Should Puerto Rico be made a state? Why or why not?

[Angrboda]

The governor of Puerto Rico is using the first anniversary of Hurricane Maria to step up his calls for statehood. John Wagner reports: “In a letter to [Trump] this week and in television interviews Thursday, [Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló] argued that disparate federal responses to Puerto Rico and other states affected by hurricanes underscore the need to alter the U.S. territory’s status. ‘I think the case has essentially been made to the world in the aftermath of Maria,’ Rosselló said during an appearance on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe.’ ‘The truth of the matter is we’ve been treated like second-class citizens.’ Rosselló, who campaigned on the promise of promoting statehood, said he was pressing Trump and members of Congress to state their position on the issue. . . . He argued that the United States cannot claim to be a 'standard-bearer of democracy while carrying colonial territories in the 21st century.'”

(Washington Post)

So, yes or no, and why?

[Foxaèr]

Why not.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

IIRC, 97% of the residents didn't vote for statehood the last time it came up. In fact, they didn't vote at all.

[Minimalist]

They sound like 'Murricans already.

Actually, though, 97% of the people who bothered to vote were pro-statehood.  The actual vote % was about a quarter of eligible voters.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...ss/530136/

But given that average US mid-term elections have a 40% turnout rate that really isn't so bad.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I hadn't heard of that one.

[Chad32]

I'm not sure Trump even knows it's his responsibility to help the place. At the very least we should probably raise awareness that people in US territories are Americans. Or even just that the US has other territories outside mainland besides Hawaii and Alaska.

[Foxaèr]

I'm not sure Trump even knows it's his responsibility to help the place.

As is the case with most rich, entitled people, his only responsibility is to himself and his fellow rich people.

[Minimalist]

The WLB thinks they are Mexicans.  I'm surprised he hasn't tried to build a wall around the island.

[J a c k]

The WLB thinks they are Mexicans.  I'm surprised he hasn't tried to build a wall around the island.

I almost spit out my coffee. So much this!

[Anomalocaris]

The WLB thinks they are Mexicans.  I'm surprised he hasn't tried to build a wall around the island.

He couldn’t find a Sahara to build the wall on.