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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
January 22, 2000
Copyright © 2000 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT and THE LEDGER-STAR,
NORFOLK, VA. All Rights Reserved.
Puerto Ricans Lack A
Voice For Complaints
A Jan. 4 letter complains that the difference between Camp
Atterbury (Indiana), Fort A.P. Hill (Virginia), Aberdeen Proving
Ground (Maryland) and Vieques (Puerto Rico) is that " Vieques
is the only place protesters have been allowed to remain for months,
halting military training and threatening national readiness."
Actually, there's another crucial difference: Indiana, Virginia
and Maryland have six senators and 29 representatives among them,
while Puerto Rico has zero - not one senator, and not one voting
member of the House. Puerto Rico 's "congressman" is
barred from voting on laws. And Puerto Ricans are not allowed
to vote for the commander in chief, though they are allowed to
risk their lives in American wars, as almost 200,000 of them have.
If Puerto Ricans had voting rights, they could rely on their
democratically elected representatives to voice their complaints.
If Puerto Rico were an independent country, they could use the
appropriate sovereign-to-sovereign channels of communication.
Instead, Puerto Rico is a "U.S. territory," without
representatives and without sovereignty. This is why there are
protesters on Vieques.
Christina D. Burnett
Citizens' Educational Foundation
New York, NY
January 4, 2000
Copyright © 2000 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT and THE LEDGER-STAR,
NORFOLK, VA. All Rights Reserved.
Vieques Protest Went
Too Far
What do Camp Atterbury (Indiana), Fort A.P. Hill (Virginia),
Aberdeen Proving Ground (Maryland) and Vieques (Puerto Rico) have
in common? They all have live bombing ranges with people living
nearby. How are they different? Vieques is the only place protesters
have been allowed to remain for months, halting military training
and threatening national readiness.
I can't help but blame Clinton and the military policy-makers
for not acting on this sooner, when there were only a few protesters.
Instead they are allowed to make a mockery of the U.S. and remain
on a live and unsafe bombing range.
I'm sure if someone chose to protest on any of the other bases
mentioned, they would have been escorted off the range and possibly
locked up within the hour. The deal Clinton proposed is equally
absurd. Why should we pay $40 million to use what has been ours
for 50 years?
Many Puerto Ricans want to forgo statehood and become independent.
There is nothing I'd like more than to see all military pulled
from Puerto Rico. Give them the independence they so desire. Also
make sure we cut all federal aid we send there as well. Let Gov.
Rossello provide for his own people.
Elizabeth Fisher
Virginia Beach
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