LETTER TO EDITOR: Let Puerto Rico state its case

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As proud Americans, we Puerto Ricans are defiant in defending our country and our freedom ("Pushing the statehood issue," Opinion, Oct. 27). Puerto Ricans have been proud American citizens since 1917, and our soldiers have bravely defended our nation on the battlefields in numbers higher than in most states.

Contrary to K.C. McAlpin's assertion, Puerto Rico has never held a seat at the United Nations. In 1952, the U.S. Congress granted Puerto Rico the right to elect its own government. This did not alter its legal status as an "unincorporated territory" under U.S. jurisdiction, enjoying plenary powers over what continues to be a colonial possession. This was fully acknowledged in the 2005 White House Task Force Report.

The vast majority of the people of Puerto Rico now realize that the time has come to resolve this issue, which has kept 4 million American citizens disenfranchised for 111 years. H.R. 2499 merely provides a referendum for the people to decide their destiny through a democratic process. If the outcome favors statehood, why not go with it?

The fears of the ProEnglish executive director are unfounded. English and Spanish are the official languages on the island, and, like Hawaii and New Mexico, we will be a bilingual state. We should never denigrate our Hispanic heritage. Lest we forget, it was a Puerto Rican governor, Ponce de Leon, who actually discovered what is now the continental United States, and for almost 100 years Spanish was our common language. Of course, we will never forget the greatness of our Founding Fathers or the importance of English as the world's common language.

Puerto Rico is the oldest colony in world history. It has been 516 years since Christopher Columbus discovered it. It is now time to give Puerto Rico the dignity of shared sovereignty.

DR. ANTONIO LONGO

Southern Region Representative

Republican National Hispanic Assembly

Alexandria