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Santorum To Puerto Rico: Speak English If You Want To Become A State
Business Insider ^ | 03/14/2012 | Ricky Naik

Posted on 03/14/2012 1:47:45 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

The Puerto Rico primary is on Sunday and Rick Santorum made a quick campaign stop to the island.

While there, he told Puerto Ricans that if they want to pursue statehood, they should make English their primary language, Reuters reports.

Nevermind the fact that both English and Spanish are already the official languages of the territory. In an interview with El Vocero newspaper, Santorum said he does not support a state where English is not the primary language.

"Like any other state, there has to be compliance with this and any other federal law," Santorum said. "And that is that English has to be the principal language. There are other states with more than one language such as Hawaii but to be a state of the United States, English has to be the principal language."

The only problem with Romney's plan is that no part in the U.S. constitution stipulates that English must be the primary language of a territory before it becomes a state.

The U.S. Census Bureau did report in 2010 that 80 percent of Puerto Ricans self-reported that thee speak English less than "very well."

Twenty delegates are up for grabs in Puerto Rico.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: english; puertorico; santorum; spanish
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Well, at least Santorum isn't afraid to speak his mind. But I'm afraid this statement ensures his defeat in Puerto Rico.
1 posted on 03/14/2012 1:47:52 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

On second thought, what’s still keeping Puerto Rico from declaring independence?

The Philippines did that decades ago.


2 posted on 03/14/2012 1:50:01 PM PDT by SeekAndFind (question)
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To: SeekAndFind

I doubt it matters. Puerto Rico doesn’t want to become a state.

Romney seems to be pickup up all the territories. Makes me wonder if they are out of the loop and voting for hair.


3 posted on 03/14/2012 1:51:52 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: SeekAndFind; rrstar96; AuH2ORepublican; livius; adorno; wtc911; Willie Green; CGVet58; Clemenza; ...
Yep. I'm sure he's being taken out of context but if this pans out, he just handed Romney another 23 delegates.

Puerto Rico Ping! Please Freepmail me if you want on or off the list.


4 posted on 03/14/2012 1:52:45 PM PDT by cll (I am the warrant and the sanction)
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To: SeekAndFind

Although American citizens, those living on Puerto Rico can’t vote in the Presidential election, they have no Congressional representation, nor Electoral College vote.

He’s there fishing for delegates to the RNC convention...they have 23 of those.


5 posted on 03/14/2012 1:52:45 PM PDT by dawn53
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To: SeekAndFind
Nevermind the fact that both English and Spanish are already the official languages of the territory. In an interview with El Vocero newspaper, Santorum said he does not support a state where English is not the primary language.

When California was admitted to the Union in 1850, there were more Spanish speakers than English speakers in the State, and the State's first Constitution was adopted in both English and Spanish versions.

6 posted on 03/14/2012 1:53:22 PM PDT by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: SeekAndFind

Wow. Not only does this article have typos (’thee” for “they,” for instance), but it mistakenly says “Romney’s plan” when it’s referring to Santorum. Do they not have an editor?


7 posted on 03/14/2012 1:54:00 PM PDT by JDW11235 (http://www.thirty-thousand.org/)
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To: SeekAndFind

Puerto Rico will never vote for either statehood or Independence. They don’t want to give up their Spanish culture and identity (separate Olympics teams, for instance)for statehood, but they don’t want to lose all that American cash either. They’re content to sit in the middle, playacting the independent country while letting America pay the bills.


8 posted on 03/14/2012 1:54:42 PM PDT by DesScorp
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To: SeekAndFind

Why did I burst out laughing when I read the headline?

Rick is getting good at making noise. The more noise he makes for better results in the primary race!


9 posted on 03/14/2012 1:55:35 PM PDT by nagdt ("None of my EX's live in Texas")
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To: cll

Well, maybe Newt Gingrich can win them — PR is in the south, right?


10 posted on 03/14/2012 1:55:51 PM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: DannyTN; SeekAndFind

I know that Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory. Though its people are nominally U.S.citizens, they’re not natural born citizens. They cannot vote in national elections except when residing on the mainland.

They have a territorial setup that is sweet: they receive benefits, such as welfare and social security, but U.S. businesses located there either do not pay taxes or receive tax breaks. All this would disappear if they became a state.


11 posted on 03/14/2012 1:57:19 PM PDT by SatinDoll (No Foreign Nationals as our President!)
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To: JDW11235
Do they not have an editor?

Yes, but he doesn't speak English.

12 posted on 03/14/2012 1:57:25 PM PDT by TigersEye (Life is about choices. Your choices. Make good ones.)
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To: SeekAndFind
"Santorum To Puerto Rico: Speak English If You Want To Become A State"

I haven't heard a more stupid thing said by a candidate since Ross Perot addressed an audience at the NAACP as "You People".
13 posted on 03/14/2012 1:57:30 PM PDT by FrankR
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To: CharlesWayneCT

As south east United States as you can get. Way over here in the Caribbean.


14 posted on 03/14/2012 1:57:38 PM PDT by cll (I am the warrant and the sanction)
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To: DannyTN

Romney seems to be pickup up all the territories. Makes me wonder if they are out of the loop and voting for hair.
*********************************************************
The territories (and Hawaii) are all RAT/Commie strongholds ,, of course the most liberal republican will get the votes there.


15 posted on 03/14/2012 1:57:38 PM PDT by Neidermeyer
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To: SeekAndFind
On second thought, what’s still keeping Puerto Rico from declaring independence? The Philippines did that decades ago.

Virtually no one in Puerto Rico wants independence. Whenever the issue is put up for a vote, the split is usually about 46% for the status quo, 44% for statehood and 10% or less for independence.

Incidentally, of the two major political parties in Puerto Rico, the one affiliated with the (mainland) Democrats is the pro-status quo party and the one affiliated with the (mainland) Republicans is the pro-statehood party.

16 posted on 03/14/2012 1:58:10 PM PDT by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: TigersEye

I LOL’d.


17 posted on 03/14/2012 1:58:30 PM PDT by JDW11235 (http://www.thirty-thousand.org/)
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To: SeekAndFind

Money! It’s a welfare gimme state.


18 posted on 03/14/2012 1:58:58 PM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (Santorum in the primary, Anyone But Obama in November !!!)
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To: SatinDoll

Excuse me but we are natural born citizens and do pay taxes.


19 posted on 03/14/2012 1:59:38 PM PDT by cll (I am the warrant and the sanction)
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To: nagdt

(Rick is getting good at making noise. The more noise he makes for better results in the primary race!)

Sorry, but I’m not impressed with that type of noise. At a time when Obama’s greatest vulnerabilities are the economy, his leftist hyper-partisanship, and his disregard for the Constitution, Rick helps him by talking about something that is not even on the radar screen of the electorate. WTF?


20 posted on 03/14/2012 2:00:04 PM PDT by winner3000 (ss)
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