On Last Week Tonight John Oliver reveals how a set of Supreme Court decisions made over 100 years ago leaves 4 million people in U.S. territories without meaningful representation. It’s not only weird, but it’s unbelievable!
We have over four million Americans living in island territories who cannot vote in presidential elections! We should stop to celebrate the Voting Rights Act of 50 years ago, then quickly move to include these potential Democrats!
Nothing has changed in 100 years for Americans living in island territories like the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico and American Samoa. Mind, the people who live in our island territories can – and do join the military and fight for our country. They may not have medical care available from the VA, and they aren’t allowed to vote for president, teach in public schools or sit on a jury. As John points out, they have as much say in running the country, as a six-year-old in planning the family vacation.
If they sound like second class citizens now, just wait until you hear how they were described by the Supreme Court a century ago – a description which still stands. The problem seems to be that the overwhelming number of inhabitants were not white. If they had been pale of skin, I suspect they would have been given representation and full rights at some time in the past 100 years. The Supreme Court language (still) claims the islands are inhabited by “alien races.” Furthermore “they may not be able to understand Anglo Saxon principles” as they ‘differ from us in customs and modes of thought.’ These are the words written by Justice Henry Billings Brown, a racist although he said the ruling should only stand ‘for a time.’ Is time up yet?
People from Puerto Rico are still introduced as ‘immigrants.’ when in fact, they are Americans, because even our lawmakers are confused about their status. In Samoa, being born in the U.S. territory is not a guarantee of citizenship. We have been seriously neglecting our island territories, and Samoans are fighting to change their demeaning status. Frankly, we’re lucky they still want to be a part of us, here on the mainland.
A man pictured in the report shows his American passport to the camera, the last page says it all.
“The bearer is a US national and NOT a US citizen.”
John is right. In the last 100 years, we invented the TV, the measles vaccine, and flying machines which can take us to an island paradise. Why can’t we throw out a 100-year-old legal decision, written by a racist, that was only meant to be temporary?
Will someone please tell Congress that Samoa is ‘ours’ – as are The Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico? It’s a dead giveaway when they introduce someone as “an immigrant from Puerto Rico.” No one is an “immigrant from Alabama.” They don’t seem to realize we have island territories, and it’s high time they did. Perhaps they would be more amenable to letting Texas secede if they knew we had four million patriotic Americans, just waiting to be included?