Business History Books » Business Consultant » Puerto Rico: A Country in Search of its Freedom
Puerto Rico: A Country in Search of its Freedom
Question:
Peter – I have nothing but respect for Puerto Ricans, that is not in question. As a matter of fact, I was just in your Commonwealth two weeks ago and I must say the only thing I do not like about Puerto Rico is the summer climate, but that is a matter of personal taste. I would however, pose the following question to you: if you think for one minute that your attitude toward the "invader" is representative of the collective opinion of your countrymen, please explain why a 1993 referendum produced only 4.4% of the Puerto Rican population favoring independence, while 94.9% favored continued ties to the United States (48.6% Commonwealth status, 46.3% U.S. Statehood). While you may not like it, you are clearly in the vast minority with your radical opinions. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Your mini-history lesson is quite pat and amusing. It proves that history is > always written by the Conquering Invader. Upon reading it, a son or daughter > of our Country, Puerto Rico, can only see a familiar sight: The Ugly > American once again rears its head. > So, let’s provide some essential corrections to your convenient, but > mistaken, mini-lesson on Puerto Rico: > 1. Puerto Rico was an quiet Autonomous Country (on its way to full > Independence from Spain) when it was invaded by a Neo-Imperial Army, on July > 25, 1898, after sustaining severe Naval Bombing for several weeks. > 2. Martial Law ruled the Country for two years. Puerto Ricans were forced to > conduct all transactions and business in the language of the Invaders. > Schools were forced to conduct classes in a strange language and all Puerto > Rican history and cultural-related classes were suspended. Spanish-language > books were removed and banned from schools. For 40 years, every morning, > students were assembled in school courtyards and made to repeat a > pledge of allegiance to the flag of the Invader, although they did not > understand a word of what they were saying. > 3. In 1917, when the Invader decided to join World War One, it also decided > to > draft Puerto Ricans into its infantry. In order to make it legal, Puerto > Ricans were made "citizens" of the Invading Power, but with no right to vote > for its Colonial Rulers. Over the decades, almost a million (a very high > level, in > proportion to the population) brave Puerto Ricans have died in the > battlefields of Europe, Asia, Korea, Viet-Nam and other places, although > (for long) > they were not allowed to eat, drink and socialize with the mainstream > soldiers. > 4. Any political changes that have occurred since the invasion, have been in > direct > response to actions by Puerto Ricans to regain their freedom. > 5. 101 years after the first Naval Bombing, the Invading military continues > to use Puerto Rico as a Practice Range for Naval ships and planes. Several > weeks ago, a Puerto Rican National was killed and several others were > injured, when an F-18 dropped its bombs over them. > 6. Despite over one hundred years of attempts at assimilation (sometimes > violently) on behalf of the invaders, Puerto Ricans maintain a rich language > and vast culture that goes back 500 years. We take great pride in our > heritage and customs. When the terrible economic situation on the island (by > design) forces us to emigrate to the Invading country, we stay in touch with > each other, and when our cultural heritage is threatened, we quickly band > together to protect it, by any means required. > That makes Puerto Rico a Country. It also makes it colonial sattelite of the > Invader; very similar to the countries in Eastern Europe, after WWII, and > Northern Ireland today. > Note: No, the invader was not the Romans, nor the Germans or the Soviets. > The Invader is a large Country to the North, known as the United States of > America. > I trust that our position in this matter is clear and that you keep it in > mind when you visit our Country. > Peter Aviles, > www.PR-Connection.com >>Maybe I will expand for him. >>The COMMONWEALTH of Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean Sea, about >1,000 >>miles east southeast of Miami, Florida. A POSSESSION OF THE UNITED > STATES, >it >>consists of the island of Puerto Rico – smallest of the Greater Antilles, >>measuring about 100 miles from wast to west and 35 miles across – plus the >>adjacent islands of Vieques, Culebra and Mona. >>Puerto Rico remains an unincorporated U.S. territory, as it has been since >1898. >>Just because Puerto Ricans maintain their own internal affairs under their >own >>constitution (which, I might add, was approved by the U.S. CONGRESS), does >not >>make them a country. >>> To the person that hides behind the alias of "DaBoss777", >>> Would you like to expand on your comment, please? >>> Peter Aviles, >>> National Puerto Rican Coalition >>> Washington, D.C. >>> >>>Any help appreciated. >>> >>>Budget (below$50)Hotel in Puerto Rico >>> >>Where in PR? It’s a big country. >>> >>Don (donwiss at panix com). >>> >Country??????? eeeeeeek!
Response:
One other thing. You are right, "almost a million" Puerto Ricans dying in the battlefields of Europe, Asia, Korea and Southeast Asia is indeed a very high number. Especially when you consider the fact that since the Spanish-American War, and INCLUDING the Spanish-American War, there have only been 636,774 persons serving in the United States military (all branches) killed in all of the wars and non-war military actions the United States has participated in. Further, with the current population of Puerto Rico at approximately 4.2 million, and even allowing 4.2 million constant population since 1898 and assuming an average generation of 20 years, this means that roughly one in every 20 Puerto Ricans since 1898 has been killed in a U.S. war. (As a point of information, there have only ever been 1,768,600 U.S. military casualties in toto since 1917, with 1,141,000 of them non-deaths) In the future, please direct your fabricated allegations to those who do not have the resources to call you on them. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >3. In 1917, when the Invader decided to join World War One, it also decided to >draft Puerto Ricans into its infantry. In order to make it legal, Puerto Ricans were >made "citizens" of the Invading Power, but with no right to vote for its Colonial Rulers. >Over the decades, almost a million (a very high level, in proportion to the population) >brave Puerto Ricans have died in the battlefields of Europe, Asia, Korea, Viet-Nam >and other places, although (for long) they were not allowed to eat, drink and socialize >with the mainstream soldiers.
Response:
Rob and Lisa Cochran, My response was not in support of independence for Puerto Rico. That is an issue that should be decided by those that actually live on the island, under fair electoral conditions, with international observers. Last year’s ”referendum" cost local taxpayers over 10 Million Dollars and was a boon for lobbyists and political consultants, who benefited the most from the exercise. They all did such a great job in selling everyone; the majority voted for "none of the above". My intention was to show that Puerto Rico is a Country, one that is in search of its own political identity and freedom from the forces that have kept it in an economic and political quagmire, for the last century. Don’t think that this situation is easy on the U.S. Every time that a Puerto Rico issue comes up, Congressmen cringe. To most of them, it’s a mess left over from another era. It’s no wonder Puerto Rico has been called the Ireland of the Western Hemisphere. Regarding the military draft, my error was an omission of the term "killed and wounded". The numbers are not really that important. How can you be drafted, if you can’t vote for the Commander-in-Chief? Remember a Tea Party in Boston Harbor? How about what started the War of 1812? Right is Right, for everyone. The next century will bring some of these issues to a wider forum. This venue is one of them. Those of us living in the States are becoming closer-knit and will have more to say about what happens in our Country of origin, as well as here. We now have the numbers, so we’re going to stand up, be counted and be heard. Adelante! Peter Aviles www.PRConnection.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Peter – I have nothing but respect for Puerto Ricans, that is not in >question. >As a matter of fact, I was just in your Commonwealth two weeks ago and I >must >say the only thing I do not like about Puerto Rico is the summer >climate, but >that is a matter of personal taste. I would however, pose the following >question to you: if you think for one minute that your attitude toward >the >"invader" is representative of the collective opinion of your >countrymen, please >explain why a 1993 referendum produced only 4.4% of the Puerto Rican >population >favoring independence, while 94.9% favored continued ties to the United >States >(48.6% Commonwealth status, 46.3% U.S. Statehood). While you may not >like it, >you are clearly in the vast minority with your radical opinions. > Your mini-history lesson is quite pat and amusing. It proves that history is > always written by the Conquering Invader. Upon reading it, a son or daughter > of our Country, Puerto Rico, can only see a familiar sight: The Ugly > American once again rears its head. > So, let’s provide some essential corrections to your convenient, but > mistaken, mini-lesson on Puerto Rico: > 1. Puerto Rico was an quiet Autonomous Country (on its way to full > Independence from Spain) when it was invaded by a Neo-Imperial Army, on July > 25, 1898, after sustaining severe Naval Bombing for several weeks. > 2. Martial Law ruled the Country for two years. Puerto Ricans were forced to > conduct all transactions and business in the language of the Invaders. > Schools were forced to conduct classes in a strange language and all Puerto > Rican history and cultural-related classes were suspended. Spanish-language > books were removed and banned from schools. For 40 years, every morning, > students were assembled in school courtyards and made to repeat a > pledge of allegiance to the flag of the Invader, although they did not > understand a word of what they were saying. > 3. In 1917, when the Invader decided to join World War One, it also decided > to > draft Puerto Ricans into its infantry. In order to make it legal, Puerto > Ricans were made "citizens" of the Invading Power, but with no right to vote > for its Colonial Rulers. Over the decades, almost a million (a very high > level, in > proportion to the population) brave Puerto Ricans have died in the > battlefields of Europe, Asia, Korea, Viet-Nam and other places, although > (for long) > they were not allowed to eat, drink and socialize with the mainstream > soldiers. > 4. Any political changes that have occurred since the invasion, have been in > direct > response to actions by Puerto Ricans to regain their freedom. > 5. 101 years after the first Naval Bombing, the Invading military continues > to use Puerto Rico as a Practice Range for Naval ships and planes. Several > weeks ago, a Puerto Rican National was killed and several others were > injured, when an F-18 dropped its bombs over them. > 6. Despite over one hundred years of attempts at assimilation (sometimes > violently) on behalf of the invaders, Puerto Ricans maintain a rich language > and vast culture that goes back 500 years. We take great pride in our > heritage and customs. When the terrible economic situation on the island (by > design) forces us to emigrate to the Invading country, we stay in touch with > each other, and when our cultural heritage is threatened, we quickly band > together to protect it, by any means required. > That makes Puerto Rico a Country. It also makes it colonial sattelite of the > Invader; very similar to the countries in Eastern Europe, after WWII, and > Northern Ireland today. > Note: No, the invader was not the Romans, nor the Germans or the Soviets. > The Invader is a large Country to the North, known as the United States of > America. > I trust that our position in this matter is clear and that you keep it in > mind when you visit our Country. > Peter Aviles, > www.PR-Connection.com > >>Maybe I will expand for him. > >>The COMMONWEALTH of Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean Sea, about > >1,000 > >>miles east southeast of Miami, Florida. A POSSESSION OF THE UNITED > STATES, > >it > >>consists of the island of Puerto Rico – smallest of the Greater Antilles, > >>measuring about 100 miles from wast to west and 35 miles across – plus the > >>adjacent islands of Vieques, Culebra and Mona. > >>Puerto Rico remains an unincorporated U.S. territory, as it has been since > >1898. > >>Just because Puerto Ricans maintain their own internal affairs under their > >own > >>constitution (which, I might add, was approved by the U.S. CONGRESS), does > >not > >>make them a country. > >>> To the person that hides behind the alias of "DaBoss777", > >>> Would you like to expand on your comment, please? > >>> Peter Aviles, > >>> National Puerto Rican Coalition > >>> Washington, D.C. > >>> >>>Any help appreciated. > >>> >>>Budget (below$50)Hotel in Puerto Rico > >>> >>Where in PR? It’s a big country. > >>> >>Don (donwiss at panix com). > >>> >Country??????? eeeeeeek!
Response:
Puerto Rico Gov. Wants Navy Out By CHRIS HAWLEY .c The Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Citing a history of stray bombs and environmental damage, Puerto Rican Gov. Pedro Rossello says he’ll try to expel the U.S. Navy from an outlying island. "It’s going to be a fight – we’re all agreed on that, but we are committed,” Rossello said Wednesday in adopting a government commission’s report calling for the Navy to leave Vieques island. Rossello said he considered a 1983 agreement between t he Navy and the Puerto Rican government void because the Navy had not lived up to its promises to protect the environment and the safety of the island’s 9,300 residents. Capt. James Stark Jr., commander of the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station that oversees the training ground, declined comment on the report but said the military is "seeking solutions that will benefit the people of Vieques while maintaining our obligation to train military forces to defend our nation.” The U.S. Navy took over more than two-thirds of the 18-mile-by-4-mile island off Puerto Rico’s east coast in 1940. It says live-fire exercises there are essential. Opposition to the Navy presence has flared since a civilian security guard was killed April 19 when two 500-pound bombs were dropped off-target. The Navy’s admission last month that it had mistakenly fired radioactive uranium-tipped shells at the island in February – in violation of local and federal law – fueled concerns that the Navy may have covered up similar accidents. The commission’s 300-page report details the dropping of five bombs within one mile of homes in 1993 and the shooting of a government vehicle by stray machine-gun bullets in 1997. The panel claims the frequent bombings scare away tourists and developers, resulting in an average income 30 percent lower than the main island. Vieques’ cancer rate is estimated to be at least 40 percent higher than the rest of Puerto Rico, according to researchers at the University of Puerto Rico. Residents blame their poor health on toxic residue from explosives. "The damage is real,” said commission member Mario Gaztambide. "`This is not a question of Puerto Rico against the United States . .. this is simply a matter of justice for Vieques.” Commission members claim the exercises jeopardize the breeding grounds of endangered manatees and sea turtles, coral reefs, pelicans and bays full of luminescent plankton. But environmental impact statements filed by the Navy say they have little effect on the environment. Vieques residents, “like all other citizens, have the inalienable right to enjoy life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness,” Rossello said. "The activities of the Navy of the United States of America on the island of Vieques constitute a violation of those fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution.” At Rossello’s urging, President Clinton ordered the Department of Defense this month to appoint a panel to study the Vieques issue.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Peter – I have nothing but respect for Puerto Ricans, that is not in > question. > As a matter of fact, I was just in your Commonwealth two weeks ago and I > must > say the only thing I do not like about Puerto Rico is the summer > climate, but > that is a matter of personal taste. I would however, pose the following > question to you: if you think for one minute that your attitude toward > the > "invader" is representative of the collective opinion of your > countrymen, please > explain why a 1993 referendum produced only 4.4% of the Puerto Rican > population > favoring independence, while 94.9% favored continued ties to the United > States > (48.6% Commonwealth status, 46.3% U.S. Statehood). While you may not > like it, > you are clearly in the vast minority with your radical opinions.
Short answer…statehooders are 99.9% welfare recipients of some sort that are fearful and that do not know any other way of making a living and that don’t really give a damn about USA (or PR for that matter…) as long as that check keeps coming every month…:) Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.
Response:
>Short answer…statehooders are 99.9% welfare recipients of some sort >that are fearful and that do not know any other way of making a >living and that don’t really give a damn about USA (or PR for that >matter…) as long as that check keeps coming every month…:)
You can invent and reinvent statistics to prove otherwise, but in reality independence inclined Puertoricans are a minority, period. In that minority you can find welfare recipients also.