The political status of Puerto Rico as been a contentious issue on the islands for more than a century, but many on the mainland have been unaware of this issue, either as a political question or as a matter of human rights. Recent events, however, have brought attention to Puerto Rico, and students throughout the U.S. are taking notice.
A growing number of mainland university newspapers and journals have included student writings on the status of Puerto Rico. Here are some examples:
- A debate on Puerto Rico statehood in the Stanford Daily
- Willie Santana’s article, “Incorporating the Lonely Star: How Puerto Rico Became Incorporated and Earned a Place in the Sisterhood of States,”in the Tennesse Journal of Law and Policy
- “The Puerto Rico Paradox” by Luis A. Ferré Sadurní in the Penn Wharton Public Policy Initiative
- “Shooting for the Stars (and Stripes): How Decades of Failed Corporate Tax Policy Contributed to Puerto Rico’s Historic Vote in Favor of Statehood” by Andrew E. Gerow in the Tulane Law Review
- “Puerto Rico Statehood: Do You Believe in Democracy and Equality?” by Julio A. Cabral Corrada in Cornell Review
- Colin Crowley’s “Puerto Rico’s voters prefer statehood; admittance would change dynamics of Congress” in Syracuse University’s Daily Orange
Evidence of serious consideration of the status of Puerto Rico in such a range of locations suggests increased awareness of the importance of the issue not only for Puerto Rico, but also for the nation as a whole.
PR’s second rate non-voting status is Awkward for the other 50 states, and their Federal union.
Recall Boston’s Independence Cry of “No taxation without representation”.
For PR, our cry should be “No Government Domination without Voting Representation”.
If PR can not be the 51st State, then Liberate it. If PR can not make it without the US, I suspect there are many other nations interested in forming an alliance with PR.
PR’s major problem is Fear of Change.
Absolutely right. And the so called “popular” (they arent, see polls.) Democratic Party (PDP/PPD) exploits those fears.
It tells independence supporters that PR will sink under independence.
It lies and warns of “national property taxes and home seizures”. ” Loss of language under statehood. That’s funny because The USA HAS MORE SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE THAN ALL NATIONS EXCEPT MEXICO. I was born in NJ and still here in NJ. Mi español es igual o mejor que otros de estos falsos naciónalistas de hamaca y “sofa”.
The PPD seeks to perpetuate the colony for the benefit of the rich and wealthy corporations that lobby that party for tax breaks only possible unde territory status. They abuse the no taxation without representation condition of territory.
They offer an impossible hybrid status of grafted benefits of both statehood and nationhood called “enhanced/ improved/perfected “commonwealth” another new recent version seeks all this plus zero Congressional interference. PR would continue to be a “part of US as Commonwealth” for perpetual generational US citizenship, Full federal funding as the other 50 states, a full bailout of PR’s huge $80 billion debt under a new type of “Free Asssociation called “severeign Commonwealth”.
Its ridiculous.