So if Puerto Rico ever does gain independence....

[jtcs1981]

So what would be the excuse for Dominican Republic to have about the same murder rate per capita as Puerto Rico?

Are they part of the US?
Being part of the US does not influence the crime rate.

So you think that they kill in the DR the same way they do here? Do you actually believe the crime in DR is because of drugs like it is here? The crime rate is similar due to education, unemployment and poverty. Weapons here come from the state. The way federal government controls customs, it is easier to get them here and then sell them also in the DR.

[TOBYLEE1]

Haiti wasnt as poor as they are now when PR was part of Spain. What we have now with our current pro-statehood government is half a country without work, and at least 20% of them working part time at Walmart or Walgreens without health insurance. Every big and little puerto rican industry is closing down because the goverment would rather help foreign ones.

Maybe we dont need independence, but something has got to be done about work, its always the main reason why crime blows up in a country.

Anyway what you say is true, we need to improve our own economy before we think about going independent, that is if the US lets us...



This is actually one of the worst downsides of being supported by the goverment. Sometimes its necessary, but nowadays many people take it advantage of it.

This mentality of we will be a third world country so independence is a nono, is why we're in our current position... well that and our negligence in support our own products.

One thing US does to PR is it doesn't allow it free commerce world wide. It is restricted and that would be one step in allowing the Island to become independant cause other industries within might open up