[go: nahoru, domu]

Jump to content

Talk:Puerto Rico: Difference between revisions

Page contents not supported in other languages.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
m Reverted edits by 216.125.193.66 (talk) to last version by Caribbean H.Q.
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
Hello ddddddddddddddgggggggfgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggUser:Cerejota|Cerejota]] 06:55, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
{{skiptotoctalk}}
{{talkheader}}
{{ArticleHistory
|action1=PR
|action1date=July 5, 2005
|action1link=Wikipedia:Peer review/Puerto Rico/archive2
|action1oldid=18085973

|action2=GAN
|action2date=12:49, April 13, 2006
|action2result=listed
|action2oldid=48294669

|action3=FAC
|action3date=August 9, 2006
|action3link=Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Puerto Rico
|action3result=failed
|action3oldid=68642269

|topic=Geography
|currentstatus=GA
}}
{{WikiProjectBanners
|1={{PuertoRicoproj|importance=top|class=GA}}
|2={{WikiProject United States|class=GA}}
|3={{WikiProject Caribbean|class=GA|importance=Top}}}}
{{calm talk}}
{{Off topic warning}}
{{WPCD|small=yes}}
{{V0.5|class=GA|category=Geography|small=yes}}
{{to do|small=yes}}
</td><td>
<table border="0" cellpadding="10" bgcolor="#F7F8FF"
style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; border: 1px solid #8888AA; line-height: 150%">
<tr>
<td align="left">
<center>'''Archives'''</center>
[[Talk:Puerto Rico/Controversial issues|Controversial issues]]<br/>
[[Talk:Puerto Rico/Trivia|Trivia]]<br/>
[[Talk:Puerto Rico/Useful information|Useful information]]<br/>
[[Talk:Puerto Rico/Archive_01|Archive]]
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</tr></table>

== Image caption, Kapok tree to [[Ceiba]] ==

{{tl|editprotected}}

[[Ceiba]] is more correct, as Kapok is an specific species, which is not stated by sources as being the same species as being the official tree of Puerto Rico. Thanks!--[[User:Cerejota|Cerejota]] 07:47, 6 August 2007 (UTC)
:The official tree of Puerto Rico is the Kapok or ''Ceiba pentandra''. Ceiba, although the common name for the species in Puerto Rico, is actually the name of the genus of this tree and it is, therefore, more ambiguous than Kapok. [[User:Joelr31|Joelito]] ([[User talk:Joelr31|talk]]) 12:08, 6 August 2007 (UTC)

There doesn't seem to be agreement on the change - once there is agreement, then add an editprotected tag and someone will look here again. 13:07, 6 August 2007 (UTC)

:Where can we get the source for this? Thanks!--[[User:Cerejota|Cerejota]] 06:55, 8 August 2007 (UTC)




Line 172: Line 117:


== WEF Country Profile for Puerto Rico ==
== WEF Country Profile for Puerto Rico ==
fxlkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkz;dg;lfd;'lfdkglkdnjgkdjfhsdkfklDecember 2007 (UTC)
Puerto Rico enters at #36 ( out of 131 countries that are included) at the World Economic Forum (WEF) yearly report. It is the first time Puerto Rico has a country profile and it is included in the yearly Index report. The WEF website says "The Global Competitiveness Report series has evolved over the last three decades into the world’s most comprehensive and respected assessment of countries’ competitiveness, offering invaluable insights into the policies, institutions, and factors driving productivity and, thus, enabling sustained economic growth and long-term prosperity."
Related links and reference: 1) [http://www.weforum.org/pdf/Global_Competitiveness_Reports/Reports/gcr_2007/gcr2007_rankings.pdf WEF Global Competitiveness Index Report 2007] 2) WEF Website [http://www.gcr.weforum.org/ WEF] --[[User:Royptorico|Royptorico]] 20:46, 31 October 2007 (UTC)

== Political status within the United States ==

I think that this section has too apologetic a tone, especially the second paragraph. It sounds as if it is trying too hard to refute those who claim that Puerto Ricans do not pay enough taxes toward the US government for the benifits they enjoy. <small>—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/71.125.222.28|71.125.222.28]] ([[User talk:71.125.222.28|talk]]) 23:26, 31 October 2007 (UTC)</small><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->


== Link to site of color photos of Puerto Rico in the 1940s and 1950s ==

I've been digitizing color slides taken in Puerto Rico in the 1940s and 50s for two years now and have over 1,500 photos online at www.flickr.com/photos/tlehman/. These cover most aspects of life in Puerto Rico at the time: agriculture, scenery, towns, transporation, housing, etc.

I believe this would be a useful link to add in the Photos section of Further reading. <small>—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[User:Tlehman|Tlehman]] ([[User talk:Tlehman|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Tlehman|contribs]]) 17:21, 6 November 2007 (UTC)</small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
:The section is "further '''reading'''" (emphasis added). How is Flickr something to read? Great work, by the way. --'''[[User talk:Agüeybaná|<font color="Green">Agüeybaná</font>]]''' 21:00, 6 November 2007 (UTC)
What is the source for these photos? Are they yours? If not, where were they taken from? [[User:Joelr31|Joelito]] ([[User talk:Joelr31|talk]]) 21:09, 6 November 2007 (UTC)

Sorry. The Photos link is under External Links, not Further Reading.

The photos were taken by individuals who served in Puerto Rico in the 1940s and 50s in projects in Castaner, La Plata, Pulguillas, etc. Some of them have allowed me to scan their slides. I've been giving digital copies to archives, including the Luis Munoz Marin Foundation in San Juan, and putting general interest ones on Flickr for use by the public. [[User:Tlehman|Tlehman]] 21:18, 6 November 2007 (UTC)

== radio stations ==

Puerto Rico has one of the most competitive radio markets yet there were barely any wikipedia articles on radio stations in the market. Nearly all the stations have stub pages now but include mostly technical details. Any help on improving these articles, particularly with historical information would be appreciated. See [[:Category:Radio stations in Puerto Rico]] category for a list. --[[User:Rtphokie|Rtphokie]] 12:23, 8 November 2007 (UTC)

::Whoever grapples with this issue should note that Puerto Rico enjoys no satellite radio coverage---neither XM nor Sirius beam their signal to PR. This fact makes it less attractive for these systems to include Hispanic broadcasts since they don't reach 9% of the US's Hispanic market---the 3.9 million living in PR. I believe that the PR Senate announced a bill regarding XM and Sirius' consent to merge petition before the FCC.[[User:Pr4ever|Pr4ever]] 14:20, 8 November 2007 (UTC)

== Sports- PR national team (volleyball) defeats US national team ==

Front page news in all the newspapers in PR. A landmark date for the PR national volleyball team. It defeated the US team for the first time in 30 years in the World Cup being held in Japan. The newspaper El Nuevo Dia called this game "Historico triunfo sobre EEUU" (Historic triumph against US team). reference: [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h9YldjCpY0OZ1Ba6ZmIZ1OUiZG7g] and El Nuevo Dia (in spanish) [http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/noticia/voleibol/deportes/festejo_en_la_isla/317457] . Something to be add in the sports article of PR --[[User:Royptorico|Royptorico]] ([[User talk:Royptorico|talk]]) 16:38, 21 November 2007 (UTC)
:Please remember that this is a general article on Puerto Rico and should cover broad topics not specific recent details. See [[WP:SS|summary style]] for more information. [[User:Joelr31|Joelito]] ([[User talk:Joelr31|talk]]) 20:53, 21 November 2007 (UTC)


== "Political squabbling" ==

I have undone the massive reverts done by [[Joelr31]] because of alleged "political squabbling" and because it is a "summary article".

1-the "government type" is not a "self-governing Commonwealth". First, PR is not fully self-governing and "commonwealth" does not describe with any specificity what PR is. It is only the name given to the body politic. "Commonweath" is the name of four states, that are entirely different from the Queen of England's realm, also called a "Commonwealth". The phrase "Republican three-branch" is a very specific one-meaning-permitted description of the type of government in Puerto Rico.

2-population ranks-Puerto Rico is under United States sovereignty. Thus, it somewhat political to rank it in comparison to nations that are sovereign. However, fully respecting that view, I added the rankings in comparison to the other jurisdiction within the United States, not replaciong the world rankings. To eliminate one or the other could be considered "political squabbling". To respectfully retain both is not political squabbling.

3-I have previously explained and discussed why PR is "partially self-governing"

4-the phrase self-governing is a hyphenated, not unhyphenated phrase.

5-Grito de Lares-My edits add several important facts. First, what is "Lares". Second, if you're going to revert the phrase "two-day-long" because this is a summary, why not edit out, for the same reason, "small but significant", and the 26-word references to Betances and Ruiz Belvis. It should all remain, in spite of being a summary article.

6-Referring to Spain as "who" sounds less correct than "which". Is there any grammatical basis to revert my edits, because it certainly has nothing to do with the two excuses (summarization and political squabbling) used to justify the wholesale revert of my edits.

7-It is totally incorrect that the July 25, 1898 invasion happened "at the outbreak of" the war. As a matter of fact, it was virtually at the end of active hostilities. I could have written "nearly at the end of" but simply inserted the very neutral NPOV word "during". What's the justification to revert that?

8-Adding 9 words to expand on "Natural disasters", without specifically mentioning the West Coast earthquake and tsunami and the names or dates of San Ciprian, San Ciriaco hurricanes, etc, doesn't really change the "summary" nature of the articles.

9-Piñero and Muñoz' titles-The titles describing the prior positions held by the first Puerto Rican governors before being appointed/elected to that job are relevant facts that only add 4 words to the summary.

10-If you choose to mention "La Isleta de San Juan" the mistake that it is "known as Old San Juan" has to be corrected, either by eliminating the mistake or correcting it, as I did, to explain that it "includes Old San Juan and Puerta de Tierra. As a matter of fact, most of the population and the geographic territory of the Isleta is in Puerta de Tierra and not the minuscule barrio known as Old San Juan.

11-El Yunque-what's the problem with mentioning that it's one of thew highest peaks, instead of simply "located". It only adds 11 characters!!!

12-Providing San Juan and Puerto Rico's lowest temps ever draws more attention than simply the 82 degree avg temp.

13-The edit closest to the allegation of "Political squabbling" would be my edit explaining that statehood supporters saw the "Spanish Only law" as "another attempt to move the islands away from eventual statehood". However, I was very careful to simply paraphrase existing text describing how many people saw Rosselló's Spanish/English law as "another attempt to move the island (sic) closer to statehood". If my edit is reverted, so should the identical existing text be reverted.

14-San Juan/St. Augustine. It is a major fact that should not be reverted from any summary that San Juan is the oldest city under the American flag.

15-Ratify/approve-What's the problem with this edit?

16-To state that there is a compact between PR and the US is a matter for politicalk debate. To state that there was an approval "in the manner of a compact" is uncontradicted fact.

17-If mentioning and listing consulates is important, a mention of the unusual relations between PR and the Vatican is important, too.

18-The reversion of my correction regarding national delegates leaves in place the entirely false existing text that PR is "not accorded equal-proportional representation" in both national parties.

19-Existing text that PR is an "independent taxation authority by mutual agreement with the U.S. Congress" is totally false. Congress frequently modifies tax laws applicable to PR without seeking a "mutual agreement" with PR. Examples include elimination of Sec. 936, creation of temporary Sec. 30A, amendment of Sec. 199, etc. My edits eliminated that falsity and provided neutral, factual correcions.

20-The summary should never exclude the fact that PR now has four registered politicalk parties, not three and that the fourth is non-political status-based.

My edits may not be perfect but if any one of them are to be reverted, it should be done in an individual, not wholesale, basis, as would be done with a vandal, and each revert should be explained, at least briefly, in order to demonstrate respect for the time and effort invested in preparing the edits.[[User:Pr4ever|Pr4ever]] ([[User talk:Pr4ever|talk]]) 01:26, 25 November 2007 (UTC)
:Some edits are fine but others are just subtle political positions. There was so much wrong with the edits (not just yours) that it was easier to do a large revert than to correct/ammend what was incorrect by Wikipedia standards. Your edits have been reverted constantly (not just by me) so there is something non-POV about them. [[User:Joelr31|Joelito]] ([[User talk:Joelr31|talk]]) 02:41, 25 November 2007 (UTC)
::You re-inserted the subtle political POV (without references again) and the unnecessary details again but since I do not have neither the time nor the desire to make you see the error of your ways I will leave the debate to other people. <small>—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[User:Joelr31|Joelr31]] ([[User talk:Joelr31|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Joelr31|contribs]]) 14:48, 25 November 2007 (UTC)</small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

== One at a time ==

Guys, you seem smart. This constant reverting is unseemly. Just take each issue one at a time. Check the sources. One by one. Give it a try; you might be surprised by how well it works. But please, no more of this wholesale reverting. [[User:SamEV|SamEV]] ([[User talk:SamEV|talk]]) 18:45, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

== Recent edit ==

Guys, please note that I gave reliable sources. I encourage you to verify those sources so that you can have full confidence and know there's no POV-pushing on my part. I let the sources speak for themselves and hope you guys do too.
Joel, all the sources given agree that Puerto Rico is not sovereign and independent. Also, you cannot use Wikipedia itself as a source. The [[List of countries]] is no help for another reason: it's not limited to "countries", stating clearly that it also includes "dependent territories": "This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. It includes territories that are independent states (both those that are internationally recognized and generally unrecognized), inhabited dependent territories, and areas of special sovereignty." Please see also [http://geography.about.com/od/politicalgeography/a/puertoricoisnot.htm Puerto Rico is Not a Country], which I considered putting in External Links. [[User:SamEV|SamEV]] ([[User talk:SamEV|talk]]) 20:14, 26 November 2007 (UTC)
:I really hate political debates and seldom participate in them. I just reverted the incorrect clasification of "island" (PR is in fact an archipelago) to the previous edit. I do not wish to discuss the validity of Puerto Rico as a [[country]] since the term is easily confused with [[state]] (sovereign) or [[nation]]. [[User:Joelr31|Joelito]] ([[User talk:Joelr31|talk]]) 21:04, 26 November 2007 (UTC)
::I understand. And it ''is'' an archipelago, so I kept that edit too. [[User:SamEV|SamEV]] ([[User talk:SamEV|talk]]) 00:17, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

Puerto Rico is a country by all standards. It is not sovereign, but it is country.--[[User:Royptorico|Royptorico]] ([[User talk:Royptorico|talk]]) 18:43, 11 December 2007 (UTC)
:no it isn't, in international law one of the constituting elements of being a country is ''sovereignity'', which PR lacks. -- [[user:fdewaele|fdewaele]], 11 December 2007, 19:46

The United Nations, Puerto Ricans and the international comunity disagree with you. [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cdb/cdb_da_itypes_cr.asp?country_code=630], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/basketball/3567344.stm], [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13999042/], [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/19/country_facts/main3277484.shtml], [http://www.weforum.org/pdf/Global_Competitiveness_Reports/Reports/gcr_2007/gcr2007_rankings.pdf], [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html]. Here are just a few.--[[User:Royptorico|Royptorico]] ([[User talk:Royptorico|talk]]) 19:01, 11 December 2007 (UTC)

:Instead of debating each of our own views and interpretations, perhaps we can include them all with reliable sources, including arguments that Puerto Rico is/is not a country. We can't just simply interpret laws to reach a conclusion to include in the article, Puerto Rico's status is debated in various forums with valid arguments on both sides. Our policies and guidelines suggest we include all sides of the issue, and not our interpretations. - <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11pt">[[User:Mtmelendez|Mtmelendez]] <sup><small>([[User talk:Mtmelendez|Talk]])</small></sup></span> 19:14, 11 December 2007 (UTC)

Who says that Puerto Rico is not a country? This is not debatable. It is a proven fact. Please do not get confused with the terms sovereignty or nation-state (which Puerto Rico is not, also not debatable). Under the Wikipedia consensus PR is a country. This goes back to 2002. This is an attempt to rewrite the whole article and to jump over the established Wiki consensus for self governing entities like Puerto Rico and the Republic of China (Taiwan) -- --[[User:Royptorico|Royptorico]] ([[User talk:Royptorico|talk]]) 19:27, 11 December 2007 (UTC)19:24, 11 December 2007 (UTC)

:I was addressing the most common usage of "country" as "a sovereign, independent state". It is true that another use of the term exists that does apply to Puerto Rico. I alluded to it, by pointing out that the [[List of countries]] includes more than just independent, sovereign states. [[User:SamEV|SamEV]] ([[User talk:SamEV|talk]]) 05:26, 13 December 2007 (UTC)


:None of the List provided is limited to "countries",

:From the ''same'' UN link [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cdb/cdb_list_dicts.asp]
"countries or areas, geographical and economic groupings" [code 166],
if you click on it you'll see
"Countries or areas for which statistical data are supplied to the Statistics Division of the United Nations Secretariat."[http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cdb/cdb_dict_xrxx.asp?def_code=166]
On their list [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cdb/cdb_list_countries.asp], you'll see "Countries and Areas"
:From the ''same'' weforum.org [http://www.weforum.org/pdf/Global_Competitiveness_Reports/Reports/gcr_2007/gcr2007_rankings.pdf] you'll see "Country/Economy", similar to the term "economic grouping" from UN link.

:From the ''same'' CIA link [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/] you'll see "select a country or location"

:From the ''same'' BBC link,[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/default.stm], you'll see "find a territory"

:The CBS information is based on CIA link.
So, Is there an argument similar to [http://geography.about.com/od/politicalgeography/a/puertoricoisnot.htm Puerto Rico is Not a Country], but supporting the [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|Non Neutral point of view]] that PR is a country?
[[User:Yaguez|Yaguez]] ([[User talk:Yaguez|talk]]) 15:54, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

::''Country'' is just too easily understood as "independent, sovereign state" by the non-expert reader. The article might be better off not using it, especially in the lead. If used elsewhere in the article, it should be fully explained as to its range. [[User:SamEV|SamEV]] ([[User talk:SamEV|talk]]) 07:55, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

:::I agree. Imprecise words should only be used when there are no alternatives. Most people consider "country" a synonim of a politically independent nation, which Puerto Rico clearly is not. The use of such a word would convey a less than neutral point of view ands lead many to an erroneous conclusion. As I've written before, this is not the place to reflect how one would like things to be, but to reflect them as they are. Three percent may want Puerto Rico to be an independent nation or country. Forty-eight percent may want Puerto Rico to be a federated state. However, PR is neither, and that is what Wikipedia must reflect.[[User:Pr4ever|Pr4ever]] ([[User talk:Pr4ever|talk]]) 11:20, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

The article is not misleading anyone by stating that Puerto Rico is a country (non-sovereign)with an association with the US. Encyclopedia Brittanica reflects this obvious fact [http://www.britannica.com/nations/Puerto-Rico]. If you want to put 'non-sovereign' in brackets that would add more detail. I think it clarifies the article since Puerto Rico has a national identity separate from the US,including World Olympics and the Puerto Rican national team --[[User:Vertical123|vertical]] ([[User talk:Vertical123|talk]]) 01:43, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

:That last comment is the closest thing to a "happy-medium" that I have seen on all this debate, so how does (non-sovereing) country sound to all those involved in this silly content dispute? - [[User:Caribbean H.Q.|<b><font color="#0000DD"><font color="#0066FF">Ca<font color="#0099FF">ri<font color="#00CCFF">bb<font color="#00EEFF">e</font>a</font></font>n</font>~</font><font color="#FF3333">H.</font><font color="#FFCC00">Q.</font></b>]] 01:49, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

== Semblances of Sovereignty (book) ==

'''[[Semblances of Sovereignty (book)|Semblances of Sovereignty]]''' is a book by [[T. Alexander Aleinikoff]] that deals with the [[U.S. Constitution]], the conditional state of the [[US State]]'s and the [[US Citizenship]] since the end of the [[19th century]]. Alexander argues that citizenship should be "decentered" and understood as a commitment to an intergenerational national project, not a basis for denying rights to immigrants.

===Author Information===
[[T. Alexander Aleinikoff]] is the Dean of the [[Georgetown University Law Center]] and the Executive Vice President of [[Georgetown University]]. He has written on immigration refugee, citizenship law and policy, constitutional law, statutory interpretation and race discrimination. His most recent books include, [[Migration and International Law]] (2003); [[Semblances of Sovereignty (book)|Semblances of Sovereignty]]: The Constitution, the State and American Citizenship (2002); [[Citizenship Policies for an Age of Migration]] (2002); and [[Modern Constitutional Theory]] (1999). He is a graduate of Swarthmore College and Yale Law School.

===Summary===
Semblances of Sovereignty supports the idea of abandonment from plenary power cases and advocates a new flexible conception for [[sovereignty]] and [[citizenship]]. According to [[T. Alexander Aleinikoff]], the federal government ought to negotiate compacts with Indian tribes and the territories that affirm more durable forms of self-government. The book also accounts a beautiful narrative about a certain [[World Fair]].

===Substance===
* Sovereignty Cases and the Pursuit of an American Nation-State
* Citizen-State from the [[Warren Court]] to the [[Rehnquist Court]]
* Commonwealth and the Constitution
:<small>'''(The Case of Puerto Rico)'''</small>
* The Erosion of American Indian Sovereignty
* Indian Tribal Sovereignty beyond Plenary Power
* Plenary Power, Immigration Regulation and Decentered Citizenship
* Reconceptualizing Sovereignty
:<small>'''(Towards a New American Narrative)'''</small>

[[Category:2002 books]]

([[User:Lew Basnight IV|Lew Basnight IV]] ([[User talk:Lew Basnight IV|talk]]) 12:49, 5 December 2007 (UTC))

=== Comments ===
:I just browsed the first part of the intro to this book [http://books.google.com/books?id=wE0wPf6zW-wC&pg=PP1&dq=%22Semblances+of+Sovereignty%22&ei=LkxXR8eDMomosgO1zfzbAg&sig=L19lkiuoFp_BFBFbNvqHa3V8HJ0#PPA4,M1 here]. Interesting. What do you think is its relevance to this article? -- [[User:Wtmitchell|Boracay Bill]] ([[User talk:Wtmitchell|talk]]) 02:09, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

== Head of State ==

I just undid the edit that eliminated the reference to the President of the United States as Puerto Rico's Head of State. The edit was based on the fact that PR does not elect the President. Many countries/nations/países/sovereign entities/territories/colonies (I'm being as inclusive as possible) don't elect their heads of state. Take a look at [[Canada]] and you'll see that their monarch/head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, is also not elected. One of the basic tenets of Wikipedia is consistency. Whoever wants to edit out the President as PR's head of state should edit FIRST every article on the dozens of former British colonies and eliminate reference to their enelected Head of State before medling with PR again. A Wikipedia article should not be a reflection of how we want the world to be, but how the world is in fact. Let's keep our politics out of this article and, if in doubt, let's be inclusive and respectful of all POV's.[[User:Pr4ever|Pr4ever]] ([[User talk:Pr4ever|talk]]) 20:09, 14 December 2007 (UTC)
:To be fair, if the other articles are wrong, there's no reason to insist that someone fix them "FIRST" before fixing this one. That's really not how Wikipedia works. Decisions about this article are based on what's best for this article, not on how other articles work. <p> What you said about Wikipedia reflecting the world as it is, and not as we'd like it to be, is entirely correct. I'd like to see some comments from those who support eliminating the reference to the President of the US as Puerto Rico's head of state. -[[User:GTBacchus|GTBacchus]]<sup>([[User talk:GTBacchus|talk]])</sup> 02:36, 15 December 2007 (UTC)

== Infobox wars ==

We need to resolve these infobox disputes so that the article can be unlocked and normal editing can resume...

===Head of state issue===

* Some editors have claimed that no constitution or law explicitly makes the President of the United States the "head of state" of Puerto Rico. I assume this is true, though I invite citations if it is not. I briefly looked through the Constitution of the United States, and I found nothing in there which makes the President the head of state of the United States, either. Due to the politically charged nature of Puerto Rico's relationship with the United States, I think it would be a good idea to include a note that this designation is ''de facto''.

* How do we evaluate the claim that the President of the United States is the de facto head of state of Puerto Rico? The [[head of state]] article gives some criteria, including responsibility for foreign affairs and the military, which are mostly handled by the U.S. executive. However, our article on [[governor]]s hint that the governors of U.S. states perform the ceremonial "head of state" functions for the state but not the country, and Puerto Rico has separate representation in certain international organizations which U.S. states do not (according to the CIA World Factbook). Because this issue is a matter of interpretation and is politically charged, I think we cannot make this decision ourselves, but must defer to published sources.

* The claim that the President of the United States is the head of state of Puerto Rico is currently unreferenced; the best reference for this I could find is the [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rq.html CIA Factbook entry]. This could be considered a primary source, since the CIA is part of the government of the United States, and so should know through personal contact who the head of state is.

* Some editors seem to consider the CIA a biased source, which would be reasonable if there were a controversy between the governments of the United States and Puerto Rico over who the head of state is. Some of the sources cited seem to establish the Governor as "head of government" but leave open the question of who the "head of state" is. No one seems to dispute that the United States President has significant duties with regard to the foreign and military affairs of Puerto Rico, so the CIA claim seems plausible. Are there any notable published opinion-makers or reputable authorities on the subject who deny the claim that the President of the United States is the "head of state" of Puerto Rico?

* The issues of sovereignty and federation are related; see the next section.

I would propose that unless anyone can cite contradictory sources:
* "(de facto)" should be added to the "head of state" line
* A reference to the [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rq.html CIA Factbook entry] should be added.
* The footnote should clarify: "The [[President of the United States]] has primary executive responsibility for the foreign and military affairs of Puerto Rico, but Puerto Rico has separate representation in some international bodies. The [[Governor of Puerto Rico]] also serves executive, symbolic, and military functions similar to the governors of U.S. states."
-- [[User:Beland|Beland]] ([[User talk:Beland|talk]]) 16:49, 15 December 2007 (UTC)

'''Strong support.''' I completely back this proposal. -'''[[User:Oreo Priest|<span style="color:green">Oreo Priest</span>]]''' 20:43, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

This has been discussed a lot before and agreement was reached(see archives). While the CIA factbook has Queen Elizabeth as Chief of State of Australia and Canada, in Wikipedia Queen Elizabeth does not have the Chief of State title in both articles (Australia,Canada), it has the title of Monarch. Under the compact of association between PR and the US (E.L.A. 1952), the US congress retained (by voluntary consent)sovereignty over matters of defense under the current political status. The Puerto Rico government official website has the Governor as the head and central figure of the government hierarchy of Puerto Rico(see link and PDF chart) [http://www.gobierno.pr/GPRPortal/Inicio/RamaEjecutiva/Organigrama.htm] --[[User:Vertical123|vertical]] ([[User talk:Vertical123|talk]]) 03:17, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

===Sovereignty===

Our article on [[sovereignty]] indicates that the issue of whether individual states in a [[federation]] are sovereign is a matter of interpretation. There are plenty of references to the sovereign powers of individual U.S. states in law and dictionaries and whatnot, and our [[List of sovereign states]] has special notes about federations and dependent territories.

There is a reference [http://www.state.gov/s/inr/rls/10543.htm] for just saying "United States" for Puerto Rico sovereignty, but clearly this does not give the whole picture. Even that reference describes the entities listed as areas of "dependencies and areas of special sovereignty", which is a bit different than fully-integral areas. Our article [[Commonwealth (United States insular area)]] describes the special relationships that Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands have with the U.S. federal system.

I would propose using the following for the Sovereignty line:
:[[United States]] [[Commonwealth (United States insular area)|Commonwealth]]
...which is what the introduction of the article currently uses.

For referencing purposes, we could add the State Department reference, we could reference the Constitution and U.S. laws that establish the relationship, or we could defer references to the article [[Commonwealth (United States insular area)]], which can explain in-depth. I'm leaning toward adding the State Department reference with a note attached to see the Wikipedia article, but I could be swayed if other editors have opinions.

-- [[User:Beland|Beland]] ([[User talk:Beland|talk]]) 16:49, 15 December 2007 (UTC)

'''Support.''' I also back this one. -'''[[User:Oreo Priest|<span style="color:green">Oreo Priest</span>]]''' 20:44, 17 December 2007 (UTC)


Whether the individual US states, were or not sovereign was a matter of debate under a [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]. Now US states are subject to federal Law, and when state laws conflict with federal laws, the federal laws are superior (exercising sovereignty). Puerto Rico is not a US state, it is not integrated, but still, it is subject to federal Law, just like a US state [[http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t45t48+1800+24++%28the%20statutory%20laws%20of%20the%20United%20States%20not%20locally%20inapplicable%29%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20]].
Anyway, it is a good idea to include the [[Commonwealth (United States insular area)]] concept in the sovereignty line.
But i think we should answer the question, "Which state has sovereignty?" [http://www.state.gov/s/inr/states/].

Perhaps with a line like this one
:[[United States]] with a [[Commonwealth (United States insular area)|Commonwealth]] arrangement.

[[User:Dongolo|Dongolo]] ([[User talk:Dongolo|talk]]) 20:00, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

==Kongo==
I made a minor disambiguation link fix, changing [[Kongo]] to link instead to [[Kongo people]]. I see that the page is protected, but it doesn't seem to be about the Kongo issue so I went ahead with the change. Another possible target instead of "Kongo people" is [[Kingdom of Kongo]]. There are also other options at the disambiguation page [[Congo]]. If anyone would like something different, please feel free to speak up. --[[User:Elonka|El]][[User talk:Elonka|on]][[Special:Contributions/Elonka|ka]] 05:54, 16 December 2007 (UTC)
* I agree with use of [[Kongo people]] because it includes a section on [[Kongo people#Religion|religion]]. So, we should leave this new change. --[[User:Charleenmerced|<font color="Blue">'''Char'''</font><font color="Red">'''leen'''</font><font color="Green">'''mer'''</font><font color="Blue">'''ced'''</font>]] <font color = "blue"><sup>''[[User talk:Charleenmerced | Talk]]''</sup></font> 06:04, 16 December 2007 (UTC)

== Error ==

There is a great error.
Columbus has arrived in Puerto Rico in November 1493, and not George Clooney! [[User:Stephan Sem|Stephan Sem]] ([[User talk:Stephan Sem|talk]]) 15:21, 16 December 2007 (UTC)
:That must have been a piece of vandalism or a "funny" test edit. It seems to have been fixed now. -[[User:GTBacchus|GTBacchus]]<sup>([[User talk:GTBacchus|talk]])</sup> 18:59, 16 December 2007 (UTC)


== Locked ==
== Locked ==

Revision as of 22:07, 8 May 2008

Hello ddddddddddddddgggggggfgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggUser:Cerejota|Cerejota]] 06:55, 8 August 2007 (UTC)


Puerto Rico citizenship

I think a new page for this is needed(i am trying to find some translations in english of the official documents). There is a lot of information that needs to be translated or summarized under this new historic event, including the case Ramirez vs Mari Brás. The PR goverment ruling of October 13,2006 establishing the Puerto Rico citizenship under the constitution of Puerto Rico and the official requirements stated on May 1, 2007 :that every person born in the country (Puerto Rico) or whose mother or father is puerto rican born can claim the official document of citizenship of Puerto Rico. Reference: [[1]]. --vertical 22:30, 16 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

- Technically, Puerto Rican citizenship is illegal for people born after 1898. The Puerto Rico as an "internal" government can't just issue citizenship to it residents. The U.S. consitution states that matters of citizenship and international relations are to be held by the Federal Government and not by state governments or any government under the Federal. i.e. There's no Florida citizenship, or New York citizenship, or Guam citizenship. Until the United States recognizes a "Puerto Rican" citizenship if there's any, there shouldn't be any posts related to it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.244.130.130 (talk) 19:42, August 24, 2007 (UTC)

That's the point; there is Puerto Rican citizenship, whether the Americans recognize it or not. It is an important part of our history and should be added. --Boricuaeddie 21:26, 24 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
(jumping in with a comment) 74.244.130.130 anonymously says, in part: "The U.S. consitution states that matters of citizenship and international relations are to be held by the Federal Government and not by state governments or any government under the Federal." I don't find that anywhere in the U.S. Constitution. I do find the following (emphasis added):
  • "The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States." (Article IV, Section 2)
  • "The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State." Amendment 11
  • "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." (Amendment 14, titled "Citizenship Rights.")
This appears to be a simple instance of uninformed opinion being stated as if it were fact, and a supporting source (the U.S. Constitution) being cited without checking that the cited source actually does say what it is claimed to say. Wikipedia has far too much of this. -- Boracay Bill (talk) 01:19, 18 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Let me remind you that Puerto Rico is not a US federated state, US federal district like D.C. or a Non governing territory like Guam,US Virgin Islands or American Samoa.see:[2]. Puerto Rico has an unique status as a Self governing Nonincorporated territory with Commonwealth or Associated Free State status under a compact of association between both countries since 1952 and approved by the United Nations in 1953. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico resolved that the Puerto Rican citizenship does exists and that the imposed statutory US citizenship is a secondary citizenship since the natural citizenship of Puerto Ricans is the Puerto Rican citizenship under the Treaty of Paris and beyond (the imposition of a second citizenship did not change this fact neither the Constitution of 1952). see:[3]The governing party accepted this fact and since May 2007, the certification of citizenship is available as an official document of the PR government. (Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico).--Royptorico 01:59, 28 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hurricanes

I think we should add more information about the hurricanes that have passed by Puerto Rico, and include images like Image:Hurricane Dean 145 81807 3-15 UTC.jpg, Image:Hurricane Georges 20 sept 1998 1445Z.jpg, or Image:Hugo 1989 track.png and Image:Hurricane Hugo 1989 sept 21 1844Z.jpg (info here). --Boricuaeddie 22:51, 20 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

colony

There should be a section which documents that there are Puerto Ricans that do indeed still consider Puerto Rico a colony of the United States but under a different name. 67.53.78.15 00:32, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

According to Martin Koppel in the introduction to "Puerto Rico independence is a necessity" ISBN 0-87348-895-4 copyright 1998 "In 1954, Rafael Cancel Miranda, together with Andres Figueroa Cordero, Irving Flores, and Lolita Lebron, carried out an armed protest in the US Congress in Washington, D.C., in oder to draw international attention to Puerto Rico's colonial status." Even though this was 1954, it shows there were Puerto Ricans who resisted, in this case violently, what they still considered colonial domination67.53.78.15 01:03, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I agree. I'll look for more sources and add it. Thanks. --Boricuæddie 00:56, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]


sports

many sports that puerto rico play are well known as

baseball

basketball

biking, skating

boating and sailing

bowling

caming

cock fighting

cycling racing

diving

fishimg

golfing

racing

horse racing

surfing

swimming

tennis

wind surfing

and last but not least

volleyball —Preceding unsigned comment added by 163.41.27.182 (talk) 16:05, 27 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Got references? --Agüeybaná 14:05, 29 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

NOTE: I don't know yet how to indent. Please someone do this for me. Please note that football is a sport that is developing enthusiasm. There is a team, Puerto Rico Islanders. I'll find more information and references.--MissCurie 09:24, 2 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

what you mean is Fútbol,which is not the same as Football. It is Soccer in English.--Royptorico 00:38, 3 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Not really. See football. --Agüeybaná 00:42, 3 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Nope, its still called "football" everywhere in the world excluding the United States because they have their own version of "football", there is a reason for the title of the article Football (soccer). - Caribbean~H.Q. 00:43, 3 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]


Commonwealth supporters

Isn't this unjustified POV?

"Those who support maintaining the status quo (i.e., Commonwealth status) insist that upon attaining this status, Puerto Rico entered into a voluntary association with the U.S. "in the nature of a compact", but according to a President's Task Force report..."

Is it not true that the absolute majority of Commonwealth supporters are in favor of "enhanced"/sovereign commonwealth as opposed to the current status quo?

Regards,

Hypathia 01:59, 1 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think the problem is that "those who support" are not identified and that no supporting source is cited for their asserted insistence. I've tagged that sentence in the article accordingly.
FWIW, I note the following on page 13 of http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32933.pdf:
-- Boracay Bill 03:29, 1 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Puerto Ricans are not fond of changing the constitution, right after this referendum the PDP lost the elections, the PNP won and tried to do another referendum in 1994 to change again the constitution and was defeated, this time by the PIP and PDP coalition, the 'no' won by 54%.--Royptorico 03:02, 2 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This is Unsourced, unsubstantiated POV:

"Those who support[attribution needed] maintaining the status quo (i.e., Commonwealth status) insist[citation needed] that upon attaining this status, Puerto Rico entered into a voluntary association with the U.S. "in the nature of a compact".

Why is it not deleted as is common when POV is added by some to this entry? Anyway, even if it was "sourced", does it not discount the fact that the "none of the above" option (arguably in favor of "sovereign commonwealth", which was not on the plebiscite's ball of 1998) won more than 50% of the vote? Commonwealth obtained approximately 0.1% (less than one thousand votes), so how can it be said that Commonwealth "has won" all plebiscites held on the island. This is outrageously inaccurate POV.

Hypathia 03:23, 3 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Jones Act

The statment that "the application of these coastwise shipping laws and their imposition on Puerto Rico consist in a serious restriction of free trade and have been under scrutiny and controversy due to the apparent contradictory rhetoric involving the United States Government's sponsorship of free trade policies around the world, while its own national shipping policy (Cabotage Law) is essentially mercantilist and based on notions foreign to free-trade principles" should be consider to non-neutral point of point. This statment is not fact but an opinion of the writer. The discussion of the beneitfs of free trade vs. protectionist policy adds no value to the reader knowledge of Puerto Rico and is only serves as a soapbox for an opinion.

Illegal immigration to Puerto Rico?

I came across the Dominican illegal immigration to Puerto Rico page and after reading it raised a question. Are there other nationalities that are coming into Puerto Rico illegally in large numbers, or is it primarily just Dominicans? Perhaps this should be incorporated into this article.--Wambeter 09:41, 21 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

WEF Country Profile for Puerto Rico

fxlkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkz;dg;lfd;'lfdkglkdnjgkdjfhsdkfklDecember 2007 (UTC)

Locked

I don't know why this article is protected from editing, but it should be labeled as such. — Reinyday, 00:31, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

Done. Thanks for the heads up. I hadn't noticed either. - Mtmelendez (Talk) 00:47, 17 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Porto Rico"

At the turn of the century (possibly before) the name was frequently spelled as Porto Rico. Shouldn't this be mentioned in the article?Saxophobia (talk) 11:29, 22 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That was at the turn of the previous century. -24.149.203.34 (talk) 19:32, 17 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Yes. e.g., Article II of the Treaty of Paris (1898):
-- Boracay Bill (talk) 00:55, 18 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Reverting addition of "non-voting" to lead section sentence as implicit POV

I'm not following this article closely, but I noticed that this edit earlier today added the words "non-voting" to the lead section sentence: "The Jones-Shafroth Act or Jones Act, a 1917 statute sponsored by Representative William Atkinson Jones on the United States Congress conferred non-voting U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans." I have deleted the words "non-voting", which I feel inject political POV into this lead section sentence.

The sentence requoted above is true enough, with or without the words "non-voting". However, it is a fact that neither Mr. Jones, nor Mr. Shaforth, nor Mr. Foraker (whose earlier Foraker Act — First Organic Act of Puerto Rico — was, I understand, amended by the Jones-Shafroth Act), nor the entire Legislative and Executive branches of the U.S. government acting together, in concert, in unison, united behind the purpose, had then or currently do have the authority to grant voting rights to Puerto Ricans ("Puerto-Rican", here, meaning a U.S. citizen neither a "person of" any particular U.S. State nor of the DofC, nor a member of the U.S. Uniformed Services, nor otherwise in a special-case situation vis-a-vis voting rights).

No, the Jones-Shaforth act did not grant voting rights to Puerto Ricans. Also, neither Mr. Jones nor Mr. Shaforth stopped beating their wives. Both the question of adding the words "non-voting", and the question of wife-beating on the part of Jones and Shafforth, involve a logical fallacy known as the fallacy of many questions. Please also see Voting rights in the United States#Overseas and nonresident Citizens for a bit more info on the subject of U.S. voting rights for nonresident citizens and see "nonresident citizens?" in this talk page for a bit of discussion about that from an angle which applies to the case of Puerto-Ricans but doesn't come at the topic from a Puerto-Rican-specific angle. -- Boracay Bill (talk) 21:02, 24 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

As a matter of fact, Puerto Ricans were granted "voting" citizenship. When a Puerto Rican U.S. citizen moves to a state, precisely because he or she was granted US citizenship in 1917, they may vote to select the electors of that State to the Electoral College. In Puerto Rico they may not vote for electors, not because their US citizenship is flawed but because, as a territory, Puerto Rico has no representation in the Electoral College. Thus, the phrase "non-voting" was correctly removed, but for the wrong reason, not because of POV but because it is incorrect.Pr4ever (talk) 22:24, 24 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
A problem with this purported matter of fact is that it presumes that "voting" and "non voting" are two separate catagories of "citizenship", and that persons or groups of persons can be granted "citizenship" in either the "voting" or the "non voting" category. This presumption is false. U.S. citizens derive voting rights through being a "person of" (simplify that as "citizen of" or "resident of" for most practical purposes) one of the several U.S. States and/or (since the 23rd Amendment) through the DofC. The question of whether or not these citizens are "Puerto Ricans" doesn't enter into it at all. However, mox nix. -- Boracay Bill (talk) 23:00, 24 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Btw, residents of Puerto Rico do vote in the primaries, but not the general elections. Their delegate in Congress can also vote in committee, but not on the floor. SamEV (talk) 21:51, 25 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Well, actually, the Resident Commissioner does vote on the floor, but if his vote is decisive, they revote the issue without him so, while his vote counts in committee (that's why "W" called Fortuño to ask for his vote in committee re the Turkey resolutrion recently) it doesn't on the floor.Pr4ever (talk) 22:47, 25 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, I see. Thanks! SamEV (talk) 23:00, 25 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]


I agree with removal of the words "non-voting". For the same reasons explained by Pr4ever.Dongolo (talk) 03:40, 26 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Recent developments on status

This Puerto Rico article is currently subject to current events in regards to its political status. These events, as we all know, are inherently controversial, so we must exercise due care in maintaining verifiable and sourced facts, as well as a neutral point of view. I've seen sourced additions to the article which I welcome, but some are being used to possibly push an agenda. In the Recent developments on status section, sourced information about the Task Force report and AAV's response was added adding important insight to current developments. However, the wording stated that AAV's letter was a proclamation of official Puerto Rico government policy on the Commonwealth status, when the letter was actually a rebuttal criticizing the Task Force report.

The paragraph in question of the AAV letter (pg. 2, par.4) says the following: if the Task Force and the Bush Administration stand by their 2005 conclusions, then for over 50 years the U.S Government has perpetuated a “monumental hoax” on the people of Puerto Rico, on the people of the United States and on the international community.

However, the Wikipedia article stated the following: Referring to the current Commonwealth status, the pro-autonomy Governor (President of the Popular Democratic Party), recently proclaimed Puerto Rico is the victim of a "monumental hoax", a position shared by the remaining two-major parties: New Progressive Party and the Puerto Rican Independence Party. Thus, according to Gov. Acevedo Vila’s letter, the official Puerto Rico Government’s public policy with respect to the status of the country is: that “the US Government has perpetuated a ‘monumental hoax’ on the people of Puerto Rico, on the people of the United States and on the International community”. The bolding of text was included in the original text, against MOS guidelines, and the last sentence was included twice in the same section for reasons which I assume were errors during editing.

I have removed the text for the following reasons: first, and most importantly, the paragraph in the article is completely redundant to the paragraph that immediately followed it, which actually included the entire paragraph of the AAV letter and maintains a NPOV; and second, nowhere on the letter does it say that the official Puerto Rico Government’s public policy on the status issue is a monumental hoax, that was inferred by the user who added the paragraph.

I hope this explains my actions. Feedback is welcome. - Mtmelendez (Talk) 15:50, 26 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

First of all, because of the unique electoral results in 2004, AAV can't speak for the "Government" but for the branch that he heads, the Executive Branch, especially in political status-related matters. The NPP-controlled Legislature, as voiced by Senate Pres. MacClintock in his letter to Sec. Rice, does not believe that the US perpetrated a hoax at the UN in 1953 because it is their belief that the official US position did not include a false representation that the US believed that PR had ceased to be a territory. In fact, I heard him mention in an interview today that the new White House report and a response letter from the State Dept. confirmed the veracity of his position. Second, AAV's letter was simply a follow up to the apparently negative response by White House Task Force members to his Oct. 23 personal appearance, where he hads brought up the hoax argument.Pr4ever (talk) 03:31, 27 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not entirely to date with this, but didn't Acevedo Vila said something about not supporting the United States in international matters? I think that deserves mention. - Caribbean~H.Q. 15:53, 26 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I think so, but I haven't found a source. - Mtmelendez (Talk) 17:32, 26 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Lead Section

Everyone please read WP:Lead to understand what a lead section is supposed to be. It is an overview of the article not a political rambling of what people might think about Puerto Rico.

This article's lead should mention sports, geogrpahy, culture, history, etc not just politics. Please let's work toward a proper lead. Joelito (talk) 11:48, 29 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The most logical thing that I have read on this talk in months. - Caribbean~H.Q. 16:08, 29 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I very much agree with this sentiment -- I found the lede to be in serious need of trimming, and that much of the material included there should instead be dealt with in the body of the article, if at all. I made a few minor changes in that direction, but I lack the knowledge of the subject required to do an in-depth re-working, and in any case I'm hesitant about traipsing through this particular political minefield. Somebody, however, needs to do it, and quick, before WikiTaggers come by and slap a half-dozen or so clean-up tags on it. Ed Fitzgerald (unfutz) (talk/cont) 13:25, 30 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Can someone familiar with IPA spelling add the adecuate one to this article? - Caribbean~H.Q. 17:49, 30 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
WAY TOO LONGMantion (talk) 22:58, 20 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Paragraph moved here from Political status within the United States section

I moved the following from the Political status within the United States section of the article:

Current status legal restrictions apply only to the Puerto Rico territory, but not to its citizens. Any US Citizen, even those born in PR, may vote for the US president and US Congress from any other part of the world. Conversely, no US citizen may vote for federal level positions from Puerto Rico. This is why many thinkers believe the territory is treated by the US Congress as colonies.

This paragraph, as written, is supported by a cite of

  • Trias Monge, Jose; Puerto Rico: Trials of the Oldest Colony in the World; Yale University Press; ISBN: 0300071108.

I have not seen the supporting cite, but the paragraph itself strikes me as badly distorted by PR-centric POV. It might be made more correct by rewriting it something like the following:

Current status legal restrictions apply only to US citizens residing outside of the 50 US States and the District of Columbia. Any US Citizen may vote for the US president and US Congress from any part of the world, including Puerto Rico, if (as a practical matter) that citizen maintains a residence in one of the 50 US States. No US citizen not maintaining such a residence, barring certain exceptions such as those made for members of the U.S. Uniformed Services, may vote at the federal level. This is why many thinkers with a PR-centric POV believe the territory is treated by the US Congress as colonies.

Actually, rather than correct it by removing PR-centric POV, I think this is best simply left deleted. -- Boracay Bill (talk) 23:32, 29 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Watch your words, "PR-centric POV" is a baseless accusation how would you feel if somebody said your work is based on American-centric POV or Phillipine-centric POV its better for you to stay away from this page as its quite apparent that you have a POV of your own. 24.138.194.251 (talk) 02:06, 30 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
'Scuse me. I wasn't trying to insert a pro-PR or anti-PR or pro-US or anti-US or pro-anything or anti-anything POV on this. I was trying to use the suffix "-centric" ("pertaining to or situated at the center; central.") in "PR-centric POV" to communicate my impression that the writer of this paragraph apparently places undue weight on the importance of a person's PRican (vs. unPRican) attribute here. My understanding is that the presence or absence of this particular attribute matters not at all in the determination of voting rights. My inference drawn from the paragraph, which my use of the term "PR-centric POV" implied, is that the writer likely places more weight on the presence or absence of this attribute (makes it more "-centric") than it deserves in other cases as well, rather than only in regard to the question of voting rights. Perhaps the inference, and the implication following therefrom, was unjustified. -- Boracay Bill (talk) 03:08, 30 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Inaccurate statement

Politics\Government The following statement is inaccurate:

Because no federal elections are held in any of the unincorporated territories, Puerto Rico does not have electors in the United States Electoral College.

The root cause that Puerto Rico does not have electors in the United State Electoral College is that the U.S. Constitution does not allowed because Puerto Rico is not a state. I refer you to the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution that permit the District of Columbia have representation in the Electoral College.


Section 1. The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct: A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.

Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

This amendment does not make the District of Columbia a state and does not grant it representation in the United States Congress.

In Puerto Rico although have federal elections governed by the Federal Election Commission to the Resident Commissioner in Washington that represent Puerto Rico in the U.S. Congress and the Presidential Primaries or Caucuses of the Democrats Party and the Republican Party since is not a state as required by the constitution (except the District of Columbia) does not have representation on the electoral college.

Reference: Federal Election Commission (Federal Elections are held in U.S. Territories). http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2008pdates.pdf

I propose this replacement statement:

Puerto Rico although have elections governed by the Federal Election Commission. [1] [2] Like the Resident Commissioner election and the U.S. Presidential Primaries or Caucuses of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. [3] [4] [5] [6]. By the reason that the U.S. constitution just grant presidential electors to the states (with the exception allowed by the Twenty-third Amendment (1961): that Grants presidential electors to the District of Columbia) is not granted presidential electors to Puerto Rico in the United States Electoral College.

What is being talked about?

The whole bottom portion of the first section, about "the political relationship with the U.S." is so obsessed with dates and names of agencies and organizations that it excludes any actual meaningful content. Such as:

  • What did the Task Force conclude?
  • What belief is it that the President is standing by?
  • Why is the Task Force conclusion controversial to the PDP?
  • How do the findings differ from the PDP's understanding?

- Keith D. Tyler 21:40, 5 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Official and Unofficial Symbols

I have modified the Symbols/Emblems/whatnot section, eliminated the reference to "National" (or the alternative "State", "territorial", etc) and left the reference to "Official", when established by law, or "Unofficial", when established by tradition. Pax portoricensis! Pr4ever (talk) 11:41, 23 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Commonwealth status

This sentence seems to confuse the two meanings of the word "Commonwealth." Four US States (i.e. KY,PA,VA,MA) are called "Commonwealths" but this makes them different from "States" in name only. See Commonwealth (United States) for more clarification. I changed it to make it clear that Puerto Rico had less autonomy than regular US states.

"However, it also has less autonomy at the federal level than other American commonwealths, such as the Commonwealth of Virginia or the Commonwealth of Kentucky." —Preceding unsigned comment added by RedShiftPA (talkcontribs) 01:16, 25 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The word Commonwealth regarding to Puerto Rico must be understood in relation to the official name in spanish (Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico) translated into English: Associated Free State of Puerto Rico (state as in country, not as in federated US state or province). See also Irish Free State which was a name used by Ireland before becoming a republic. --Royptorico (talk) 23:06, 29 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Plazas

Shouldn't the fact that all municipalities have a "plaza" that have a catholic church and an "alcaldía" be mentioned somewhere? Maybe only the churches can be mentioned in the religion section. Maybe you don't think it's relevant. It's kinda sad to see that the biggest part of the article is about politics. Being that politics is a big issue in PR it seems that its hard for editors to focus on other facts and descriptions. Just my opinion. ~RayLast «Talk!» 02:39, 25 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I agree but please note that not all towns have city halls/alcaldías in front of the town plaza. Examples: Las Piedras, Gurabo, Yabucoa Pr4ever (talk) 04:45, 25 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Do all still have a catholic church that you know of? ~RayLast «Talk!» 17:08, 27 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]
San Juan also has its city hall and plaza relatively distant from the Cathedral. And, yes, there are Catholic churches in every municipality. --Agüeybaná 20:38, 27 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Accurate information on religious groups in Puerto Rico.

There is no source used in citing the oft-mentioned 85% that are Roman Catholics. The 85% defies reality, while it might amount to the number of baptismal records, there are many protestant churches present that in many cases, outnumber the traditional Catholic churches. The presence of protestantism predates the spanish-american war, in one town, circa 1877, a protestant immigrant began to teach the bible to a small group of locals and they became known as "los biblicos". Protestant denominations from the US began their activities on the island as of 1898, each within their assigned areas. These same groups, although still very visible, have been outnumbered by the many local denominations that reflect the local culture. In 1984, in the largest protestant groups' (IDDP) biennial conference, some 400 churches were accounted for within the island. Breaking it down per municipality, it amounts to some 4 churches per municipality.66.231.160.142 (talk) 17:24, 25 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The source is the CIA Factbook [4]. Joelito (talk) 17:27, 25 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

interconfessional?!?!

I dont think that this is a word in engligh. Can it be changed or linked to something? 134.134.136.2 (talk) 16:32, 20 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Although I do not know which language "engligh" is, in English, the word interconfessional does exist. in·ter·con·fes·sion·al [in-ter-kuhn-fesh-uh-nl], adjective: common to or occurring between churches having different confessions.
In any case, if you don't trust this definition, just do a google search of the word. ~RayLast «Talk!» 17:07, 20 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

GA

This really no longer meets current GA requirements. The WP:LEAD alone is excessively long, plus much of the article is unsourced. Then I'm reading the history section about the 1950 uprising, then its time to go back several years to governance changes, then on to immigration, and then back to 1950 to an assassination attempt the day after the uprising begins. I'm guessing the revolt and assassination are related, and if not that needs to be spelled out, see Wikipedia:Writing better articles#Make omissions explicit for other editors. Aboutmovies (talk) 10:08, 28 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

*sighs, head down* I must admit the article has gotten out of control, adding undue emphasis to post-1952 politics, including repeating issues and adding assertions where they don't tie into the flow of information. I'll review the article to make the changes. If you could give me a week before nominating at GAR, I'd appreciate it. - Mtmelendez (Talk) 15:16, 28 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Sure, take a couple weeks, its a big article. Aboutmovies (talk) 19:12, 28 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Language Section Needs Edit

The last sentence of the opening paragraph is senseless and should be removed: "The Spanish of Puerto Rico is well known for some interesting linguistic features." Interesting linguistic features as opposed to the Spanish of Spain, Argentina, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, or maybe Cuba?

The statement also begs the question, well known to whom? The fact that there is not a single reputable source that can be ascribed to that statement definitely argues for its deletion.

--128.103.235.128 (talk) 20:46, 8 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Rephrased. ~RayLast «Talk!» 21:05, 8 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Typo

Section "Transportation", 2nd paragraph. "...and is a major hub in he Caribbean. The most recently renovated ..." he = the Rkinci (talk) 08:06, 9 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Fixed. ~RayLast «Talk!» 14:09, 9 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Bermuda Triangle

Do you guys think that the fact that Puerto Rico forms part of one of the three point boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle should be mentioned somewhere in this article? Maybe in the Geography section? ~RayLast «Talk!» 03:10, 14 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It is basically trivia. Not worth mentioning, in my opinion, in the article. Joelito (talk) 13:24, 14 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
How about adding a "See also" section with links to Puerto Rico's "Did you know?'s" which could list that and stuff about the Chupacabra and so on? Well, now that I think of it, there is a link to the Portal which already has something like this. I just think there are so many interesting things related to Puerto Rico and it's kind of hard to get to or find it if you don't already know about it and expressly look for it. ~RayLast «Talk!» 13:49, 14 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
There is a link to Did you know in the see also section. Joelito (talk) 15:58, 14 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Apples to oranges to papayas

The economy section was comparing three very different entities and trying to draw a conclusion based on this comparison. Apples to papayas: Per capita GDP is different from median household income - in three different ways:

  1. Per capita means "per person". "Household" implies anywhere from 1 to ... use your imagination... many people.
  2. Per capita GDP divides total GDP by the number of people and thus implies an average (mean). "Median" is a different concept.
  3. GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced by a state. Income is how much money people have to spend (before taxes).

Apples to oranges: Per capita GDP vs. $14,412 from the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund: Promoting Justice for Latinos. I didn't find this in the source, and it seems a little low. I think we would have heard about it if the growth rate of the economy had been greater than 11% for the past four years. Maybe both numbers are wrong, though.

I tried to clean it up to compare GDPs, as I didn't find information on income for Puerto Rico. Ufwuct (talk) 23:04, 14 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Geography

Why is the size of Puerto Rico compared to US states such as Connecticut? Wouldn't a comparison to nearby islands make more sense? There is no reason to assume that every reader of the English articles of Wikipedia knows the general size of US states; indeed, it changes the perspective of the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.83.154.29 (talk) 20:39, 15 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Personally I think it would make more sense to compare the main island with Hispaniola and Jamaica seeing that they are a lot more easier to compare in a geographical map, but when Joel removed it under that argument it was quickly restored back, unfortunatelly as is the case with many other issues in this page most edits are politically based. - Caribbean~H.Q. 23:11, 17 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
As HQ said above I believe that a geographical comparison with the Greater Antilles is more appropiate than with a US state. However, some people believe otherwise. A quick look in any book will reveal comparisons with the Greater Antilles. Joelito (talk) 12:57, 19 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I agree. A comparison with Connecticut would be appropriate if this was a text aimed solely for people from the US. Although I'm sure that the majority of the people who read this could be from the US, I don't think that's the aim or purpose of this article. --Madgirl 15 (talk) 01:56, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Puerto Rico - Name

In an article for Primera Hora, Jesús Omar Rivera indicates that the island was named Puerto Rico by Juan Ponce de León after finding gold in the bay of San Juan. Should I wrestle that into the article's history section? ~RayLast «Talk!» 17:42, 18 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I think you should go for it. I wanted to find another source to back this up and did. See: http://fcit.usf.edu/Florida/lessons/de_leon/de_leon1.htm It's probably aimed at younger students but it's from a resource provided by a University so I think it's valid. --Madgirl 15 (talk) 01:50, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

OTEC near Punta Tuna

There's a cool fact about Puerto Rico that might be possible to place somewhere in the Geography section. Puerto Rico has one of the most ideal locations for a method for generating electricity/renewable energy called Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) located at less than 2 miles from the shore of Punta Tuna in Maunabo. See Renewable Energy from the Deep Ocean. ~RayLast «Talk!» 00:27, 27 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting, a single plant can produce 800 million KW in electric output, it should be mentioned in geography, we already mention the trench but there isn't much oceanic information outside of that. I remember hearing that Puerto Rico is the only place in the world where fluorescent water can be observed throughout the year but I have no idea where to find a reliable source for that. - Caribbean~H.Q. 02:36, 27 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
If by "fluorescent" water you mean bioluminescent water, it can be seen on moonless nights at Mosquito Bay in Vieques, the Punta Las Cabezas Lagoon in Fajardo and the Phosphorescent Bay in the La Parguera area of Lajas, the latter being the most polluted and less luminiescent of the three.Pr4ever (talk) 04:57, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Fluorecent, bioluminicent, radioactive... they all glow, the only difference is that "bioluminicent" has a "biological" factor behind it, anyway I was thinking about "Flourecent bay" which is a term that I have heard in the past. However, the relevant aspect is that Puerto Rico may be the only place in the world where this can be observed the entire year. - Caribbean~H.Q. 14:35, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  1. ^ Puerto Rico Primary Election Report Notice[5]
  2. ^ [2008 Presidential Primary Dates and Candidates Filling Datelines for Ballot Access[6]
  3. ^ 2008 Republican presidential primaries
  4. ^ 2008 Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses
  5. ^ Results of the 2008 Republican presidential primaries
  6. ^ Results of the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries