Posted on 03/14/2012 1:47:45 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Puerto Rico primary is on Sunday and Rick Santorum made a quick campaign stop to the island.
While there, he told Puerto Ricans that if they want to pursue statehood, they should make English their primary language, Reuters reports.
Nevermind the fact that both English and Spanish are already the official languages of the territory. In an interview with El Vocero newspaper, Santorum said he does not support a state where English is not the primary language.
"Like any other state, there has to be compliance with this and any other federal law," Santorum said. "And that is that English has to be the principal language. There are other states with more than one language such as Hawaii but to be a state of the United States, English has to be the principal language."
The only problem with Romney's plan is that no part in the U.S. constitution stipulates that English must be the primary language of a territory before it becomes a state.
The U.S. Census Bureau did report in 2010 that 80 percent of Puerto Ricans self-reported that thee speak English less than "very well."
Twenty delegates are up for grabs in Puerto Rico.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
A surgery bread stick :)
...they just want to hate on Santorum and the subject doesn't matter.
Mitt Romney luvs them long time.
I agree with you on that also, skeeter. It was the media's usual "gotcha" MO, but the way he answered hinted that either he didn't do his basic advance homework about the island's culture, or he didn't use common sense for fall-back.
I just think that either instance is worrisome in heading forward on an increasingly higher-stakes stage.
Maybe I'm making too much of it.
Okay........?
OMG that's funny :^D
I totally agree with him.
If Puerto Rico becomes a state, they should speak the language of the land, English.
(If St. Lucia, for example, wanted to annex itself to Puerto Rico and become the 72nd municipality, then St. Lucians should learn how to speak Spanish, the language of Puerto Rico).
By the way, Puerto Rico will NEVER become a state.
8 Dem House Reps and 2 Dem Senators?
No friggin’ way...
If PR became a *state*, it would be a HUGE problem electorally. Certainly the southern border, and the face that many LEGAL immigrants do not share our Constitutional values are bigger conundrums, for now. I don’t think that Santorum would disagree with that.
BTW, Gingrich is on record supporting statehood for PR. Bob
How often have we heard people call for English to be made the official language of the United States? Rick is simply stating that if Puerto Rico wants statehood, English should be their official language. What’s the problem?
Mi querida Silvie, that of Puerto Rico sending a democrat delegation to Congress if it were a state is a worn out and discredited meme. Puerto Ricans are at heart and soul conservative, at a minimum conservative on social issues. On economic issues, we’ve been in the marxist abyss and we have learned. I submit to you that once we get off status politics and start learning about national issues, Puerto Rico will be solidly Republican. Witness who are the present government leaders: mostly Republicans. We cannot interpolate how northeast mainland Puerto Ricans vote to how island Puerto Ricans would vote given the opportunity. Have more faith in your people.
Candidly and respectfully,
cll
“Glad you find that funny.”
Sorry if you misunderstood. I was an English major (long ago) and I was just translating your higher vocabulary:-))
No offense intended.
A poor, nonCaucasian (read mulatto) people who are dependent on the government for their livelihood (a slight majority of PRs population uses food stamps or the EBT card) will never vote Republican in large numbers. Most blacks, Mexicans, Dominicans, and stateside Ricans vote Dem for the same reasons, despite being "socially conservative."
Import the Third World, become the Third World.
Thanks for opening my eyes and ears to this. I’ve been blissfully ignorant on the matter for years. I’m still living “in the 1970s & 1980s” as far as PR politics are concerned.
Gracias.
I thought that only 231 people voted in the 2008 Republican Primary in Puerto Rico.
(Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.)
Have things changed so much in PR in the past 4 years to make it more “Republican-friendly”?
None taken, FRiend.
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