Puerto Rican voters back statehood in questioned referendum
- Thread starter William Haskins
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If they wish to become a state, I can't see why we should stop them. If they don't wish to become a state, I don't see why we should force them.
If people are worried about statehood making the exodus even worse, leaving the island depopulated, I'm guessing that if they were a state their economic fortunes might be more closely tied to our own, making mass migration less needed.
Note that a 23% voter turnout is underwhelming, even by US standards, so my biggest question is whether the majority of Puerto Ricans really want this.
If people are worried about statehood making the exodus even worse, leaving the island depopulated, I'm guessing that if they were a state their economic fortunes might be more closely tied to our own, making mass migration less needed.
Note that a 23% voter turnout is underwhelming, even by US standards, so my biggest question is whether the majority of Puerto Ricans really want this.
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What would be the issue with them becoming a state? Would mainlanders be concerned with having to fork out money for PR? The risk of having Puerto Ricans coming over to the US? Surely if they are already citizens, then they already can come and go as they please?
If they become a state, it reshapes the congressional make-up. Their reps would get a vote that actually counts. The number of districts and the number of senators would change. There are economic issues with the island that many people in our current gov't would fear (many of them caused by US companies flooding in, then flooding back out).
Thanks. I just read that Australia's own Northern Territory may become the 7th state next year... although in the 90s they voted not to become a state. I don't really know why. As far as I'm aware, the only real difference in being a territory is that they don't have as much of a say in how the country is run as the states do. That, and people in the territories don't have the protection of the Constitution.
They would immediately have two U.S. Senators, who, given the Republican Party's stance on Hispanic immigration, would almost certainly be Democrats. The GOP ain't about to let that happen. Same thing they've done for decades in blocking Congressional representation for the District of Columbia.
caw
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They do have some Constitutional protections (The Bill of Rights, I believe). But not others. A Puerto Rican born in Puerto Rico isn't fully protected by the 14th amendment. According to legal scholars, Congress can vote to revoke citizenship.
I'd actually like to see British Columbia become the 51st state. It's a really nice place, and would geographically link Alaska, where I live, to the rest of the nation.
caw
caw
On the other hand, it would (temporarily) boost employment figures as people made updated American flags*. And someone would have to write a replacement for the old school ditty "Fifty Nifty United States."
* - Then again, I think a fair number of flags are made overseas these days...
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And I'd like to see Alaska become part of Canada - first, we'd get the Panhandle back, and then the whole rest of the Pan. And, we'd be yuuuge! We'd be an oil superpower, and, united, could control the North-West Passage as it thaws.
You could be a territory, if you like, or a province. We would allow you to keep your traditional holidays, of course, while not letting them take over ours (this would make for 2 Thanksgivings - we can each be thankful for different things - and a nice long July long weekend/short week - from the 1st to the 4th of July?)
And, no matter how unpopular the U.S. gets, you can all legitimately wear a Canadian flag internationally. Suddenly, instantly, with a scratch of the pen,you folks would become polite, friendly Canadians! And we won't make you apply for refugee status or anything.
Then, the U.S. could let Puerto Rico in, just to keep the states at 50.
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True, but we were thinking of using them as a buffer. I don't know that we want the Russians with a reason to get thatclose.
Geologically, a big chunk of eastern Siberia is actually part of the North American tectonic plate. I think we should annex it.
caw
caw
Send the next iceberg that detaches to Texas to cool down my yard, and I'm all in.
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As someone who was born in Puerto Rico, but have moved to and have lived in the United States for most of her life, I would totally support it being a state, but I have heard mixed feelings and opinions from other Puerto Ricans (especially those who are currently living there) about this statehood issue, whether against it or for it, for various reasons.
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No offense, but if Canada was going for foreign colonies, I think we'd be looking for somewhere warm and sunny. On the other hand, we'd get MIT, eh?
My sole complaint about Massachusetts (aside from the spelling) is that, being in the East, it's added huge population would further unbalance our already unbalanced population spread - in federal elections, the decision is made in the high-population East, while we in the West are just along for the ride, and local representation.
On the other hand, it would be part of the Maritime/Atlantic provinces and they could use the economic boost!
My sole complaint about Massachusetts (aside from the spelling) is that, being in the East, it's added huge population would further unbalance our already unbalanced population spread - in federal elections, the decision is made in the high-population East, while we in the West are just along for the ride, and local representation.
On the other hand, it would be part of the Maritime/Atlantic provinces and they could use the economic boost!
Yeah, do you think Boston could make the grade? After all, they started a revolution.So Canadian
While we're partitioning the USA, Australia'll take California and maybe Oregon. Washington state can become South British Columbia. NZ likes Pacific islands, so they can have Hawaii.
I'm interested, what are the reasons for being against statehood? The advantages of it seem pretty straightforward, but as was pointed out, Australia has a very similar federal constitutional structure to the US, and our NT has rejected statehood before.