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Puerto Rico and its people have come to
embrace the United States Constitution and, in particular, the
individual liberties protected by the Bill of Rights. As a result,
Puerto Rico has broken, culturally, from its Latin roots over
the last one hundred years.
The Popular Democratic Party opposes Puerto Rico
becoming a state. It justifies its position in large measure
on the perceived notion that Puerto Rico's is a "Latin American"
culture, distinguishable from and therefore somehow incompatible
with U.S. culture. The present administration on the other hand,
that of the New Progressive Party, believes that Puerto Rico
and its citizens have embraced and share the culture of the United
States..
In the end, the culture that matters, that describes
the way in which people must be compatible in order for political
union between them to be possible, is political culture; that
is, we must focus on political culture when assessing the cultural
compatibility of Puerto Rico and the United States.
Since the signing of the Treaty of Paris brought
the war to its end, Puerto Rico has remained a U.S. territory
and its inhabitants have lived under the Constitution of the
United States of America. During that time, Puerto Rico and its
people have come to embrace the United States Constitution and,
in particular, the individual liberties protected by the Bill
of Rights. As a result, Puerto Rico has broken, culturally, from
its Latin roots over the last one hundred years. JAIME PIERAS,
JR., United States District Judge, Zappa v. Cruz
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Puerto Rico Vote
Not So Puzzling After All
As U.S. Attorney General under Presidents
Reagan and Bush, I urged Congress to sponsor a democratic process
to resolve the status of Puerto Rico based on constitutional
principles which favor equal rights and responsibilities for
all citizens, as well as government by consent of the governed.
Even though these basic values governed our nation's process
for resolving the status of 33 other large and populous territories
since 1789, in 1998 Congress again failed to take long overdue
action on Puerto Rico's status.
Yet, instead of asking why Congress still
has no plan to end Puerto Rico's current state of political limbo,
many pundits reacting to a recent status vote held under local
law in Puerto Rico seem puzzled because statehood supporters
in the territory have not abandoned their cause after failing
to win a majority.
(I)nstead of being puzzled because elected
statehood leaders in Puerto Rico are asking Congress to act on
the basis of the recent plebiscite, let's remember that America
became the greatest nation in the history of the world by empowering
people with the tools for informed self-determination. Sooner
or later Congress will have to do the same for Puerto Rico, and
the sooner the better for Puerto Rico and the nation as a whole.
-Dick Thornburgh
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"English-only'
Betrays Xenophobia
The movement to legislate English as the official
U.S. language is completely unnecessary and, at worst, inflammatory.
Americans shouldn't forget that this country has always been
a nation of immigrants who eventually learn English; legislating
an official language would only betray the xenophobia of a dwindling
majority.
English will likely remain the widespread
de facto language of choice because of its utility as a unifier.
No legislation is needed to create this condition. Alarmists
who politicize the issue merely betray another unfortunate trend
in American history: a rather inexplicable fear of outsiders.
-Brian Winter, Daily Texan (U. Texas-Austin)
San Juan - While Puerto Ricans remain split over whether they
want to become a U.S. state, their island's speedy recovery from
Hurricane Georges shows a paradox: When it comes to the economy,
Puerto Rico is practically a state already.
Long term, Rossello and others in his pro-
statehood party dream of a day when Puerto Rico would not just
resemble a state economically --but actually be the 51st star
on the U.S. flag.
"Statehood is a development tool," claimed economic
czar Vivoni. "It's not just because we'd get more federal
funds. It's for the perception of stability that comes with being
a state. Statehood would mean even more business and investment."
- Doreen Hemlock, SUN-SENTINEL
STATEHOOD ISSUE IS CAUGHT IN STALEMATE - PUERTO
RICO AND CONGRESS ARE WAITING FOR THE OTHER TO DEFINE THE POLITICAL
RELATIONSHIP
For Barbosa, "Americanization" was not incompatible
with island patriotism, but rather it was the vital instrument
by which to obtain social justice and economic progress. For
him, political unity with the United States did not imply dissolving
the cultural personality of the Puerto Rican people. Political
assimilation was not synonymous with cultural assimilation. He
was convinced that Calderón's native tongue could coexist
with that of Shakespeare, thus creating a more educated and dynamic
people. -Gonzalo F. Cordova
SAN JUAN: VACATIONER'S PARADISE
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The full meaning of the election is still
being sorted out, but because of the (Puerto Rican Cultural Society
of Dayton Symposium on Puerto Rico status) I have a better perspective
on why voters said `None of the Above.'
Why? None of the choices offered on December's
ballot represented improvements on the status quo. Arguments
seemed to be rooted in the past - often appearing stale by the
lack of relevance to the world we live in. Today we have increased
globalization of not only trade but also of ideas and how and
where we live. State boundaries are becoming less distinct as
national and international ties grow more dominant. One speaker
questioned if the U.S. Congress would accept Puerto Rico only
if Puerto Ricans looked and acted more like mainlanders. But
the truth is, demographics hint that the mainland may be growing
to look more like Puerto Rico , which includes a mix of cultures,
many based on Hispanic heritage.
Going in, I thought I would have picked statehood. But that choice
wasn't as clear-cut as it appeared. Limitations had been imposed
by Congress. And more troubling, pro- statehood Gov. Rossello
had spent more time building consensus in Washington than in
San Juan.
Imposing statehood by political maneuvering might have worked
in the19th century, as happened in Ohio. But today's voters in
Puerto Rico are sophisticated. It's essential to first build
consensus at home before Puerto Rico can move ahead. -Kay Semion,
DAYTON DAILY NEWS
"I see statehood and separate sovereignty as acceptable
alternatives for Congress," the Alaska Republican, whose
state entered the Union in 1959, said. "Because 'None of
the Above' received the majority vote, I intend to conduct oversight
hearings to see what led people to cast votes against the only
constitutional options available to Puerto Rico which were on
the ballot," he added. -CARIBBEAN BUSINESS
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The best tribute we could render De Hostos
today is to achieve what he sought 100 years ago and was ignored
by Puerto Rican political sectors at the time. That is, set aside
personal ambitions, grudges, bitterness, calumnies, vicious personal
attacks, distortion of facts, lies, and unfounded fear and false
nationalism, which flooded our political scenario during the
campaign leading to the December 13, 1998 status consultation.
Instead, let's keep in mind De Hostos' legacy to think intelligently
so as to achieve among us the unity and harmony in an embrace
of reconciliation so we could reach a consensus among us to ask
the 106 U.S. Congress this year to approve legislation establishing
a process under which we, in the exercise of our right to self-determination,
can vote in a status referendum for viable, legitimate and realistic
decolonization status options. -Guillermo Moscoso
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Congressional Sponsored Plebiscite
Necessary
Both the 1993 and 1998 plebiscites were conducted under local
law after Congress failed to approve federal plebiscite legislation
defining the available choices to achieve a permanent status.
The 1998 plebiscite confirms the need for Congress to ascertain
the will of the people of Puerto Rico among options Congress
is willing to consider. This can be accomplished only if Congress
sponsors a referendum under Federal law and informs the voters
of the terms for continuing the current status or changing to
a new status.
Make no mistake about it, the prospect of
federal taxation for Puerto Rico's elite, not the voter's preference
for the status quo tipped the scales against an outright statehood
triumph on December 13th. Paying little or no taxes under the
porous Hacienda collection apparatus, the wealthy five percent
among us feared the efficiency of the Internal Revenue Service
more than they fancied commonwealth. -Miriam Ramirez de Ferrer
"Congress has full powers to tax the US territories and
there is nothing special under commonwealth relationship to stop
it. Taxation without representation is just a slogan. There is
nothing in the Constitution about it," said John Killian.
-Robert Friedman, THE SAN JUAN STAR
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The Statehood
Movement