Puerto Ricans shares the same military obligations as any US citizen, but they can not vote for the President of the United States. Right now there are thousands of them (in all military branhes) giving their lives to defend USA in the war against terrorism. Can this be considered a violation of civil rigths?
What happens if in november 2008 a resident of Puerto Rico still fighting in Iraq, can this resident qualified to vote for the President at that moment? I think it may look akward to see other soldiers in Iraq voting in the Presidential Election while if you are a resident of Puerto Rico figthing in Iraq do not have the same opportunity.
2007-10-01 08:38:10 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Some of the answers are pretty crazy so lets clear some things up:
1. Residents of Puerto Rico are full and complete US Citizens. With all the rights and privlegdes and obligations of any other US Citizen.
2. The United States of America is an association of STATES. The member states are the foundation of the government with the federal level designed to control collective needs (ie: defense) and mediate interstate issues. But the prinicpal of the nation remains that the STATES are the components of the government.
3. Individual Citizens do not vote for President of the United States. The Constitution is very clear on this: Each state is granted a number of electorial votes equal to the sum of the number of Representatives and Senators elected from that state. The individual states may chose the manner for allocating those votes. The current method is to hold a popular election where the people cast ballots that elect a slate of Electors who are committed to a particular candidate. This is a relatively new development and any state may change its method of selecting Electors when and how it chooses.
4. Note again that CITIZENS do not have any Constitutional right to select the President. Only the States have that right. Puerto Rico is not a state, therefore does not have any Constitutional right to any Electors for the President, nor for that matter do they have a right to any Congressmen. Since there is no right granted then it cannot be a violation of their civil rights not to vote.
5. Puerto Rico could, by internal vote, petition the other States to gain admission to the Union as a State. Then the other member states would each have a chance to accept or reject that application. That is the exact same process every state past the original 13 had to follow. Shoudl Puerto Rico gain Statehood, they would also gain full Congressional Representation and an appropriate number of Electors for President -- which, as a soverign state, they could decide on their own method for assigning those Electors. Which may or may not involve a popular vote.
6. Finally, before anyone thinks this is aimed at Puerto Ricians, remember there is also the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa and the residents of the Federal District of Columbia who do not have any Constitutional right to participate in the selection of the President. And when it was California Territory; or Dakota Territory; or Ohio Territory; or any other federal territory they followed those same rules: Only STATES are Contitutionally empowered to select the President.
2007-10-01 14:51:29 · answer #1 · answered by SMBR 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Puerto Rico became a self governing commonwealth on July 25, 1952. The offficial name is Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico.
Puerto Ricans are statutory US citizens and their present status is not a permanent one. Their nationality is Puerto Rican
Puerto RIcans do not vote in US elections ans do not pay federal taxes because PR is not incorporated into the US. They are considered a country.
2007-10-01 15:52:00 · answer #2 · answered by tamara 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Puerto Ricans are Statutory-US citizens (They are also Puerto Rican citizens too). Under the compact of association established between the country of Puerto Rico and the USA in 1952 under the Free Association status, common defense is one of the arrangements. This does not mean that Puerto Ricans are part of the US, They are partners which is a different thing.
2007-10-01 09:54:46 · answer #3 · answered by Brian 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Yes, 1913 was the year import tariffs were replaced with the permanent income tax as the main source of revenues for the federal government. 1913 was the year U.S. Senators started getting elected by popular vote, instead of being chosen by state legislatures as the founders had intended it. Our government was turned over to the progressives, and our country has been under mob rule ever since. BTW, Women's Suffrage was shortly after that. Our doom was sealed at that point.
2016-05-18 02:50:45 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Puerto Ricans do not enjoy equal treatment as United States citizens. Yet we fight and die for this country side by side with everybody else.
There are more men and women from Puerto Rico in the Persian Gulf today, proportionately, than there are from each of the 50 states. Yet Puerto Ricans did not elect the President that sent them there. That sound to me like a violation of civil rights!
It is a missconception that Puerto Rican can't vote for the President because they don't pay taxes. They pay Social Security taxes , Medicaid etc. If you areca resident of Puerto Rico working for the federal government or doing bussines with the federal government you have to pay federal taxes.
This is a case not only of civil rigths but also of territorial discrimination. It is sad that the country who portraits itself as a beacon of democracy for the rest of the world is keeping more than 4 miilions of its citizens without the rigth to vote in the Presidential Elections. Shame on you USA!
2007-10-01 09:18:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
"Puerto Ricans shares the same military obligations as any US citizen" - which is NONE. Since this is the ENTIRE basis for your argument, it holds no merit. Additionally, people from many other countries are able to join the US military. While serving in the military, many choose to apply for US citizenship and gain the same. Once citizens, they have the right to vote.
2007-10-01 08:47:38 · answer #6 · answered by davidmi711 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It is not a violation of Civil Rights because PR is not a recognized state, therefore the rights guaranteed in the constitution do not apply to it's citizens.
Unless you become a legal US citizen by then you do not get to vote in '08. You may not like it, but you more than likely knew about this when you entered the millitary.
2007-10-01 08:52:54 · answer #7 · answered by dlil 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Persons from Puerto Rico serving in the U.S. Armed Forces can vote by absentee ballot, just like all other soldiers. The fact that they hail from Puerto Rico makes no difference -- if you wear the uniform, you can vote.
2007-10-01 08:46:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
What military obligations? It's all volunteer. If your stupid enough to join you get what you deserve. What's so great about voting anyways? You do realize that your vote really has no say on who gets elected don't you?
2007-10-01 10:19:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
They don't vote because they don't pay taxes. At any rate, I've never heard them complain because they lack the vote so I wouldn't call it a civil rights abuse. If they want to vote, they can work it out with the government, I'm sure they'd find a way to make it happen (probably involving taxes too).
2007-10-01 09:03:02 · answer #10 · answered by Pfo 7 · 2⤊ 3⤋