Puerto Rico wants and should have U.S. statehood

Norb has opinions on everything: Puerto Rican statehood.
First, some history. Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is an unincorporated U.S. territory in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. It is an archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands. Currently, there are 16 territories of the United States, only five of which are permanently inhabited. They are Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
The most populous city in Puerto Rico is the capital, San Juan, with over 395,000 residents. Other major cities include Bayamón, Carolina, Ponce and Caguas. Of the 10 most populous cities on the island, eight are within what is considered San Juan’s metropolitan area, while the other two are located in the south and west portions of the island. The island was claimed in 1493, by Christopher Columbus for the Kingdom of Spain. During four centuries of Spanish rule, the island’s ethnic, cultural and physical landscape was transformed as the island was settled overwhelmingly by Spanish settlers. The result of this is a predominately Catholic and Hispanic population in terms of culture and language. In 1898, following the Spanish American War, Spain surrendered the island to the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Paris.
Puerto Ricans are natural-born citizens of the United States but Puerto Rico does not have a vote in Congress. Puerto Rican citizens residing on the island may not vote for president and vice president of the United States either. The defense of Puerto Rico is provided by the United States with the President as commander-in-chief. Puerto Rico has its own National Guard, and its own state defense force, the Puerto Rico State Guard, which by local law, is under the authority of the Puerto Rico National Guard. Because it is a territory of the United States, you don’t need a passport to travel there.
Old San Juan is one of two barrios (neighborhoods); Santurce was the city of San Juan from 1864 until 1951, when the former independent borough of Río Piedras consolidated with the capital municipality in 1951. Originally founded in 1714, it has an abundance of shops, historic places, museums, open air cafés, restaurants, gracious homes, tree-shaded plazas and old, beautiful and colorful Spanish colonial buildings. Cobblestoned Old San Juan is a main spot for tourism. The Cathedral of San Juan Bautista is one of the oldest buildings in San Juan and the second oldest cathedral in the Americas.
Puerto Rican cuisine has its roots in the cooking traditions and practices of Spain, Africa and the native Taínos. In the latter part of the 19th century, the cuisine was greatly influenced by the United States in the ingredients used in its preparation. Puerto Rican cuisine has gone past the boundaries of the island and can be found in several other countries. Basic ingredients include grains and legumes, herbs and spices, starchy tropical tubers, vegetables, meat and poultry, seafood and shellfish, and fruits. Main dishes include mofongo (fried plantains), arroz con gandules (rice and beans), pasteles (meat pies) and roast pig.
When I visited Puerto Rico a few years ago, I toured the island on rented motorbikes with friends. We explored the island from the new hotels and casinos to the uninhabited countryside and it was beautiful. I still remember the Castillo San Cristóbal, also known as Fort San Cristóbal, in San Juan and the rich architecture in Old San Juan. We ended up at The Old Chicago Club in Old San Juan for lunch and the food was delicious.
On Nov. 6, 2012, eligible voters in Puerto Rico were presented with two questions. First, when asked to approve or reject Puerto Rico’s current status as a commonwealth (or territory), voters rejected it 54 percent to 46 percent. Second, when asked to choose their preferred status for Puerto Rico, 61.15 percent of those who marked an option chose statehood with the United States. Clearly many of the people in Porto Rico want statehood.
I think that after over 200 years, Puerto Rico has earned statehood. If you agree go tohttp://www.pr51st.com/take-action/sign-a-petition/
Norb Rug is a Lockport resident.
Puerto Rico wants and should have U.S. statehood

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