English, Santorum, Puerto Rico: There is Still Much to be Learned

Maybe he's a bit late to the table. Or rather, Rick Santorum never made it to classroom. Wait, even if he did he would not have learned much about Puerto Rico anyway.

Santorum to Puerto Rico: Speak English if you want statehood

Carlos Diaz, 84, reads local newspaper El Vocero with a front page depicting both Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum and a headline reading, "The National Battle Arrives on the Island. (Photo by Christopher Gregory/Getty Images)

Politics can't get any worse when you have a presidential candidate courting the Latino vote on an island that, to most Americans, barely exists, other than for vacations. To others, it is an eye sore of total U.S. support and sustainability that feeds off social services and medicare programs. Many opine negatively based on media influence and hearsay, which also create stereotypes. It can't be based on historical facts because U.S  history lessons have been devoid of the historical facts that have led Puerto Rico to a dependency on the U.S. that is difficult to break from.

Those who do know something are called political strategist. Political strategist are fully aware of Puerto Rico's upcoming plebiscite. But, like many, they too fail to know much, if anything, about the U.S. and Puerto Rico relationship (it's called Colonialism!) over the past 100 years.

Two facts that both Santorum and company need open up a book for are: First, the U.S. Constitution does not designate an official language. Secondly, English and Spanish are the official languages in Puerto Rico.

As for statehood, if it were ever that simple, then it would have been easily obtainable a long time ago. Instead, we have a dirty little word called colonialism (or Neocolonialism). Ignored and repeatedly rephrased as "Associated Free State", "Commonwealth", or "Unincorporated Territory".

As for the campaign rhetoric, it is just that. Attempts by both Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney to roll up their sleeves and make every attempt to court the Latino vote. The promises are played out like a perfect game. While the political games are played, the secret no longer remains a total secret, America still possesses the world's oldest colony in the Caribbean. In the case of politics, the door is  only open long enough for the rhetoric to be heard and then, what is learned and realized is forgotten just like promises made during a campaign.

That leaves us with this: Puerto Rican Primary = Colonial Problems