Posted on 01/28/2005 7:32:32 AM PST by cll
Dear President Bush:
If as you stated in your inaugural address, “the policy of the United Sates is to seek and support the growth of the democratic movements and institutions in each nation and culture”, it should be more so in each state and territory under the American flag.
But, how can you be joyous that the Congress and the Executive are committed to the expansion of democratic participation of the American citizens that happen to be Puerto Rican by origin or ethnicity [in the mainland], while at the same time half of us, four million that live on the islands, are denied full participation in the political processes of the nation? And at the same time, how can you tolerate that because of judicial decisions we are denied the full enjoyment of the civil rights, the economic opportunities, and the protection by [and from] the national government that you promised to all Americans in your address?
Can’t you see the inconsistency between your address and the reality of the standing public policy towards Puerto Rico? The United States cannot, Mr. President, claim democracy for other nations while it is denied to the residents of the islands.
You said it yourself in your address, “the rights in all nations have to be more than mere concessions from the government, they have to be assured by the consent of the governed”. We hope that your redeeming idealism will apply to us as much as to the foreigners.
Mr. President, just as your inaugural statements were determined not by mere words but because of the experience with terrorism that we all suffered together, in that same manner the content of your policy towards Puerto Rico cannot be determined by words or ideas of the past, such as the “non-incorporated territory” doctrine, but by the experiences of Puerto Ricans with the rest of the Americans, experiences of sacrifices, of toil, and of glory for our nation.
In this case, the experience we have with the rest of the nation is the exclusion from participation suffered by other racial and ethnic groups, a stain that many times has been the reality in America, and against which we have had to fight so many times, by way of the law or by way of the blood, to conjure the exclusion and achieve inclusion, equality and participation.
You said in your address “the relations [of other countries] with Washington will depend on how they treat their own citizens”. Washington’s relations with itself will equally depend on how it treats its own citizens. Notice that in your address you left no space whatsoever for other governments to choose regions of their countries where they can permit participation and democracy, and others in which they can act as tyrants. How can then the federal government discriminate against four million American citizens just because they reside in the islands in which they were born and received their citizenship, a territory under the flag and the laws of America for over one hundred years?
Mr. President, you said: “In the long term, there cannot be justice without liberty and there cannot be human rights without human liberty”. To that we add, and there cannot be liberty nor justice without equal participation under the Constitution and the law. If you believe in your address, Mr. President, you have to support, as your father before you, statehood for Puerto Rico. Just as you have succeeded in completing the legacy started by your father, this is the moment for you to embrace the cause of statehood for Puerto Rico and take it to its happy conclusion.
The proof of the pie is in the eating and words are hollow if they don’t deliver results. For four million American citizens the words of your address, Mr. President, will remain hollow if you don’t attend to and remedy our condition of political inferiority. We count on your loyalty to your words and the ideals that they consign.
Sincerely,
Signed: The American citizens of Puerto Rico, proud of our nation and its ideals.
Dear Prof. Garriga-Pico,
The citizens of Puerto Rico have repeatedly voted for the status quo (commonwealth status) over either statehood or independence. Your choice, not ours, so quit blaming us for your fellow islanders' refusal to vote the way you want.
Cordially,
A Fellow American
How about Philadelphia?
You mean make Puerto Ricans start paying federal income tax? I'm all for it!
Correction: The referenda on status held on the islands have been locally produced and are mere straw polls. They have always included the current imperfect condition, and many other odd alternatives that dilute a real conclusion. The status quo IS NOT supported by a majority of voters. It is supported by those who profit heavily from it. Puerto Rico falls under the territorial clause of the U.S. Constitution, and it is up to Congress and the Executive to provide us with constitutionally viable options: Statehood or Independence.
While we pay federal taxes, serve in the armed forces, and have all the obligations but not all the rights of other Americans, there will always be a deficit of democracy WITHIN our nation.
We already pay most federal taxes, without any representation in Congress other than a non-voting delegate (Luis Fortuño - Republican). If it takes paying federal income tax, so be it. But I am personally in favor of eliminating such tax for ALL Americans.
Funny, I never saw this posted when X-42 was in office. I guess it's only Republicans who are screwing Puerto Ricans out of their birthright.
Your idea is better!
How about Washington State under the rule of Gregoirevych?
502nd Infantry? An uncle of mine was KIA in Korea while serving with the 507th PIR or 505 I think it was.
Used to be. PIR--sounds like you have some Army time, also.
21 years. All over.
As per the Elections in Puerto Rico Web Site, the last plebiscate was held in 1998 and "none of the above" won with 50.3% of the vote. As I understand it, that option was for the status quo, as the "territorial" commonwealth option represented a significant change. My sources are:
http://eleccionespuertorico.org/cgi-bin/municipalities.cgi?municipio=pr&1998=on
and
http://eleccionespuertorico.org/1998/summary.html
My wife is from Puerto Rico but I have never been there (and I do not speak Spanish) so my knowledge of island politics is second hand at best. I have read that the various factions have constantly accused one another of trying to manipulate the plebiscate system and deliberately use confusing terminology to attempt to sway voters to their respective sides.
Hey, when you are finished there can you Americans do us Conservative Canadians a favour and try expanding some semblance of democracy up here in Stalinist Canada? It would be greatly appreciated, believe me!
Your assestment is pretty accurate, except that "none of the above" is literally a fifth column. Just one more obstruction. Again, all of those plesbicites were of local origin and not binding to Congress which has ABSOLUTE power over the territories (property) of the United States under the territorial clause of the Constitution. And that is a state of tyranny. Granted, it is a tyranny not in the stalinist way, of course, but even a policy of benign neglect is a tyranny after all.
Saludos to your wife. The temperature here is low 80's with clear skies. Wish you were here.
AC,
Hey, I got a couple of "refuges" from Stalinist Canada (Quebec City and Montreal) working with me. You're welcome to come on down, eh?
Actually, it is Democrats, along with their local clones, the pro-status quo party, who have long obstructed a conclusion to this issue by order of the same multinational pharmaceutical companies that screw you and me with their high drug prices, and others. Republicans from Teddy Roosevelt to George H.W. have supported statehood. It is in the party platform. I guess the point of the "letter" is that George W. is one of few men with enough courage to effect change and break this inertia.
OK how about this deal, you trade us British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon and the Northwest Territores and we will trade you California, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts and a Liberal New England state to be named later.
Eeek.
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