Unless you live on Vieques, an island off Puerto Rico's eastern coast. Since last fall, not just the bombing ranges, but many of the Vieques beaches have been designated off-limits by the U. S. Navy, who claims to own them. It claims it bought the land fair and square, overlooking the small fact that the residents who had lived there for generations were given no more than a few hours notice before their homes were bulldozed, and they themselves were shipped off to St. Croix and other Caribbean islands. The closing of the beaches has been a disaster for the Viequenses. Family gatherings and reunions, children's birthday parties, wedding celebrations, Christmas dinners, even courting rituals are centered on them.
Families return to the same spots year after year.
It's like their home. The beaches also provide a degree of economic security for Viequenses. Elderly couples fish, both to feed themselves and to swap for a few extra dollars. Some families gather coconuts to sell in the markets, or from the side of the road. An old man might clean shells to sell to crafts shops.