Posted: 4/29/2010 9:22:52 AM EDT
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OK, I have to admit it, I was too busy trying to look up my 7th grade teachers short skirt rather than pay attention in TN History class. Glenn Beck has been discussing this "non-binding" resolution about to go before the US house & senate concerning Puerto Rico. He says something to the effect that Puerto Rico has a ballot coming up where they will vote for one of three outcomes concerning relationship with the US. 1. Stay like they are now 2. Declare independence 3. Vote to be the 51st state. Historically they have had this ballot every so often where they had a choice of 2 or 3. It always fails because they do not want to be a state, but he is concerned that they will end up voting for statehood somehow. Anyway the tie to Tennessee history is the invocation of the so called "Tennessee Rule", or the process that Tennessee used to gain entry into the Union as the 14th state. Now I was vaguely aware of the "Franklin" effort, but not the "Tennessee Rule" where we allegedly voted for our own members of congress and two senate seats before we were a state and then sent them to Washington to be seated. Supposedly, there was a big uproar over the way we did it and it set a precedence. Can some of our resident historians fill us in here? Beck is concerned the Marxists are going to try to seat Puerto Rico representatives as the 51st state without us voting on it and the vote today in the senate is laying the groundwork for this. |
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Tennessee became the 16th (not 14th) state on 1 June 1796, the day following George Washington's signing the Act of
Congress authorizing it. However, in the months leading up to that, two putative "Senators" from Tennessee (including William Blount, the last governor of the Territory of Tennessee) had been appointed by the territorial legislature, & sent to Washington to take their place in Congress. They weren't accepted, but were successful in fast-tracking the Statehood act, and, since the Territorial Legislature had already acted to name them Senators, they were in place to be seated once we did offically become a state. It's sort of stealing a march...and Glenn Beck may be right. Best description of it I've found on the 'net is here: http://www.litsite.org/index.cfm?section=Digital-Archives&page=Government&cat=Alaska-Statehood&viewpost=2&ContentId=2782 Bob, send any winnings to the TFA PAC (allows political contributions to candidates), or the Constitutional Action Fund (funds lawsuits). 
David |
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Here is a ink to Glenn Beck's site with his explanation of the Marxist's strategy to add another state to the union http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/39780/ Pretty chilling how fast this is all unfolding |
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Quoted:
They would be crazy to vote for statehood, they get all the benefits with none of the BS. They mostly do what they want without interference from congress. But still get the money from them. EXCEPT gun ownership! They have no 2nd amendent rights because they are a U.S. territory and not a state, while there they only have status as a U.S. national and not a citizen, same for other territories like Guam and the Marianas. They have to apply for a status change when they move stateside if they want to own firearms and then still can't take them hole unless under the provisions of the LEO nationwide carry law. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
They would be crazy to vote for statehood, they get all the benefits with none of the BS. They mostly do what they want without interference from congress. But still get the money from them. EXCEPT gun ownership! They have no 2nd amendent rights because they are a U.S. territory and not a state, while there they only have status as a U.S. national and not a citizen, same for other territories like Guam and the Marianas. They have to apply for a status change when they move stateside if they want to own firearms and then still can't take them hole unless under the provisions of the LEO nationwide carry law. I did not know that, thank you for that little bit of info. |
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I believe 75% of Puerto Ricans receive some form of government assistance. (1) They couldn't survive without our money, so they aren't going anywhere. (2) They don't pay their way now, so they won't want to change it.
Another interesting point I heard on NPR a couple of years back was that the largest number of welfare recipients in NYC are of Puerto Rican persuasion. Sixty percent was the number quoted. PRs in North America are the least likely to prosper according to a Puerto Rican investigative reporter. And if you're wondering, I have a couple of PR friends that have been pretty close. Both are hard workers. |