Alaska Ping
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.
Thanks, padre.
PR deserves NOTHING
Get your FINANCIAL HOUSE IN ORDER
That is a useful thought.
I speak the simple truth. They are family, and we don’t discard family. We have deep, deep ties of blood and sacrifice.
And we don’t need more Spanish speaking grifters that will purposely speak Spanish even when they know English to hide their conversations when an American is present if they are speaking to another Spanish speaking Rican or Mexican.
Puerto Rico has worst money problems than Illinois thanks to the Democrats that have run it into the ground. The only reason they want statehood now is because they’ve run out of money.
If Alaskans want them to join, then let them pay their bills first.
No Puerto Rico star. It would mess up the star layout on the flag!
With Alaska we got oil and beautiful terrain.
With PR, what do we get except a bankrupt welfare state and a bunch of whiny freeloaders?
No comparison.
PR already has it’s star. Cut em loose, or give them back to Spain.
“DC should not be a state, but there is no question that DC residents should be able to vote for president. “
The District of Columbia was originally created from 100 square miles donated by the states of Virginia and Maryland. In 1846 the 31 square miles donated by Virginia was returned to Virginia by the federal government.
The solution for DC is to return the 69 square miles donated by Maryland to Maryland with the exception of the federal buildings, parkland, and museums located along and near the mall. This would include the White House, executive office building, Capitol, Supreme Court building, archives, Smithsonian, executive office building of the President, Washington Monument, and several other memorials. The residents of the District of Columbia, with the exception of those residing in the White House (president and family), would become citizens of Maryland and vote in Maryland elections. The President and his family residing in the White House would vote in their home state(s).
As to Puerto Rico, it is bankrupt. Politics aside, there are no advantages to the people in other states to bring Puerto Rico into the union. The advantages lie with the citizens of Puerto Rico who will plead with Congress to bail out their state and continue to subsidize their fiscal irresponsibility. That alone is reason enough for Congress to reject statehood for Puerto Rico.
Alaska Ping
"...admit Puerto Rico as a state..."
I know very little about PR. Wha I know I gleamed from West Side Story! Just haven’t followed it. But does it have any potential? If they could curb the rampant crime, could it become a desirable vacation destination? Cut out Mexico?
Get lost, socialist welfare state of PR!
Fifty one stars would make our flag look really goofy. No thanks!
How would 51 stars on our flag be apportioned ?
DC residents vote for president; the District of Columbia has electors in the electoral college.
Three rows of nine and three rows of eight.
> there is no question that DC residents should be able to vote for president <
Yep. And have proper Congressional representation as well. No taxation without representation, and all that.
The problem is that DC is too darn big. There should be a small federal district - federal offices, monuments, etc. - but no residential buildings. Give most of DC to Maryland. (Sorry, Maryland FReepers.)
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