puerto ricans are subject to a draft.

[catmother]

i was watching the "view" this morning. jimmy smits and rosey perez were on. seems like they did a documentary on the history of puerto rico. puerto ricans are americans. they can be drafted to fight for america but they do not have the right to vote for president of the US?

how fucked up is that?

[slackmaster]

1. US military provides the Commonwealth's defense

It seems fair enough they should be eligible for the draft. They can't vote for President, have no say in Congress, but pay no federal income tax and are eligible for public assistance.

It's all part of the social contract for being a citizen in a US territory rather than a state.

http://welcome.topuertorico.org/people.shtml

[catmother]

2. well that is fair. they did not mention that part. i know that there

eligible for welfare. i lived in new york and there were a lot of puerto ricans on public assistance. also a lot of hard working ones pushing the carts through the garment center.

[Lost-in-FL]

5. PR was acquired from Spain in 1898

At a time where minorities in the US were considered subhuman. In 1898 Puertorricans were neither Spanish citizens nor Puertorricans. There's never been a Puertorrican citizenship. In 1917 native Puertorricans were finally given US citizenship with the help of Democrats in Congress.

Let me see if I understood this one. It is perfectly ok that PR's do not vote for the President because they receive welfare or don't pay taxes. The way some PR-s look at it is like this; as long as puertorricans don't pay taxes Congress won't have to hear their opinions so give them welfare and keep'em out of site. Ask the Spaniards, it worked for them for 500 years.

[catmother]

10. you're right. i really don't know any puerto ricans now. in

phoenix most of the latins are mexican, but i lived in new york city for 48 years and i knew many puerto ricans. well actually i lived in queens. when i was 12 my parents bought a house on long island. what they didn't realize was that there was a state mental hospital in the district where i was to go to school. there were a lot of puerto ricans who worked in the hospital. so here i am 12 years old in 8th grade and i have these "different" kids around me. some of them had darker skin than others. i found the boys to be quite "attractive". i didn't know that they were looked down upon. i became friends with many of these kids and even in public high school i had puerto rican friends. in fact, my first true love was a puerto rican guy.

i don't know if it was my early exposure to these people who i found nothing wrong with has influenced my life. i've been to puerto rico about 8 times, mexico 2x and i always feel comfortable in these countries. i'm also very comfortable with the mexicans here in phoenix.

[DeaconBlues]

3. they had several opportunities to either choose to become a state,

become independent, or remain a commonwealth. So far, they have voted to remain a commonwealth with no representation. Personally, I would like to see Puerto Rico become a state - it would probably mean 2 more Democratic Senators and one or more Democratic Congresspeople.

[catmother]

4. i agree, but it seems like that's not what they want.

[Lost-in-FL]

6. The Referendums given in PR are not mandates

PR's can vote for Pink Panther if they want to but the last word is on Congress. Once the results from a referendum are sent to Congress they can either become toilet paper (like has happened everytime) or a bill.

[Telly Savalas]

8. ...and endless whining from right-wingers because they speak Spanish in PR

[catmother]

12. when i used to go to puerto rico on vacations people used to

tell me that when they were there, the puerto ricans were nasty to them. well i never, ever had a problem. i don't speak spanish, but i know a little and i would always try to communicate in the limited amount i knew. i was always treated with respect.

i always, no matter, where i am, try to treat everyone with respect from waiters to cashiers. it doesn't cost anything to be nice.

[sarge43]

7. Until 23 Mar 71, all those guys drafted at the ages of 18, 19 and 20,

couldn't vote either.

[elfin]

9. When and where is rosie's show?

I think it is on showtime - heard her on XM Bob Edwards today and would like to see it. Anyone know? I think it has a Spanish title.

edited for spelling

[catmother]

11. it is a spanish title. don't remember it.

[WI_DEM]

13. then they also deserve to have representation in congress whose

votes actually count and the right to vote for the president of the US.