I hope I don't open up a Pandora's Box here, but it seems to me that Puerto Rico knows what good they have in the type of relationship with the US they posess: they have citizenship and representation, all government services,access to free education, decent pay, freedom to travel...freedoms in general-- they same as any American citizen. If conditions are so totally ideal in the DR, why are there so many here in New York and other places???
I love the DR and its people [my partner is a Dominican] but there's definitely room for improvement there. I'm NOT just talking like a paternalistic gringo; when it comes to the DR I have just the opposite view. Dominicans on the island-- especially leadership needs to heal the old historic wounds and move ahead. We remember our civil war and are proud of our history here in the US, but we have moved on to integrate everyone into our society and appreciate differences. Can the DR say the same?? At this point, I think not. You share the island with Haiti. Ask yourselves this: how would you feel if people treated you the way your government treats Haitians? NO, I AM NOT A HAITI DEFENDER... just an American who has herself been hated and discriminated against because of her heritage.