Why arent Puerto Rico, the D. of C., U.S. Virgin Islands, N. Mariana Islands, Guam, & American Samoa "states"

Question

I know that's six more, so if we wanted to get rid of Texas and then we'd end up with 55 states and that'd still be a nice-looking arrangement of stars.
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(haha, just kidding Texas. We love you, but you can be your own country again whenever you want.) (Like they always say in Texas..."it's kinda hot today.")

Answer 1

Because the people would be entitled to the same rights as US citizens which means they couldn't be exploited any more.

Answer 2

Thye choose not to. At least that is the case for Puerto Rico and Guam. DC, cannot be a State, Constitutionally, this was do to the fact that the US was established as a Federalist Nation with certain powers reserved for the Feds, States, and Local. The Founding Fathers did not want a state in control of the Capital. The others may not have the population, I'd have to do research on that.

Basically the territories get the same rights as states, but pay less taxes and other responsibilities that the States have.

Answer 3

Because then they would not be protected by US law and put Republicans out of the sex trade and slave labor business. However, it is not certain that those laws will remain in effect. Republicans, led by Tom DeLay (now unofficially), have been trying for years to do away with America’s child protection laws at home.

DeLay’s idea is to use Mexican immigrant labor in America the same way that Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Target and the Gap exploit women on the US Protectorate island of Saipan to produce clothing bearing the “Made in the USA” label.

Delay has praised Saipan as a model for capitalists everywhere. And, here is where the pathologically lying and hypocritical republican politicians are at their best. If a woman working in one of these sweatshops becomes pregnant, she is given the option of having an abortion or losing her job.

That’s right. These ‘exploiters of the Christian right for votes’, ‘we are pro-life and family values’ scum are supporting ‘forced abortion’ policies in real life. As these women have no escape (they owe money to the people who brought them there with promises of obtaining good jobs in America), if they refuse to have abortions and lose their jobs, they are forced (some as young as 13) into the sex business on the island. Maybe that is why DeLay used to love to vacation there with all his lobbyist buddies.

Answer 4

I know there are differences of opinion in Puerto Rico as to whether they want to be a state. They last voted on this issue in 1998, and 46% of the Puerto Rican population voted in favor of statehood.

The other territories need to apply for statehood, so there's your answer...