Posted on 06/21/2017 6:34:42 AM PDT by cll
It has been nearly 58 years since the last star was added to the U.S. flag when Hawaii joined the union in August 1959. In a referendum 10 days ago, Puerto Rico residents voted to become the next. The matter isn’t up to residents alone, of course — Congress and the president would have to sign off on the admission of a new state, and there are many political hurdles that stand in between America’s closest possession and statehood. But those obstacles existed for Alaska, too, and we had allies who helped us gain entry to the U.S.
As Puerto Rico seeks its star, it should have Alaska’s support.
It wasn’t so long ago, after all, that the Last Frontier was in the same boat. Many of the concerns raised by those skeptical of Puerto Rican statehood mirror those of Alaska opponents in the 1950s. It’s too far away, statehood opponents would argue, and the culture is too different from the rest of America. Others are concerned the territory won’t be able to earn its keep. “We were the 49th state and I heard the same arguments then,” Rep. Don Young said in a statement announcing his support for Puerto Rico’s statehood bid.
Rep. Young is right to call out the tired arguments trotted out by statehood opponents now, which are as hollow as they were when Alaska sought entry as a state in the 1950s. Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens for a century, but its 3.4 million people are unrepresented in Congress and cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections.
And without the privileges of greater self-governance granted by statehood, Puerto Rico’s status is similar to Alaska’s in territorial days — less able to substantially govern its affairs or enjoy the privileges of membership in the United States, a colony in a post-colonial age.
Given those facts, it’s surprising there isn’t greater clamor to support Puerto Rico’s bid for statehood. Puerto Rico’s debt situation is a concern (ironically, its seeds were sown in the same congressional act that made it a territory), but statehood could provide much-needed stability and help the island recover from a crippling decade-long recession.
The real reasons many oppose Puerto Rican statehood are political, as was case for Alaska. With Hispanic people in the U.S. voting overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates, many in the GOP fear Puerto Rico’s senators and representatives would tilt the balance of power in the House and Senate. That’s not only a craven reason to deny the territory’s people the right of self-determination, history has also shown it to be foolish. Alaska, for instance, was assumed to be a safe state for the Democratic Party and Hawaii was assumed to be Republican, as that was the makeup of their territorial governments. But relatively soon after each achieved statehood, both flipped their predominant party status, with Alaska becoming a GOP-friendly state and Hawaii becoming one of the safest strongholds in the country for the Democrats.
Kudos to Rep. Young for his support of Puerto Rico’s bid despite the less courageous and more partisan attitudes of some of his colleagues. The admission of a new state should be an opportunity to remove partisan blinders and celebrate a new partner in the American experiment.
Puerto Rican statehood would be a strong assertion of American greatness. It would also be an opportunity to show the world that what makes our country strong. In spite of — and because of — America’s great geographic and cultural diversity, its people find common ground in our shared values and the freedoms that have made the U.S. a shining light to the world for more than 200 years.
Alaska’s senators, as well as their colleagues and those of Rep. Young, should join him and support Puerto Rico’s admission as the 51st state.
There are more Puerto Rican names on the Vietnam Wall than from the state of Vermont, or of Montana, or of South Dakota, or of New Hampshire, etc.
It’s a fact.
Puerto Rico
http://virtualwall.org/istate/istatpr.htm
Vermont
http://virtualwall.org/istate/istatvt.htm
>>That you cannot speculate on what would island Puerto Rican voting trends would be in a new state based on mainland Hispanic voting trends.<<
Well since I didn’t make am argument based on voting trends your post is moot.
I am saying that PR offers the USA nothing. HI brought us lovely islands, AK brought us a wealth of resources. PR offers us a people who brought themselves into bankruptcy and will only make that worse. Their natural resources are paltry and we don’t need more people.
The US no longer needs to grow.
We don’t need PR in an way shape or form.
Dice adios.
Puert Rico is a beautiful island. I’ve been to both and I preferred PR. And once you get there, it isn’t thousands of miles from anywhere.
Also, geopolitically and strategically it is the lead, entry island to both Caribbean and Gulf. We would kick ourselves in the future if we let this go.
It is more than worth it. Could be an island paradise under good leadership.
We don’t need no stink’n sanctuary island
Are you being paid to lie or it's a hobby? Your claim is ridiculous. Puerto Rico is a welfare state and would vote majority Democrat. You're not fooling anyone here.
The Philippines took the freedom route and couldn't be happier. The American Indian reservations gave up their autonomy in exchange for food stamps, and couldn't be unhappier. Both California and Texas with large Hispanic populations would love to leave the USA. What's in it for Puerto Rico to suddenly want to give up their autonomy?
It would still be a democrat hell hole allowing two more senators for democrats.
so no way
The previous referendum Nov 6, 2012 asked whether to retain the Territorial Status Quo yes/no (54% No), then as a second question, listed alternative status options as a choice. <45% voted statehood, <35% chose free association, +5% voted independence, and >27% were left blank as a protest. More than 78% of the population participated.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/11/us/puerto-ricans-vote-on-the-question-of-statehood.html?_r=0
I would still say “NO!”
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