Republican congresswoman calls Puerto Ricans "foreign citizens"; says they need to 'cool off'

[marmar]

Where does the Republican Party find so many f**king cave people to run for office?

:dunce: :dunce: :dunce:



from TampaBays10.com:



Rep. Brown-Waite: Puerto Ricans should ''cool off''



By:
Mario Diaz

Tampa, Florida —- Red, white, and blue was on parade in downtown Brooksville on Thursday morning. Only this was the Puerto Rican flag making a statement.

A small but vocal group of Democratic voters from central Florida, most of them Puerto Rican, protested against Republican Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite for recently labeling Puerto Ricans as “foreign citizens,” and saying they should not be eligible for tax rebates, even though they are Americans by law.

That was just the beginning, her controversial remarks continued when she issued a press release this morning suggesting that Puerto Ricans “cool off” by visiting the Weeki Wachi water park.

“For Representative Brown-Waite to issue a statement suggesting that Puerto Ricans, after this effort, go cool off in Weeki Wachi is ludicrous, disrespectful, and as a result of that she probably won't be re-elected” said one of the protestors through a bullhorn.

Luis Lopez, of Tampa's 1300 AM Spanish talk show, “Buenos Dias” agrees. He is one of more than 300,000 Puerto Ricans who call Central Florida home and plan to vote in the November elections.

“This lady has just hurt the pride of Puerto Ricans who love this country and have fought for it and given their lives.” .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=75100

[MarianJack]

1. As the Husband of a "Boricua",...

...aka, a Puerto Rican woman, this really offends me. This is the same deliberate ignorance that had a numb skull manager ask my wife for a green card @ her job a few years before we met.

This Congresswoman desperately needs to be retired. It would be nice if it were a Puerto Rican who defeated her!

[DavidDvorkin]

4. Off topic: That's an interesting term

Do you by any chance know the derivation of Boricua?

[MarianJack]

5. The Island of Puerto Rico was called...

..."Borique" by the Indians and when Columbus came it was changed to "Borinquen" which is currently used in the Puerto Rican National anthem.

BTW, before you think that I'm intelligent, My lovely Puerto Rican wife was dictating this to me!

PEACE!

[DavidDvorkin]

6. Cool! Thanks.

Like most people, I find etymology fascinating.

[msedano]

2. I like to live in America...que bonita bandera

Among the greatest expressions of insiders forced to feel like outsider comes from West Side Story. Being a California chicano, I went through a lifetime of "what are you" quizzes from resentful anglos trying to put me in my place. Let's hope the community with a vote in this pendeja's district sends her back where she came from.

http://www.westsidestory.com/site/level2/lyrics/america.html


ROSALIA
Puerto Rico,
You lovely island . . .
Island of tropical breezes.
Always the pineapples growing,
Always the coffee blossoms blowing . . .

ANITA
Puerto Rico . . .
You ugly island . . .
Island of tropic diseases.
Always the hurricanes blowing,
Always the population growing . . .
And the money owing,
And the babies crying,
And the bullets flying.
I like the island Manhattan.
Smoke on your pipe and put that in!

OTHERS
I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Ev'rything free in America
For a small fee in America!

ROSALIA
I like the city of San Juan.

ANITA
I know a boat you can get on.

ROSALIA
Hundreds of flowers in full bloom.

ANITA
Hundreds of people in each room!

ALL
Automobile in America,
Chromium steel in America,
Wire-spoke wheel in America,
Very big deal in America!

ROSALIA
I'll drive a Buick through San Juan.

ANITA
If there's a road you can drive on.

ROSALIA
I'll give my cousins a free ride.

ANITA
How you get all of them inside?

ALL
Immigrant goes to America,
Many hellos in America;
Nobody knows in America
Puerto Rico's in America!

ROSALIA
I'll bring a T.V. to San Juan.

ANITA
If there a current to turn on!

ROSALIA
I'll give them new washing machine.

ANITA
What have they got there to keep clean?

ALL
I like the shores of America!
Comfort is yours in America!
Knobs on the doors in America,
Wall-to-wall floors in America!

ROSALIA
When I will go back to San Juan.

ANITA
When you will shut up and get gone?

ROSALIA
Everyone there will give big cheer!

ANITA
Everyone there will have moved here!

Music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
© 1956, 1957 Amberson Holdings LLC and Stephen Sondheim. Copyright renewed.
Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company LLC, Publisher.

[Clovis Sangrail]

3. wow... what idiots

quote from Ginny:

The bill sends hundreds of millions of dollars to people who do not pay federal income taxes, including residents of Puerto Rico and territories like Guam. I do not believe American taxpayer funds should be sent to foreign citizens

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/orl-ginny3008jan30,0,3417252.story

When 10 News spoke with Charlie Keller, the spokesperson for Congresswoman Brown-Waite and inquired about the possibility of any future apologies, the official response, “There is no need to apologize and there are no plans to do so.”

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=75100

The problem is Puerto Ricans aren't foreign citizens... they're US citizens.
The Jones-Shafroth Act conferred US citizenship to Puerto Ricans in 1917
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones-Shafroth_Act

There is no question she does have something to apologize for.

This is one of those pigheaded-politician-shoots-self-in-foot things.
It would have been so much easier to just say "I realize they're US citizens. I'm sorry I mis-spoke."

She's compounded the problem by not only refusing to apologize, but demanding the Orange County Democratic Party reimburse her town because some of them had the temerity to show up and protest her statement.
:eyes:

I constantly find it amazing that some of these assholes got elected in the first place.