Statehood is, or should be, a form of independence.
Mainlander and islander lives are too intertwined for the bonds to be broken. Ask yourself, what exactly is a Puerto Rican? And the answer is someone who either lives in or was born in Puerto Rico. There are many mainlanders who claim a Puerto Rican identity only to use it on the other side of the "us vs. them" game you fine folks on the mainland like to play so much.
But for example, if I was born on the island, but my wife was born in New York and our children were born in Alabama, who decides who gets to stay as an American?
Allow for multiple combinations of island and mainland born, and who lives on the island or on the mainland, and of those who owns businesses or property where, and it gets very complicated.
The decision to annex Puerto Rico was made a long time ago by men older and wiser than us.
Every once in a while we post to a thread which somehow pushes everyone's buttons, and responding becomes a second career - and this seems to have been one of those threads. That's too much attention to demand of the thread, but nevertheless here goes.
First, I meant no disparagement of Puerto Ricans, and if Puerto Ricans as a group seem to want their island to be a state then by all means it should be put to a vote. This has been done, IIRC, and I believe that the vote results have been largely that Puerto Ricans do NOT want their island to be a state. I could be wrong about that, but, in any case, if they want the island to be a state, then congress should take up the issue and decide the matter. They're the nation's elected representatives and I don't particularly see that the whole thing has to be put to a popular plebiscite. If it happens, fine. Welcome Puerto Rico.
As for who, currently and as things stand now, should be a citizen and who should not... as you say, those wiser than us - in INS - should decide; they've got the experience to deliberate the matter and render a verdict.
I should add that I meant no disrespect with my rather flip reply to the serviceman who didn't like my opinion. No doubt he is a heroic fellow with personal nobility by the trainload and deserves a citizenship if he so desires. Again, that should be a matter of INS policy.
At all events, Puerto Rico is currently not a state. Should it become a state, after due deliberation by our betters in congress and the federal bureaucracy, then by all means we should welcome the fact. I, personally, don't think it'll happen - and, for that reason, I believe Puerto Rico, as it stands currently, is a political liability and should be cut loose.
And that's all I'm gonna post to this thread. Period.
I believe that is what the Founding Fathers had in mind.