposed "president" who doesn't give a shit about the people in Puerto Rico. He doesn't have enough wealthy campaign donors living in Puerto Rico. Their skin is brown, some of them don't speak "American" and they don't vote for American Presidents.

Trumps mind is focused like a laser on his tax cuts. Like Trump's mind could be "focused like a laser" on ANYTHING!

[LakeArenal]

39. I think the headline was to MOCK dump...

Remind him that even if he thinks Puerto Ricans are nasty and brown... His relief effort is failing the Americans he thinks are worthy as well as American citizens of PR. But it just rolls of dumps greasy back. Comforts him to think PR is second rate as people die....

But he and spike heels are traveling there on the way to the American Virgin Islands, so that should humble the folks to shut up about relief...

[7962]

40. Most really don't know that PR citizens are also US citizens.

The whole statehood/non-statehood thing throws them