Minorities and Majorities / Rebeca Monzo

Ceramic by C. Monzó

On my planet the news media is always talking about Puerto Rican independence groups, but they always fail to mention that their members make up only 2.6% of the population. As a result, the misinformed inhabitants of my dear planet think that this represents the feelings of the entire Puerto Rican people.

At every opportunity they bring on some independence party leader, as well as some artist (always the same ones), and give them air time and media coverage which is denied to the average person. I completely understand that minority opinions must also be heard and taken into consideration, but those who govern must govern for everyone, and their representatives are always and invariably chosen by a majority of the voters. This has long been the case in those countries in which democracy is practiced.

I do not understand why they defend these foreign minorities here and never take into account those of the their own country. If they took into consideration the results of the last elections, they would realize that we constitute 20% of voters. And that is only if we assume the results released by the regime itself are reliable. If you take into account the abstentions, annulled ballots and those who do not go to the polls, it is clear we make up a substantial portion of the citizenry who, by choosing these options, have demonstrated that we are not in agreement with the current system. If an insignificant minority of a neighboring country is so important to our leaders, why don’t they extend the same consideration to those who represent the opposition in their own?

I think that after the recent elections in Puerto Rico, where it has been demonstrated that the will of the vast majority of the people is to become one more state within the union, they should not continue with the same old story about seeking independence for this country in the United Nations and forming groups to support its calls for sovereignty—something which is the sole responsibility of its citizens, who have just expressed their desires through sovereign vote.

November 10 2012