News flash: There are secondary citizens living in America.
Devoid of the same rights most Americans enjoy, such as the right to vote for presidency, those second-class Americans received some measure of political autonomy last week from the House of Representatives.
Delegates from the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and Washington, D.C. were given the right to cast a vote in the House Committee of the Whole, a right they lost when Republicans took that away in 1993.
Kudos goes out to the 226 members that voted in favor of representation.
In V.I. Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen’s address to the House Floor, she said,
“The people of the Virgin Islands are proud Americans who willingly and gladly serve their country in every way, who only seek full representation under the Constitution of the United States.”
The bill was passed just three days after two National Guardsman from the Virgin Islands were killed in Iraq.
It’s unfortunate that anyone has to die during these wartimes. It’s especially unfortunate these two soldiers died for a country that considered them second-class citizens.
We echo the delegate’s sentiment.
Residents of those five U.S. territories do not hold same rights as Americans despite their many contributions to America.
Their contributions are too numerous to recall; they include educators, scientists, entertainers and famed athletes such as Roberto Clemente and Tim Duncan. Perhaps none were as important in the crafting of America as founding father, Alexander Hamilton.
So, now these territories have a vote-hooray, right?
Here’s the catch.
These same delegates will not be allowed to vote on final passage of legislation. If these five votes decide the outcome of a vote in the Committee of the Whole, the matter at issue will be automatically re-voted by the full House without those five participating.
Although it’s a far cry from equality in the truest sense, the recent bill passed gives a voice to the voiceless.
We can only hope that these same “Americans” who serve the country in more ways than one will eventually achieve the same rights as us all and go from second-class Americans to simply Americans.
