TGHusker Posted February 14, 2021 Share Posted February 14, 2021 Good article on Axios discussing the issue of state hood for Puerto Rico. DC has also been discussed as a possible statehood candidate. At this point in time, GOP tends to be against it as they see it as a means for the Dems to locking both the Senate and the Electoral college. One could also ask - about other US holdings - Guam, US Virgin Islands, etc. Statehood for PC and DC could also create a backlash in a different way (though less likely to occur): Dividing up California, carving out GOP 'states' by separating areas of heavy Democratic urban areas, etc. So, what do you think? Should we divide up some states into multiple states and create new states out of Puerto Rico and DC? There are pros and cons in doing so and this is also a political hot potato for the GOP - How can they oppose statehood when statehood gives those citizens the representation the founding fathers fought for? At the same time, it would make it more difficult under current politics for the GOP to gain a majority in the Senate. It seems to me that at the center of representative govt, that each citizen should have equal representation - having a representative in the House and the Senate whose vote actually counts anything short of that isn't equal representation. While the GOP may claim that it will make them a permanent minority party, they could take a different path - make themselves more attractive to all voters with their policies positions The GOP has relied on the 'southern strategy' for decades now. In so doing, they have painted themselves in a corner with some unsavory types - as we saw on January 6th. I do believe that PC and DC should have statehood rights. But on the flip side, I also think we really do have a situation in California for example where the large rural areas of the state are not adequately served by the representatives that primarily come from coastal California. Some states have just become too large. There is a counter argument to this as we see in the Senate just recently: The 7 GOP senators who voted for conviction in Trump's 2nd impeachment trial, represent more people than the 43 GOP senators who voted to acquit Trump. So, in the Senate, the smaller states do have more representation on a per capita basis than the larger states. https://www.axios.com/puerto-rico-statehood-263b7ffa-13d4-49d2-89ea-936d1f418035.html Link to comment
Cdog923 Posted February 14, 2021 Share Posted February 14, 2021 Puerto Rico should absolutely be a state; it's long overdue. D.C. should be enveloped into Maryland. Nothing else is important enough to warrant doing. 2 Link to comment
Archy1221 Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Give Puerto Rico it’s Independence. It can be it’s own country. DC melded into MD. 1 Link to comment
DevoHusker Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 1 hour ago, Cdog923 said: Puerto Rico should absolutely be a state; it's long overdue. D.C. should be enveloped into Maryland. Nothing else is important enough to warrant doing. This is where I landed as well 1 Link to comment
teachercd Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 f#&%! I just bought a flag with 50 stars! 2 Link to comment
Moiraine Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Puerto Rico should be a state. Washington D.C. should have full representation. Whether it’s by being a state or being absorbed by a state. 1 Link to comment
BigRedBuster Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 There's no reason why PR shouldn't be a state. But, they have to vote for it. They have been very close to getting enough votes recently. Once they do, we should welcome them. DC should be absorbed by another state. I am totally against splitting states like California or Illinois up based on rural vs urban. 1 Link to comment
commando Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Puerto rico citizens are considered american citizens, every time the united states has had a draft they got drafted the same as guys from Nebraska did. approximately 2/3 of them want to be the 51st state. i think they meet the criteria to be a state. maryland should probably absorb D.C. if california would get split up....why wouldn't texas also get split up? maybe eastern nebraska and western nebraska should be split? geographically michigan at least makes sense to split into 2 states. 1 Link to comment
ZRod Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 PR, Guam, American Samoa, and any other territories we have should become states if their local government wishes. Territories are the last remnants of colonization and imperialism, there's no reason we still need to cling to those eras. The people there should have equal rights and protections as any US citizen or state. I don't understand the DC as a state debate. It shouldn't be it's own state it should just be absorbed into Maryland or left as is. 1 Link to comment
Archy1221 Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Just now, ZRod said: PR, Guam, American Samoa, and any other territories we have should become states if their local government wishes. Territories are the last remnants of colonization and imperialism, there's no reason we still need to cling to those eras. The people there should have equal rights and protections as any US citizen or state. I don't understand the DC as a state debate. It shouldn't be it's own state it should just be absorbed into Maryland or left as is. Instead of statehood, why not give them their Independence? 1 Link to comment
Cdog923 Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 9 minutes ago, Archy1221 said: Instead of statehood, why not give them their Independence? Because they don't want to be independent? They want to be a state. 2 Link to comment
commando Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 13 minutes ago, Archy1221 said: Instead of statehood, why not give them their Independence? they are american citizens are you saying you want to strip millions (not sure how many actually...lol) of americans of their citizenship? 1 Link to comment
ZRod Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 5 hours ago, Archy1221 said: Instead of statehood, why not give them their Independence? See the two post below yours. If they want to be independent, fine. Haven't heard any serious movement for Puerto Rican independence though. Have you? I'm curious why that would be your go to response. Link to comment
TGHusker Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 Maybe I should have added Greenland as a state option! Trump acted like people of PR weren't citizens and seemed willing to swap PR for Greenland. I think PR should be a state and and DC should have the representation it deserves - as a state or as a part of Maryland. I doubt the other territories will ever be given serious consideration of statehood. Link to comment
commando Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 On 2/15/2021 at 9:13 AM, Archy1221 said: Instead of statehood, why not give them their Independence? why would we kick DC out of the united states? also...would it change your mind to know that the current (non-voting) congresswoman from puerto rico....is a republican? Link to comment
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