READ EXCELLENT DOCUMENTED REBUTTAL BELOW !
MJ
http://naturalresources.house.gov/Videos/?VideoID=WyfOyl5HetA
COMMENT:
I am not sure specifically about what the current Puerto
Rico administration did, or did not do (or is or is not doing), but I am sure
about one thing: It did something right
as it managed to pass a self-determination bill through the House – a very
difficult feat indeed.
I had the privilege to lead the fight for self determination
in 1998 as Executive Director of PRFAA for Governor Pedro Rossello -- during
the first-ever effort to pass a Republican-controlled House of Representatives
(and by one vote at that). Suffice it to
say that under the apparent Jonathan Swift-like sarcastic veneer of rationality
and equanimity, the Congressman's
presentation is nothing but the same old tired xenophobic
rhetoric used heretofore against many other immigrant or migrant groups (now
used regularly against Hispanic-Americans) by some members of Congress (as of
late primarily, but by no means exclusively, by Republicans). Such rhetoric has been used in the past and peddled
to ignorant people in order to scare them from granting basic equality to 4
million US citizens in Puerto Rico , one of the oldest colonies in the world.
As part of our efforts in 1998, I can say that every single
member of Congress was provided with both executive summaries and detailed explanations
of what statehood, continued commonwealth or independence meant for Puerto Rico , together with clear and specific
definitions. I know this because I
personally met with each member of the House and each member of the Senate at
least once (and in over 80% of the cases more than once) and personally handed these
summaries and written explanations to them, and discussed and answered
questions raised by them and their staffs.
Congress, including the kind Congressman, are well informed
on the so-called "issues," and any claim to the contrary is
false. The real question is whether, as
Americans, members of Congress have the character and conviction to do the
right thing: end colonialism and grant statehood (or independence) to Puerto
Rico if the Island requests it. If Congress
does not, we have what we
currently have, a US Territory. We can name it or call it whatever we want,
but that is what it is and we deserve more.
We deserve whatever we specifically choose –good or bad – so long as we
have full knowledge of what our choices are.
If Congress has the courage it must state through a bill
signed by the President and unequivocally, that it will consider the Island 's request by passing a Congressionally sanctioned
plebiscite, as a first step towards admission (or independence), when and if
both the US Island
to register again its status preference until there is an ultimate decision
that provides for a non-territorial status (statehood or independence).
A few observations settle beyond dispute that this video is,
at best, misguided and, at worse, xenophobic (again, under a not so veiled
Swift-like mantle of reasonableness).
Or, perhaps it is an exercise in willful ignorance. But I give the benefit of the doubt to those
who, like the Congressman, are not or have chosen not to be informed on an
issue that has been repeatedly
discussed for close to 114 years.
First, the Congressman states that HR 2499 could potentially
set up a vote for statehood within a year.
This purported alarm of being rushed ignores the fact that it will still
be Congress that makes the final determination.
If a territory votes for full incorporation as a state, Congress may –
or may not – consider statehood at any time, that is, statehood can be granted
in a day, over year or decades, or in 50 years, or never. That is because votes by territories on their
political status are mere local straw poll referenda with no legal effect on
Congress, which has the final authority by majority vote to grant statehood. (It
bears mentioning, though, that Congress has always granted statehood, no matter
how long or short it has taken to do so).
The
Congressman's own words are a dead give-away of self evident
and contradictory fear-mongering, as the operative word used by him is that Congress
may POTENTIALLY vote to grant statehood.
No kidding. It may also vote to
not grant statehood (and icur the political wrath of denial) or, like it has
occurred for close to 114 years never fully debate and vote in both houses.
Second, the Congressman makes use of assumed ignorance to
scare the uneducated by referencing the "process" used for Alaska and Hawaii Union . The Congressman is counting on the fact that
most people don’t know what that "process" was, and that even more
don’t realize that 36 territories in total have undergone varied so-called "processes"
of different types and durations, but all with the same outcomes: all became
states. The only
thing that can be said about "process" is that it is whatever
Congress determined at the time it was considering, debating or taking action
on a petition for admission and/or an
admissions bill. HR 2499 is far from an
admission bill. So the Congressman's
reference to a
"process" is at best inaccurate and probably a
mark of lack of historical knowledge on his part.
Third, the Congressman alarmingly states that 4 million US US Ferguson
Fourth, the Congressman takes out the old beaten scarecrow
of states "losing" representation from PR's admission into the Union .
Nonsense. The Congressman knows
full well that Congress can -- and has in the past -- increased the number of
members of Congress to account for new admissions into the Union . Not a single state need lose any representatives
from PR's
admission into the Union ,
as 435 is a number easily increased to reflect the 6 (or more) representatives
PR would be entitled to as a state (political representation of a kind apparently
unimportant to our brethren estado-libristas, but not lost on our state-side
community who otherwise yearn and realize the importance of 6+ Representatives and
2 Senators). The kind Congressman
reminds me of Congressman Gutierrez who was recently compared to Martin Luther
King, something that would surely make MLK turn in his grave as he would never
have
countenanced anything or anyone peddling anything but full
political representation. This is the
same Congressman Gutierrez who peddles the importance of his election and
Congressional representation for those he chooses to represent on the mainland
while affirmatively denying such representation to the Island.
Fifth, the Congressman appears to conjure up the ultimate
boogeyman: Language. He believes this one is a sure winner, for he
assumes no true-blooded American (who would that be? A German American? A naturalized Croatian? An African American, or Italian American? A
Native American? A Puerto Rican American?
A Chinese American?) would forgo the use of the English language. The Congressman plays on the common belief
that English is the official language of our Nation. Our Nation has no official language;
when Congressional efforts to establish an official language were last made,
German lost by a very close vote. He also
probably knows (but chooses not to disclose) that there is an irrational fear
in the colonies of loosing language and culture (as if both language and
culture were static).
Close ... but no cigar.
Language has been considered before in the admission of states to the Union and has never been the impediment it purports to
be. Witness the case of New Mexico New Mexico US
But wait. The
Congressman says that English Only was considered before with regards to self
determination bills for Puerto Rico , and that
it may not be this for next time. Again,
nonsense. English only, backed not so
quietly by some of the most ardent opponents of statehood in Puerto
Rico and not just stateside (although by ever so clever and
indirect means) is the one poison
pill that Congress itself has repeatedly rejected to swallow
both in the context of legislation that could one day result in Congressional consideration
of PR's admission into the Union and as a
stand-alone proposition for our Nation as a whole. Witness 1998.
English Only was roundly defeated – even with a Republican majority in
Congress. It is a boogeyman, so much I
grant, but a harmless one that disappears as soon as the light of truth shines
on it.
Sixth, the coup de grace: Admission of PR to the Union
with less than a 50% majority vote. Now,
there is an argument! How could those
evil Puerto Ricans, laments the Congressman sub
silentio, so nefariously lie to Congress (a veritable conundrum since
Congress has the sole and absolute power to grant statehood or independence to Puerto Rico ) and pretend admission with
less than 50%? How
can 50% be interpreted as a vote for statehood?
Well, for starters because it would mean that statehood received the
most votes. Capice? But the Congressman again either misses the
point or, more likely, obscures it on purpose.
He would do well to refresh his knowledge of Oklahoma
other votes that eventually led to its admission. The point here is that there is nothing
nefarious or magical about pluralities, it is merely the first step in a varied
process towards statehood, which only Congress can grant.
Finally, I am surprised that the kind Congressman did not
bring out the nuclear bomb: Where are we
going to place 51 stars in our beloved American flag? Setting aside job creation associated with
having to design, weave, print, and produce new flags, I always keep a computer
generated copy of a flag with 51 stars and it looks .... wait for it … pretty good. Seriously, you
cannot tell the difference, and if you can, does it
matter? Has it ever mattered? After all, we had varying numbers until 1959
and no one ever complained. But here I
am willing to offer a fair, equal and, frankly, welcome concession: Admit Guam as
the 52nd State and we will have an even numbered flag. In fact, let's go for full equality and bring
it also to our brothers and sisters in the Virgin Islands and in Saipan / CNMI, if they so select.
Let's move on from baseless invective posing as rational
discourse and continue with, as Governor Rossello has stated, "The
Unfinished Business of American Democracy."
Xavier Romeu
Former Executive Director, PRFAA
Former Executive Director, PRIDCO
Former Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce
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