Navy Sets To Close Puerto Rico Base

NY Times via Early Bird ^ | 1-5-03

[Rubber_Duckie_27]

I have heard that spanish is the official language and that the schools are not requiring students learn english.

I work with a woman from Puerto Rico. She is very sweet and well-educated, but good luck comprehending her English. She speaks it fluently, but has such a thick accent that it's very hard to understand. Technical meetings are difficult and people become quite frustrated. Welcome to "diversity," folks.

Martes said she fears the U.S. government has decided ``if they don't want us, then we don't need them.''

Darn straight. You don't get out of paying income taxes while getting billions in aid for NOTHING, honey. Frankly, I can see little benefit for our country in maintaining the commonwealth once the Navy is out.

[theDentist]

"...and attract tourists to its beaches."

"Of course you can use Vieques Beach. Just mind you don't push the umbrella poles in too deep. Oh, and don't forget to sign a waiver!"

[DustyMoment]

The "small" independence movement in PR has managed to keep the vote on whether to remain a colony or pursue statehood at the 50% level for the past couple of decades.

I agree with the majority - cut'em loose. Of course, the downside is that they will become either a bastion of liberalism or a dictatorship within a few years.

Several of my PR friends have told me that they left PR because of the high crime rate and unemployment rate. Sounds like chasing the Navy out will do wonders to improve those numbers (sarcasm off).

[TankerKC]

The Army still has Fort Buchanan near San Juan, and officials say more than 1,000 troops from Puerto Rico are in the Middle East.

But US Army South left and moved to San Antonion.

[wildbill]

Re: time to grant PR independence.

I believe Congress has all but begged them to go. They have authorized at least two votes in the last fifty years for the citizens to decide on either: statehood, territorial status quo or independence.

Every time the PR citizens voted for status quo.

[reagan_fanatic]

This is the biggest pull-out since Tommy Lee jumped off of Pamela Anderson :)

[DA_OBSERVER]

Hello Rebelbanker: In regard to your comments about the Puertoricans in Orlando making a political statement...you are right, we will make our statements and over here; we will be listened to.
Your comments about Puertoricans smacks me as being myopic and condescending. Most Puertoricans are comfortable speaking , reading and writing in both languages ie: English and Spanish. Golly be, some of us even speaky three languages and I'm not referring to "spanglish" , Comprendez vous? We have been paying taxes and leading productive lives just as anyone else. Mainland Puertoricans even have the right to vote, something that is denied 4 million of our brethren on the island. It is unbelievable to me , a mainland born federal tax paying Puertorican veteran, how the right to vote can be denied to me just by the simple fact of moving to an island,900 miles more or less from the mainland and still pay federal taxes (had a federal job), that my friend strikes me as taxation without representation, (which was on of the complaints that the rebels in this country had when they rebelled against king George). A resident of any other state retains the right to vote anywhere else in the world, that my friend strikes me as colonialism. I assume you would like to deny mainland Puertoricans the right to vote and exercise the benefits of living in this country.
By the way, there are books and materials in many languages in the Orlando Public Library System, so why would Puertoricans not demand equal treatment?
Rebelbanker, it seems to me that the rebel South and it's attitudes live on, in you and people just like you.
Sorry, but you are going to have to live with us, just as some of us will have to learn to adjust to life on the mainlined, learning to speak , read and write English so as to be fuctional in this society. Thank you and peace be to you.