Puerto Rico Wants Statehood
The Puerto Rico Herald reports that ‘[t]he possibility of Puerto Ricans overwhelmingly supporting Statehood has never been more of a reality than in today’s political environment. A November 2006 telephone poll of residents of the island showed when faced with the decision, 74% would choose Statehood over the 12% in favor of Independence.’
Additionally, the newspaper adds, ‘[w]ith 65% of respondents favorable to Luis Fortuño winning PNP’s gubernatorial race in 2008, “now” may very well be Puerto Rico’s best chance at moving towards true representation in Washington.’
One of the main reasons that Puerto Ricans want their Island to become an official state of the United States of America is that they believe it would help their economy tremendously. 43% of those asked believe that ‘a plebiscite vote for Statehood would provide more job opportunities, better living conditions and an overall better quality of life. The benefits of Statehood were also on the minds of 28% who said the economy was the biggest problem facing Puerto Rico today.’
Furthermore, 20% of respondents gave Puerto Rico’s public schools a failing grade. Most of them also want to federal government to step in, in order to improve the quality.
What is further interesting is that Puerto Ricans may be reasonably progressive when it comes to the economy, and federal involvement in schools, etc., but that they remain traditional socially and culturally. ‘Respondents were united on issues of religion, marriage, as well as an unquestionable concern for their children’s future with 76% of respondents citing prayer should be allowed in schools and 72% disagreeing with abortion.’
That’s highly interesting of course; it means that Republicans could make inroads, especially if the GOP abandons its ’small government’ rhetoric and agenda and, instead, adopts an ‘effective government’ agenda.
The significance of the poll is, though, that Puerto Ricans are no longer satisfied with the status quo. At this moment Puerto Rico is ‘a self-governing unincorporated territory of the’ US. Its inhabitants, however, now want full statehood.
Additionally, it seems that Puerto Ricans feel a strong bond with the United States; they do not longer wish to be independent. No, they now want to be a full and real member of the US. They want to participate in the country’s politics. They want to have a vote.
It’s always useful to actually read the raw results. For instance, the wording of the new report suggested that people had only been given a choice between statehood and independence. Which caught my attention since, when Puerto Ricans have voted on the subject in the past, they voted overwhelmingly for retaining the Confederation status that they currently have.
Sure enough, the details http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues2/2007/vol11n01/061130-PuertoRico-Herald.org-Public-Opinion-Survey-November-2006.pdf (Question 27, page 9) show that the actual results were
Statehood 50%
Status quo 38%
Independence 6%
Not quite what the report suggests.
Note also that this article (from November 2007) is of a poll taken in November 2006. Hardly breaking news.
As a non Puerto Rican resident of Puerto Rico with no opinion on the status issue, I find the statistics used by the author does not support the point he is making. Most Puerto Ricans are more concerned about their culture and trying to survive the aristocricy of the difunctional three party political system on the island. The current group of politicians as more interested in maintaining the status quo than any real change. The only thing forcing change is the fact that the status quo has caused a deterioration of the economy and will soon impact the amount of money available to the politicians for their pockets.
We were greatly surprised to read this article, "Puerto Rico Wants Statehood". It is based on a dubious poll by a little-known blog masqurading as an Internet newspaper called the "Puerto Rico Herald" (we haven’t taken a poll we but we bet 99% of Puerto Ricans have never heard of that "newspaper".
Puerto Ricans have always rejected becoming the 51st State. They voted in 1952, when voters chose the current Commonwealth relationship. The Commonwealth status option defeated the Statehood option again in a 1967 plebiscite and then in a 1993 plebiscite. The last such plebiscite was held in 1998 when the Statehood-party defined the status options and provided a derogatory definition of Commonwealth that the Commonwealth party rejected. Statehood was once again defeated.
Puerto Ricans in the US and on the Island -some 8 millions in total- do not want Puerto Rico to become the 51st State of the Union. Reliable plebiscites and referenda have shown that. A dubious poll by an unknown pro-Statehood blog masquerading as an Internet newspaper does not change that reality and should not be the basis for a serious article on this issue.
I am Puertorican, have lived on the island most of my life, and do not agree with the article. Furthermore, there is no Puerto Rico Herald on the island. Our concerns right now are focused on the economy because the dumb government is by the politicans, for their benefit and there are two classes, the politicians and their rich friends who finance their campaigns and the rest of us who suffer so that the former can have their big salaries, luxury cars, meals, cel phones, assistants and feasts all paid by the govt. The rest doesn’t matter much right now.
Check this out: http://www.puertorico-herald.org/
WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NOVEMBER 2008 ELECTIONS TO SEE WHAT PUERTO RICO WANTS.IF THE STATEHOOD PARTY WINS BY MAJORITY THEY WILL TRY TO GET HR 900 PASSED IF NOT THEN IT WILL BE THE TENNESEE PLAN. IF THE COMMONWEALTH WINS THEY WILL PROCLAIN INDEPENDANCE AND GET THE FEDERAL COURT OUT OF PUERTO RICO SO THEIR GOVERNER WILL NOT STAND TRAIL 19 CHARGES PENDING. THIS ELECTION WILL BE THE BIG ONE.SO GET READY. I FEEL THE PEOPLE WANT PUERTO RICO TO JOIN THE UNION AS THE 51 STATE.THEY SHOULD REOPEN ROOSVELTS ROADS NAVEL AIR STATIONS.AND BRING BACK SOUTH COMMAND BACK TO PUERTO RICO. FORMER US AIR FORCE MEMBER WHO LIVES IN MIAMI FL RADIO AMATUER KP4DDS
There is no newspaper called Puerto Rico Herald. This is a pro statehood front in the internet to mislead the international community.
Puerto Rico’s newspapers are:
El Nuevo Dia (www.endi.com)
Primera Hora (www.primerahora.com)
El Vocero (www.vocero.com)
Claridad (www.claridadpuertorico.com)
sincerely,
Rosa from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Estadidad Ahora!!!!!
Statehood Now!!!!!
Wao. It seems to me Puerto Rican are divided in regards to the status situation affecting the Island. Historically the plebisites conducted in PR in the past 4 decades have shown that PRicans do not want statehood. However, statehood sentiment has grown, and people are more educated. The reality is that PRican do not want independence! Let speak the truth, Puerto Rican will vote for statehood, if there is a plebisite conducted given the true choice of self determination (Independence or Statehood). The reality confronting the status quo are deplorable, corruption, unemployment, butget deficit, education, and we can add more to this list! It time for a real change and not talking about the enhance commonwealth, statehood or independece!
That is true. THERE IS NO PUERTO RICO HERALD NEWSPAPER. FINALLY, THIS MAKES TWO WHO SPOKE OUT. AGAIN, THERE IS NO PUERTO RICO HERALD NEWSPAPER. THE PERSON WHO CLAIMED THAT SHOULD BE TERMINATED FROM THE JOB ON THE SPOT. PRECISELY TO MISLEAD THE READERS WHO ARE NO AWARE OF THE GARBAGE THAT IS SPOKEN BY ALOT OF PEOPLE.
MUCHAS GRACIAS ROSA. TENEMOS AGALLAS.
WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OPPOSES YOUR RIGHT TO BE FREE!! Puerto Ricans, who desire to be free, must always know that the federal government, here in the States has no “subject matter jurisdiction” over the person, case or location and should be challenged to proof it. These are magic words to learn when in Court for desiring freedom on ANY CRIME or issue. You won’t be told this in court but: All jury members, judges, attorneys, and employees working in federal court, must reside in federal territory to legally be a federal juror or touch your case or they can be commercially sued, disbarred and financially ruined for violating your constitutional rights etc. Your god given right to be free is not wanted by the USA, it will oppose your desire for independence and freedom. The USA has been the biggest alien invaders the world has ever known. In order to win your freedom you must oppose them by knowing that their weakness lies in their violations to the Constitution and to the common law and common law remedies. The Federal Government owns Puerto Rico, because it is a slave colony—whether you like the idea or not. But the Federal Government takes orders from those who own and run this Country, but are not of this country. The International Bankers, who really own the USA, will let PR be free, only if enough real men of Boricua blood wish to be free. The answer to your freedom lies in your Constitutional rights — To win –You must always reserve your constitutional, commercial rights and know what they are. The majority of Americans have no idea that the USA has killed more Latinos, than Hitler Killed Jews, The USA has supported Traitors, Dictators, Gringitos, Butchers, Sociopaths, and Megalomaniacs who were supported and kept in power by these monsters, sucking up to the Anglo Alien Invaders. Latin America has had enough of this form of genocide of Latinos. That includes other African, Asian etc. countries that lost millions of innocent people from USA aggression. I want to vomit every time some ignorant fools says: “If you don’t like it here –go home”. If the Alien Invaders would get out of each and every Latin Country and stop interfering in our affairs—it would make sense to say such a stupid thing. But unless the (Fed) Snakes get out of Latin America-we have just as much right to be here!!! So, grin and put up with it—this was once our land. A Puerto Rican without a desire for independence and/or freedom from alien control has no soul of a man. The fact that the public does not know that we are NOT free, makes no difference, to the desire to be free. The PR that wants Statehood is a Gringito, who has no soul of a man left in his traitor’s heart. Freedom is happening all over the world and yet we allow Gringitos to kill our right to be free. A Gringito is a non-Anglo thing/person who internally is so inferior, that he desires to be what he can not be—thus Gringito means little gringo. The Gringito is like an Uncle Tom to blacks or a collaborator and traitor to many others. We allow the Alien Invaders to kill, harm, abuse, rape, and scam us and yet the Gringito wants to give our Country away. This abuse must end. No man or woman is a real Man or real woman who is too scared to fight for their souls and be free. If you listen to the Gringito, you will lose your soul. Thru out eternity Humanity owes its freedom from slavery, ONLY to brave souls who fought for your right to be free. The fight will NOT succeed if you don’t fight the Gringito enemy at home first. He is there next door and claims he is a real man and tries to give you many excuses of why PR can’t be a free Country. To give away your Country is not a right of aliens or foreigners with NO Puerto Rican Blood. The right to vote on THIS ISSUE should Not be given to NON-Puerto Ricans. The fight for the independence of Puerto Rico is now non-violent and will be won in the hearts of real men around the World. The Ronbothunter, A proud freedom loving Puerto Rican. All Rights Reserved