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.
Not actually a bad idea.
Hear! Hear!
What’s in it for us? I see no need for change.
“Down with American Imperialism!”
“Let Puerto Rico be FREE!”
“You are now a Free and Independent NATION!”
“Become a UN Member!” (like all the other former “victims of Imperialism”)
“Fly, little bird, fly!”
Its a beautiful place. San Juan is set right on the ocean much as is San Francisco, but tropical. Having lived in South America I saw it with those eyes; similar culture but with US retail chains, US federal laws and institutions, and no one envies you your blue passport because they are as much a citizen as you are. Everything familiar and foreign at the same time. I liked it.
And, as I say, the island is gorgeous. I actually think the island should seek to leverage its autonomy. Being US, and yet not, has been for them in some ways the worst of both worlds but I think some smart people could flip that and make it the best of both worlds.
In the 1950s, Comrade Harry Bridges, Stalinist boss of the International Longshoremens' and Warehousemen's Union, was called the "uncrowned king of Hawaii" because his union had considerable influence in the territory. It was primarily for that reason that several Republicans and conservative Democrats in Congress opposed statehood for Hawaii.
“Why shouldn’t citizens living in US territory be allowed to vote in federal elections?”
Because the only “federal election” is the voting in the Electoral College, and those electors are selected by a state election. There are no “federal elections” by the general citizenry in this country.
Puerto Rico should have a star.
It should be on THE NATIONAL WALK OF SHAME.
“This is what happens when greedy SOBs vote themselves money out of the public treasuries.”
No. And we shouldn’t send them another dime.
Not this Alaskan. I see no reason to admit a bankrupt Latin American socialist banana republic to the union, other than to tip the balance of congress to the left.
DC is awarded 3 electoral votes without being a state for other purposes. I don’t see why, say, Guam and the Pacific Islands couldn’t be lumped together and allowed to vote, and similarly Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, without becoming a state for other purposes. Maybe PR and VI could be lumped together for the purposes of the electoral college if it helps to make the math work out.
Just what we need: Two more Dim Senators/Social Justice warriors and another bailout.
And this from normally conservative Alaska.
Oh, let’s just cut PR lose.
End all political affiliation. Let them write their own laws and allow complete sovereignty.
PR should be an independent nation, NOT a US state.
United states cannot take care of what we have now.
I propose that we give the city of Portland,Oregon and the state of California to Puerto Rico.
You can bet if it was filled with conservatives there would be a different opinion!!!
I like your idea better than my idea. It’s unique, it sends a very strong message and the dems will hate it. Perfect!
DC was granted electoral presence via the 23rd Amendment. It would take another Constitutional amendment to grant territories electoral college votes.
-PJ
So then, sounds like you think PR, American Samoa and DC and all the rest should be states. I don’t know the history of how territory status evolved, but sounds to me like your saying that status just shouldn’t exist.
If they are subject to federal law, then they should be able to vote in federal elections. Like DC.
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