A citizen of Puerto Rico is going to vote in the third Plebiscite vote. He is going to vote for “Enhanced Commonwealth”, and he discusses his reasons for doing so.
To the left: Puerto Rican dinero; notice it is not American, but Puerto Rican
Today I am going to vote in Puerto Rico’s third Plebiscite Vote. I am going to vote for “None of the Above”, because I wish for Puerto Rico to become an Enhanced Commonwealth. The benefits we would receive under this status are much too good to deny. Supporters of statehood, who wish to divide the commonwealth votes, have removed the Enhanced Commonwealth option from the ballot. They have replaced it with Territorial Commonwealth, our current situation and an option that no one wants, and None of the Above. Our votes are still strong though, and supporters of Enhanced Commonwealth will vote for None of The Above.
Today I am going to vote in Puerto Rico’s third Plebiscite Vote. I am going to vote for “None of the Above”, because I wish for Puerto Rico to become an Enhanced Commonwealth. The benefits we would receive under this status are much too good to deny. Supporters of statehood, who wish to divide the commonwealth votes, have removed the Enhanced Commonwealth option from the ballot. They have replaced it with Territorial Commonwealth, our current situation and an option that no one wants, and None of the Above. Our votes are still strong though, and supporters of Enhanced Commonwealth will vote for None of The Above.
I am not very pleased with our current situation. “The current bill attempts to engineer statehood by defining ‘commonwealth’ in such a way as to ignore a whole set of constitutional rights -- U.S. citizenship, non-territorial status, [and] the ballot in plebiscites”. “Under [this] arrangement, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens but the 3.8 million living here cannot vote in presidential elections and have no voting representatives in Congress. [We] don't pay federal taxes, but receive reduced welfare and other federal benefits”. We are under the congressional laws of the United States, yet we are not allowed to choose them? I do not believe this is fair in any way. If we cannot share our opinion in the creation of these laws, then I see no reason for us to be subject to them.
Under the status of Enhanced Commonwealth, the Territorial Clause would no longer pertain to us. We would receive all federal benefits and welfare without having to pay federal income taxes. I believe this is especially important to Puerto Rico, because 71% of our families rely on food stamps from the United States government. Permanent United States citizenship would be granted to all Puerto Ricans to be born in the future. This idea of an Enhanced Commonwealth allows us to enjoy much of the benefits of being part of America, while also avoiding federal taxes and keeping our identity alive.
I do not believe that we should become a state. I am proud of my Puerto Rican heritage, and I do not want it to be lost. Currently we have our own Olympic team. If we become a state, we will not have this anymore. Having our own Olympic team is very important. Not only does it allow us to take pride in our heritage and show this to the world, but it also allows for Puerto Rican athletes to shine. How will our gifted young athletes training here in Puerto Rico compete with Americans training at large and highly advanced facilities in the United States? This is just one example of how our proud culture could be lost should Puerto Rico become a state. Becoming a state would take away our cultural identity, and this is not something that Puerto Ricans such as my self are very willing to give up.
I also believe that independence is not a reasonable option for Puerto Rico. The low cost of trading with the United States is highly beneficial to us, and if we were to become our own nation, the tariffs between the United States and us would skyrocket. We would no longer be citizens of the United States, and therefore we would also be subject to immigration laws. We would lose all benefits, which as I mentioned before, would be devastating because so much of Puerto Rico relies on them. Becoming an independent nation would not prove to be beneficial for Puerto Rico.
Why have our votes been ignored in the past? I believe it is because the Enhanced Commonwealth status has won by so small a margin. Until one side gains a much larger majority, the United States will continue to ignore our votes. They also do not believe our idea of an Enhanced Commonwealth to be reasonable. Personally, I believe that we have received so much trouble from them in the past, that they should be willing to offer us these benefits. My only hope is that this year, the many supporters of Enhanced Commonwealth will come and vote for None of the Above. Though Enhanced Commonwealth is not defined, if we get a large majority to vote, hopefully the United States government and the Puerto Rican government will take a closer look at what the people really want, and what the people really need.
Julio Martinez
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