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Maybe because Puerto Rico is not a separate country looking for a hand-out. It's property the U.S. took ownership of after the Spanish American War, and therefore its well-being is as much a responsibility of the U.S. as is any of the 50 states. Now personally I couldn't care less if they keep a base open or closed, and after all the protests over Vieques I say this should've been expected.

But please don't paint all of us Puerto Ricans with the same brush, especially since so many Puerto Ricans are conservative Republicans like myself. Puerto Ricans have voted on the issue of independence time and again, and the status quo has always won out. So please don't assume that because some Puerto Ricans are complaining about one issue that all Puerto Ricans want to be separated from the U.S. There are just as many people demanding statehood as demanding independence.

And yes, many Puerto Ricans have died fighting for the U.S. (including one of my great-uncles who was killed in Germany in WWII) and their families are quite proud to say so. In fact, nearly every male relative I have has served in the military. Those other nationalities you mentioned put on our uniform because they LEFT their countries. Puerto Ricans fight because we're part of this country and proud. We're not immigrants, we're citizens. Therefore, money given to PR is NOT foreign aid "hand-outs" going to another country! It's money given to Americans.

But please don't paint all of us Puerto Ricans with the same brush, especially since so many Puerto Ricans are conservative Republicans like myself.

True. The problem is the island is split into nearly identical size factions, and the left wing is really very radical--Castro radical. Puerto Ricans who consider themselves Americans are plentiful, but they get no airplay.

Branding all Puerto Ricans as leftists is like characterizing all Americans on the basis of what happens between San Francisco and Seatlle, or East of the Hudson River. Although you must admit the lefties are a far larger proportion of the population than in the continental US.

How do you propose increasing the visibility of pro US Puerto Ricans?

I worked on Roosevelt Roads for 3 years and just left recently. The departure of the Navy will have a very negative effect on the economy of Ceiba and Fajardo (closeby towns) along with the rest of the island to a certain extent. This saddens me as I made quite a few friends while living there and cruising the island. However, there is some good that might come out of this IMO. One must remember that the present (liberal) governer, Sila Calderon was very vocal about "no mas bombas on Vieques". Therefore, I believe that in the next PR elections we will see Sila and her gang ousted and replaced by folks that are much more conservative. This, I believe will be a step in the right direction to solving many of the problems inherent to the island present day.
To the Puerto Ricans that might read this, make sure you remember all the politicians, actors, activists and other knuckleheads that were responsible for the civil unrest that led to the closing of Vieques. Vote accordingly.

Sure wish I was in Guavate chowing on some lechon this afternoon.....
no' vemo',
Sako

The United States doesn't own Puerto Rico. The United States Taxpayers own the property our bases are on, but Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory that could unilaterally declare its independence or be given its independence unilaterally by the U.S. Congress at any time.

Puerto Rico is way closer to being an independent country than it is to being a state.

I believe that the $18.8 billion plus in U.S. Taxpayer's hand-outs to the ingrates in Puerto rico should be stopped immediately.

hand-out: 1. CHARITABLE GIFT something such as money or food given as charity to somebody in need.

Encarta World English Dictionary 1999

Puerto Rico has never given the USA anything of equal value in return for all the $100's of billions in charitable hand-outs we've lavished on the residents of the island.

Never more than 46.49% of the residents of Puerto Rico have ever voted for statehood even when as many as 75% of them were collecting Food Stamps and they accounted for 10% of all of the Food Stamps dispenced by the U.S. Taxpayers.

Here's a brief History of all of the murder and mayhem committed by Puerto Rican Terrorists since 1936.

Puerto Rico National History

Here's some of the low-lites:

1950 - Puerto Rican terrorists tried to assassinate former President Harry S. Truman in Washington.

1954 - PR terrorists opened fire in the U.S. House of Representatives wounding 5 Congressmen.

1975 - PR terrorists killed 4 and wounded 50 with a bomb in a restaurant in NYC.

1981 - PR terrorists blew up 11 jet fighters belonging to the Puerto Rico National Guard near San Juan.

1981 - PR terrorists killed one man with a bomb in the Kennedy Airport.

? - PR terrorists machine gun a group of American servicemen standing at a bus stop killing one.

2001 - 4 PR terrorists hurl Molotov Cocktails at a Naval convoy on Vieques.

Over the years, Puerto Rican terrorists have planted over 130 bombs across the United States.

Who in their right mind would be for making a state out of an island like that?

I am puertorrican too and agree with you in all you say except one thing. You said:
"There are just as many people demanding statehood as demanding independence."

Truth is there are (and always have been) more puertorricans that want the statehood than those tha ask for independence. The sector for independence HAVE NEVER BEEN a majority . Election after election, they have been in the minority. When special elections have been call to settled the matter, time after time tha majority of puertorricans have voted to remain part of the USA. My father served in the army all his life from 18 years to retirement. We are as americans as any native of the states because there is no such thing as puertorrican citizenship. We are born americans citizens.

Right now, here in the states from coast to coast, we are having the hippies peaceniks on the streets with their nonsense all around, that does not make every american a peacenik Does it? Well this is the same thing. There are morons everywhere.