Here’s to winning the battleground state of Florida!
However, as I cast my vote, I can’t help but feel dishearten by the fact that if I were to still live in Puerto Rico, I wouldn’t have this right. You see, Puerto Ricans are natural-born American citizens but are not allowed to vote for the President. Yup, the most basic of democratic rights is denied to us. However, as soon as you leave the Island and fly over to the States (in my case Florida and then New York) you are magically granted your birth-given right. It is hugely unconstitutional and just plain wrong.
The most ironic thing of all? The Democratic Party, the party that claims the moral high ground, is the one that has systematically and routinely opposed giving Puerto Rico full statehood. Statehood would give Puerto Ricans living on the Island the right to vote for the President and proper representation in Congress, among a myriad of other things.
It has been the Republican Party that has always supported full statehood for Puerto Rico. The New Progressive Party (the main political party that advocates statehood) has strong ties with the Republican Party since it was founded in 1967 by Luis A. Ferré.
The subject of statehood is an extremely touchy one in Puerto Rico. It pretty much defines politics on a day to day basis. The Island itself is torn right in half between those who support statehood and those who support the current commonwealth status, generally members of the Popular Democratic Party. But the whole debate misses the point. Commonwealth status shouldn’t even be an option. It is unconstitutional and it reduces the Island to a mere colony. There are only two options here: full statehood or (gasp) independence. To relegate Puerto Rico to a lukewarm corner of political insignificance is to admit that there are varying degrees of citizenship; that there are indeed lesser Americans. To give Puerto Rico full statehood is to simply say: an American is an American is an American, period.
So, whatever, Alaska and Hawaii. Someday I’ll see Puerto Rico become the 51st state!
