|
 |
|
|
|
Este informe no está disponible en español. LETTERS TO THE EDITORWho Needs Puerto Rico? U.S. Should Say AdiosPuerto Rico Not Third RatePuerto Rico Is Simply Not A CountryMarch 24, 2001 Who Needs Puerto Rico? U.S. Should Say Adios It is time for the United States to re-evaluate spending $23 billion a year to keep Puerto Rico under our protection. Puerto Ricans are constantly berating the military, which they rely on to keep them free, and interfering with the bombing range on Vieques. This third-rate nothing of a place should realize that, without the military and the benefits of the Americans, it would be another Haiti or Cuba. Instead, these people blatantly condemn the U.S. Navy for its use of such a worthless piece of land as Vieques. Its bombing range is needed to hone the skills of warfare that provide the much needed protection for their little speck of an island. Let Puerto Rico go on its own. The United States should withdraw all federal aid and military facilities and renounce the island's commonwealth status . I can guess in about five years they will be begging to come back into the fold. Benton J. Rose ******* March 29, 2001 In response to "Who needs Puerto Rico? U.S. should say adios" (letter, March 24): I was fortunate enough to live in Puerto Rico. I found it to be a beautiful island rich in culture, history and tradition. The people of the island were hospitable and friendly. How it could be referred to as "a third-rate nothing of a place" escapes me. Many people call the island of Vieques home, not "a worthless piece of land." The time has come to re-evaluate bombing sites, not the commonwealth status of Puerto Rico. Nadine Yares ***** Puerto Rico Is Simply Not A Country March 1, 2001 As I read your article "Hispanic vs. Latino" I was jolted by the sentence that says, "The word Latino traces its roots back to ancient Rome and some say it's more inclusive, encompassing Latin American countries such as Cuba, Puerto Rico..." (Emphasis added by the letter's author). Puerto Rico is simply not a country. It is a territory of the United States of America. Since only about 3-5 percent of the Puerto Rican voters vote for independence, it is doubtful that Puerto Rico will ever become a country. If the Puerto Rican government refers to itself now as a "commowealth," that is its right. Yet, a label does not a country make. One would expect a publication sensitive to Hispanic or Latino ussues to have its facts straight. Failure to do so with respect to Puerto Rico's already confusing status only adds to the confusion. DAVID C. INDIANO
|
