> Here's some pretty disgusting news:
> U.S. Is Ending Haven for Those Fleeing a Volcano
It's not "disgusting" at all - You don't know what you're talking about.
Here's why:
1) Montserrat is a British colony, and the Brits are the ones obligated to
take the Montserratians in if their island were to become uninhabitable. The
US had no obligation to keep the Montserratians here when Montserrat is able
to take them back. They had to leave the US eventually, and it's time.
2) Montserrat is bouncing back. I was there last October and saw how much
progress has been made: there's a lot of new buildings and houses going up,
they have a new quay for freighters, and are planning a new airstrip to
replace the old one partially buried under a volcanic ashflow.
Of the 15,000 inhabitants, all but about 4-5,000 left when Plymouth became
uninhabitable. About 2/3, the south portion, is devastated by the volcano -
as it also was about 500 years ago. Although some of that land can be
visited during the day, it will be some time before permanent settlement
will again take place. Farming will be possible there sooner.
However, according to geologists, the north side hasn't been the scene of
volcabic activity for a couple million years. In other words, it's stable
and safe enough to live there. This is where the new development is being
concentrated.
The Montserratians need to decide whether they are going to go to Britain or
back to Montserrat, or to the surrounding islands that have absorbed them.
It was a short-term humanitarian act of charity - not an offer of permanent
resident status that put them ahead of other applicants - that brought the
Montserratians to the US.
They were temporary guests, and now it's time for them to move on.
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