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.
Excellent idea!
+1
We obtained it via a war pushed by a crooked press.
Spain can have it back with our apologies.
Except Alaska didn’t shoot it’s wad and was bankrupt. You lived it up and now broke and want to be “saved”. FUPR...go back to Spain! They’ll take ya.
ABSOLUTELY NOT. The place is PACKED with DEMOCRAT VOTERS!!!
“PR offers nothing of value to the USA.”
Really. The ones I know are rabid Democrats. Takers. And the last thing we need is a huge infusion of MORE non-English-speaking people. NFW.
51 star layout could be fixed by adding the state of Jefferson, freeing the conservatives trapped in Governor Moonbeams LSD trip. And transferring a few Electoral votes from Democrats vote buying schemes to solid conservative values.
The Puerto Ricans deserve the right to self. Determination. We should aet them free to be their own nation.
I would be all for this if there was a provision made that Puerto Rico must support itself for the first 50 years. No wealth transfer to continue the liberal welfare state dream.
I think that would make the flag top-heavy...
Let’s trade them to Mexico for Baja.
Puerto Rico...swimming in debt.
Why golly gee, I dunno why we wouldn't bring them in.
PR can be given its independence.
They have been a net minus for the USA for a century plus.
Sounds good to me. The sooner the better......
The median IQ of Puerto Rico is 84. Need I say more?
Even if the P.R. legislature accepts that non-binding vote, and goes ahead with their own vote in favor of statehood, we should treat them like someone that recently filed bankruptcy...
- -First they have to dig themselves out of their own financial mess
- -Then they have to sucessfully balance their budget for SEVEN YEARS before our congress votes on their admittance
- -If ILLinois goes bankrupt, they should be sent back to being a territory, like Puerto Rico, with the same remedy applied to them
Agree. We don’t need another bankrupt failed state infested with Rat parasites.
Your post makes perfect sense to me...
California may become a territory soon as well...
I was just pondering what life would be like in one of these “new territories”. Would they become an ungoverned wasteland or federal province? What incentives would be put in place to return them to statehood and solvency?
>> Why shouldn’t citizens living in US territory be allowed to vote in federal elections? That would include Guam, and why not other far flung territories that are absolutely part of the US, but far too small to be considered for the normal representation in congress and the senate <<
Easy solution:
Make Guam, the Mariannas and American Samoa into counties of Hawaii.
>> if people would just read before offering a visceral reaction <<
Welcome to FR. Reading the articles is frowned upon.
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