While our government bleats on and on about spreading democracy to farthest corners of the globe, how's about a little attention to our own backyard? The only former Spanish colony in the Caribbean that is still a colony after 500 hundred years, more than 100 of those years under the auspices of Ol' Glory. Don't buy the hype about the little brown people being happy about living as second class US citizens because they don't support independence - they only have to look at Cuba to see how vindictive the US can be, Hell hath no fury like a Yanqui scorned. Even Saddam used to get 90% of the vote in Iraq, not because he was beloved but because he was feared. Here's the story as the BBC carried it yesterday. Funny, didn't hear much about it from our media. Wonder why that is...
<block quote> Court denies Puerto Rico US vote
The US Supreme Court has rejected an attempt to give residents of the territory of Puerto Rico the right to vote in US presidential elections.
Judges threw out the appeal by a group of Puerto Ricans - the latest development in a long-running debate on the islanders' constitutional rights. Puerto Rico, which is not a state, has been administered by the US since 1898.
Although residents cannot vote in presidential elections, they do elect a delegate to the US Congress. However their representative does not vote, except in committees.
Attorney Gregorio Igartua, who filed the appeal, said the citizens of Puerto Rico "have been unfairly treated" for more than a century. He complained that residents have "an inferior type of American citizenship." Correspondents say the argument about Puerto Rico's status is coming to a head following a report by the Bush administration into the issue.
In December, a presidential task force recommended that Congress call a referendum on the island's status as a self-governing US commonwealth. A "Yes" vote would trigger another vote on whether to make Puerto Rico independent or the 51st US state. Opinion polls suggest there is little support for independence. Only a few islanders voted in favour of independence in the latest of a series of referendums in 1998.
However, islanders are split over whether to keep their current status or become a US state.</block quote>to get
Most Americans know precious little about the history of Puerto Rico, or the struggle for PR independence or statehood. I myself believe in independence, but concede there could be a case made for statehood. Tarde or temprano (sooner or later) the choice will have to be made. Responsible citizens like most of us out here in DKoslandia owe it to ourselves and to future generations to learn more about this issue and participate in the formation of policy regarding Puerto Rico.