51st State: Puerto Rico? It might happen in November!
177 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34797218]Where does it say they'll be forced to give up their language and culture?[/QUOTE]
They don't have to give it up, but they would have to teach English over Spanish.
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;34797807]They don't have to give it up, but they would have to teach English over Spanish.[/QUOTE]
I'm forced to take Spanish classes here in NJ. I think they can deal with some English being taught in their state to get along with the rest of the country they're now part of.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34800952]I'm forced to take Spanish classes here in NJ. I think they can deal with some English being taught in their state to get along with the rest of the country they're now part of.[/QUOTE]
That's kinda odd, New Jersey is nowhere near South America.
I'm in Pennsylvania and our school didn't have any mandatory language classes, the ones they did have were both extremely basic and lacked real structure (like how to say window, wall, touch, cat, you can't really form a sentence with those..).
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34800952]I'm forced to take Spanish classes here in NJ. I think they can deal with some English being taught in their state to get along with the rest of the country they're now part of.[/QUOTE]
What. Even in Arizona we aren't forced to take Spanish classes. You can choose between Advanced English, French, Spanish, or Study Hall.
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;34797807]They don't have to give it up, but they would have to teach English over Spanish.[/QUOTE]
It'd be a good idea for them, but I don't see why they'd [B]have[/B] to teach English.
America doesn't have an official language.
Who wouldn't want to be part of America?
[QUOTE=Led Zeppelin;34802368]It'd be a good idea for them, but I don't see why they'd [B]have[/B] to teach English.
America doesn't have an official language.[/QUOTE]
The official language in the United States, not America, is American English.
America does not have an official language because it's a continent.
[editline]21st February 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Eudoxia;34802439]Who wouldn't want to be part of America?[/QUOTE]
Europe sure as hell doesn't.
[QUOTE=Aerkhan;34802654]The official language in the United States, not America, is American English.
America does not have an official language because it's a continent.[/quote]
The United States has no official language.
[quote]Europe sure as hell doesn't.[/QUOTE]
Yes they do the jelly of our freedoms.
[QUOTE=Led Zeppelin;34802368]It'd be a good idea for them, but I don't see why they'd [B]have[/B] to teach English.
America doesn't have an official language.[/QUOTE]
Because the overwhelming majority of Americans usually speak english, not to mention that most high-paying jobs in the US requires to be able to speak fluent english.
[QUOTE=Aerkhan;34802654]The official language in the United States, not America, is American English.
America does not have an official language because it's a continent.
[/quote]
Semantics. You know what I meant.
And no, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA does not have a federally mandated official language.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;34801037]That's kinda odd, New Jersey is nowhere near South America.
I'm in Pennsylvania and our school didn't have any mandatory language classes, the ones they did have were both extremely basic and lacked real structure (like how to say window, wall, touch, cat, you can't really form a sentence with those..).[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;34801604]What. Even in Arizona we aren't forced to take Spanish classes. You can choose between Advanced English, French, Spanish, or Study Hall.[/QUOTE]
When I went through high school, we had to pick a "foreign language". The options were French or Spanish, but because the middle school only taught Spanish, it was heavily encouraged to take that over French. And after I graduated in 2008, they got rid of the French classes altogether. Now it's either Spanish or you don't graduate - 2 years of a foreign language is mandatory to graduate.
[editline]21st February 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Aerkhan;34802654]The official language in the United States, not America, is American English.
America does not have an official language because it's a continent.[/QUOTE]
[B]The reason the US has no official language is because individual states have their own official language. This is one of the few times the 10th Amendment is still paid attention to.[/B]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States#Official_language_status[/url]
[QUOTE=lulzbocksV2;34694900]They had better vote for statehood. It's bullshit how they get representation in congress even though they have the ability to become a state yet they choose not to. They don't have to pay taxes but they get representation for some reason.[/QUOTE]
You realize their Representative's vote is legally invalid for all congressional purposes, right? It's literally just a symbolic vote.
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;34692455]Probably consider themselves Puerto Ricans for cultural reasons.[/QUOTE]
Why can't they consider themselves both?
New Yorkers like to think of themselves as New Yorkers as well as Americans. Same for Texans. And Californians. And every other state, to some extent. I'm sure even North Dakotans have a proud and storied state identity.
Edit:
Shit, did I do it again? Dammit Gman, next time look how long the thread goes on before responding to shit on the first page.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34809198][B]The reason the US has no official language is because individual states have their own official language. This is one of the few times the 10th Amendment is still paid attention to.[/B]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States#Official_language_status[/url][/QUOTE]
You are an Idiot, the only state on that List with a official language that's not English is Hawaii, and even then it's held second to English due to the fact that only a tenth of a faction of the population can speak it, with only 3 states being bilingual, and one of those is only de jure due to the partial legal recognition by Louisiana of French (I've been through South Louisiana many a time, nobody speaks it), with New Mexico and Maine being the only states with any high level of bilingualism due to being surrounded on 3 sides by Quebec, and New Mexico generally being a shithole that no-one but those who are descendant from the Mexicans(THE NATIONALITY, DON'T MAKE THIS RACIAL) who lived there before America annexed it and gave them citizenship and assholes trying to avoid Texas laws.
Speaking of the use of 'Mexicans' why the fuck must people turn this into a racial group when it's a fucking nationality, the actual fucking race most Mexicans are is the Mestizos racial group.
[QUOTE=Broseph_;34811976]You are an Idiot, the only state on that List with a official language that's not English is Hawaii, and even then it's held second to English due to the fact that only a tenth of a faction of the population can speak it, with only 3 states being bilingual, and one of those is only de jure due to the partial legal recognition by Louisiana of French (I've been through South Louisiana many a time, nobody speaks it), with New Mexico and Maine being the only states with any high level of bilingualism due to being surrounded on 3 sides by Quebec, and New Mexico generally being a shithole that no-one but those who are descendant from the Mexicans(THE NATIONALITY, DON'T MAKE THIS RACIAL) who lived there before America annexed it and gave them citizenship and assholes trying to avoid Texas laws.
Speaking of the use of 'Mexicans' why the fuck must people turn this into a racial group when it's a fucking nationality, the actual fucking race most Mexicans are is the Mestizos racial group.[/QUOTE]
Even if it's just Hawaii, my point still stands.
I think you were going to make an argument, but somehow got distracted by some notion of people possibly saying Mexicans were a race, but I don't know where you were heading from or to with that :v:
Go after Canada instead, its larger.
[QUOTE=thisispain;34701014]i live in california and you are such a damn liar[/QUOTE]
...What do you expect though? you live in the western world. In a nation that was colonized by Euros and which its government also derived from. Thats like living in China and complaining about too many Asians. Secondly, there are White Puerto ricans. Also, whats wrong with white people? were damn sexy!
[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34721538]But not a larger proportion so your argument is irrelevant[/QUOTE]
California actualy has more European Americans than every state in the country. Not just because of its past history (similiar to New York) with many Europeans migrating to the territory in mass numbers from all over Europe but also because both California & New York still recieve the most new European immigrants every year in comparison to other states. European immigrants are attracted to the geography & ofcourse the buisness.
They always vote against it
[QUOTE=Jimbojib;34824718]They always vote against it[/QUOTE]
How many times have they voted, anyway? I only know of once.
Three have been done... 1967, 1993, and 1998.
For the most part it's been an average 73% turnout for the votes and most of the time people have been strangle-holding with Commonwealth/Statehood.
This vote is going to be very game changing...
The first vote asks:
1.) Remain status quo (Commonwealth/Un-associated Territory)
2.) Vote with only three options...
- Statehood
- Independence
- Free Association
The reason this is so big is because no-longer is their "None of the Above" and in the past Free Association/Independence have gotten little to nothing on the vote.
[I]Independence[/I]
[B]1967[/B]: 4,248 (0.6%)
[b]1993[/b]: 75,620 (4.4%)
[b]1998[/b]: 39,838 (2.54%)
And Free Association has only been around for one vote(1998) with....
[B]4536 (0.29%)[/B]
Generally speaking, if the 1st Vote goes through Puerto Rico pretty much has a 98% chance of joining the Union.
What I find hilarious is that people in Puerto Rico along with the other US territories (they are all citizens of the US) aren't allowed to vote during the presidential elections, yet any US citizen living in any other country can vote by mail.
[QUOTE=Saber15;34698728]The 51 star flag design looks awesome, though. :v:
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/eNNVv.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
That does indeed look awesome. You get a winner for informing me of this.
Update: The 2012 Plebiscite has taken an interesting turn!
[quote]The plebiscite ballot will consist of two questions. Voters will first be asked whether they want the current territory status to continue. Regardless of how voters answer that question, they will then be asked to express their preference among the three alternatives to the current status: statehood, independence and nationhood in free association with the US.
If a majority of Puerto Rico voters in November cast their ballots in opposition to the current status, and in support of one of the alternatives, Puerto Rico's local officials can be expected to petition the federal government to act upon that choice. For example, if statehood obtains majority support, then Puerto Rico's single representative in the US Congress — known as the Resident Commissioner — will likely introduce legislation that would place Puerto Rico on the path to statehood, phasing in equal treatment for the island under federal law. As with other bills, this legislation would be subject to amendment and require the approval of Congress and the signature of the president.[/quote]
First Past The Post, is truly going to influence the outcome of this vote I believe! [the change is that the two votes have been merged to the same day]
The massive boost in flag sales would revitalize the American economy and sense of unity, it must happen.
What does "nationhood in free association with the US" mean, opposed to what it is now or statehood?
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;35921757]What does "nationhood in free association with the US" mean, opposed to what it is now or statehood?[/QUOTE]
I'm assuming pretty much like what Australia is to the UK, but I could be wrong.
[QUOTE=Spycrabz;35922008]I'm assuming pretty much like what Australia is to the UK, but I could be wrong.[/QUOTE]
I'm not altogether familiar with Australia's relation to the UK.
To be honest, I'm not familiar with Australia's relation to just about anyone.
All of the flags on my uniforms would change. This could be a hassle, but I don't care because all of the Puerto Rican soldiers I know are very professional and great people. I think that they deserve a chance at being a state.
[QUOTE=SKEEA;35922460]All of the flags on my uniforms would change. This could be a hassle, but I don't care because all of the Puerto Rican soldiers I know are very professional and great people. I think that they deserve a chance at being a state.[/QUOTE]
They haven't been denied statehood by anyone but themselves in the past.
[B]Edit:[/B]
I hardly think we'll change our flag to 51 stars, the 50 star flag has lasted the longest of all the rest, it'll probably stay that way.
The biggest thing is if the president of PR is going to become the governor of PR, or if they'll wait until his term is finished and elect someone else.
Exchanging PR military uniforms for US uniforms would be another.
[QUOTE=KnightVista;35922799]I really don't see a problem with their flag, sure it resembles ours but what about the Texas flag resembling Chile's?
Their flag has just about as much history as ours and shouldn't have to change just because it might become a state.[/QUOTE]
What about their flag?
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