Heather thank you, Bad Bunnys 🐰 performance was inspiring to me even though I didn't get every word his message came in loud and clear.
So of course tRump being the sorry keyboard warrior that he is took exception, I was expecting this and waiting to see which foolish direction he would go, non-American, un-American but anti-patriot was the foolish of all times, that his cult will follow him into hell is assured I guess.
Bad Bunny's performance was historical as well as theatrical. I never felt so much joy watching a halftime performance. It was so well done and included so many real happenings. I just can't wrap my head around anyone preferring the MAGA option. And thank you Heather for another history lesson on the USA and it's never ending appetite for more acquisitions without enough thought or research on how to best serve the different cultures, never mind how they are treated currently as undesirables.
The people of Puerto Rico voted in 2024 with a majority (56.87%) of those who voted opting for statehood. This provision was sent tothe US Congress, but Congress has failed to vote on the matter. Bad Bunny delivered an artful performance, telling the story of Puerto Rico. You did not have to speak Spanish to understand the story, unless you are totally ignorant of US history, which Trump is.
With their names on a list they’d hoped would be missed
In the sands of time but was not
Repercussions aplenty
In many far-flung places
Where sense trumps sensibility
Among the guilt-stricken faces
Except here in America
Dear Donald and his friends
Our cream of the crop make clear they will stop
At nothing to save their skins
Shits and Giggles
I was wrongfully convicted
But I need to plead the Fifth
In case I beat my felony rap
There’s nothing I dare admit
However, this much I’ll tell you
Both Presidents, Bill and Don
Are pure as the driven snow in this
No, neither did anything wrong
I’d gladly say the same under oath
If Donald would grant me clemency
Just thought I would throw it out there in
The interest of full transparency
And one more thing—a favor
It’s just for giggles and shits
Could you please check the cameras outside my cell?
Jeffrey’s seemed to be on the fritz
P.S. - If this type of content resonates with you, please consider subscribing to our “Never Trump Poetry Substack” free of charge. Subscribers receive email notifications of my twice-daily pro-democracy poems, together with audio narrations and insightful commentary from my editor, Michael Broder. Thank you.
''Why Puerto Rico Should Be a US State: History, Democracy, and Equal Citizenship''
Puerto Rico has been part of the United States political system for more than a century, yet it remains excluded from full democratic participation. This contradiction is not accidental. It is the product of historical choices rooted in empire, racial hierarchy, and economic convenience. An accurate examination of Puerto Rico’s past and present shows that statehood is not a favor or an experiment. It is the logical fulfillment of democratic principles that the United States claims to uphold.
The story begins in 1898, when the United States took control of Puerto Rico following the Spanish-American War. Puerto Rico was not consulted. The island was transferred as a possession, not welcomed as a partner. Almost immediately, Congress made clear that Puerto Rico was to be governed differently from states. The Supreme Court’s Insular Cases, decided in the early 1900s, established that Puerto Rico belonged to the United States but was not fully part of it. These rulings openly described Puerto Ricans as culturally and politically unfit for full constitutional rights. That logic still shapes the territory’s status today.
In 1917, Congress passed the Jones-Shafroth Act, granting US citizenship to Puerto Ricans. This citizenship, however, was incomplete by design. Puerto Ricans could be drafted into the US military, which many were during World War I and every major conflict since. Yet they could not vote for president, and their elected representative in Congress would have no vote. Citizenship without representation became the island’s permanent condition.
Puerto Rico’s political status is often described as “commonwealth,” a term that suggests mutual consent and autonomy. In reality, Congress retains absolute authority over the island under the Territorial Clause of the Constitution. Federal laws apply without Puerto Rican consent, while Puerto Rico has no voting power to shape those laws. This arrangement violates the core democratic principle of consent of the governed.
The economic consequences of this status have been severe. Federal policies such as the Jones Act of 1920 restricted Puerto Rico’s trade, increasing costs and limiting economic development. For decades, tax structures encouraged outside corporations to extract wealth without building long-term stability. When Puerto Rico entered a debt crisis in the 2010s, Congress responded not with partnership but with control. The PROMESA law imposed a federally appointed oversight board that could override local democratic decisions. No state would tolerate such an arrangement. Puerto Rico had no choice.
Despite these constraints, Puerto Ricans have repeatedly demonstrated their capacity for democratic self-governance. The island has its own constitution, elected legislature, courts, and civil society. Puerto Ricans vote at high rates and engage actively in political debate. Multiple plebiscites have shown consistent support for statehood, most clearly in 2012, 2020, and 2024, where statehood received a majority of votes. These results reflect a growing recognition that the current status offers neither dignity nor security.
Opponents of statehood often argue that Puerto Rico’s culture or language makes it incompatible with statehood. This argument ignores history. The United States has admitted states with diverse languages, legal traditions, and cultures. New Mexico entered the Union with a Spanish-speaking majority. Hawaii maintained a distinct cultural identity. Diversity has never disqualified a territory from statehood. What has disqualified Puerto Rico is political convenience.
Others claim statehood would be too costly. This framing obscures the reality that Puerto Ricans already contribute to the federal system through payroll taxes, military service, and compliance with federal law. What they lack is equal access to federal programs and political representation. Statehood would not create dependency. It would correct an imbalance that currently distorts both democracy and the economy.
At its core, the case for Puerto Rican statehood is moral and constitutional. A nation that claims to value democracy cannot permanently govern millions of citizens without representation. A country that condemns colonialism abroad cannot maintain it at home. Puerto Rico has waited longer for equality than any territory in modern American history.
Statehood would not erase Puerto Rican identity. It would protect it by anchoring the island’s future in rights rather than discretion. It would replace a colonial relationship with a constitutional one. Most importantly, it would affirm that democracy is not conditional, cultural, or selective. It either applies to all citizens, or it is a hollow promise.
The question is no longer whether Puerto Rico is ready for statehood. The historical record shows it has been ready for generations. The real question is whether the United States is willing to live up to its own democratic ideals.
And whilst on that theme, I note that the French government's €30-million Choose France for Science initiative, launched last April, one of a number of european initiatives designed to attract foreign scientists, will see 41 of the 46 recruits relocate to France from the United States. Eight of these researchers worked at Columbia University in New York City, which last year saw hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of its research grants cut and frozen by the Trump administration.
Of course you're right about this but sadly it comes at a time when the prospect of joining the United States is not exactly an alluring one, as the Canadians and Greenlanders have shown.
This is one of your best ever, HCR. Dense with vital historical fact that illuminates current events, focused laser-like on the iron grip of capital and monopoly, and capitalist-supported racism. And thanks as always, Michael, for the excellent substitute reading.
Todos somos Americanos. I had that pointed out to me by one of my superior officers during my 20 years in the Navy. This came up during conversation during a brief downtime in a training exercise with the USMC. He pointed out that though I was born in Panama, I was an American and also by NATURALIZATION a citizen of the UNITED STATES.
Cuando oigo hablar del presidente me da una rabia porque nunca dicen que presidentes están hablando. ¿Es el presidente de Argentina, de Bolivia, de Panamá, México? Cuál es el presidente? Siempre cuando hablan del presidente de los Estados Unidos deberían llamarlo así El Presidente de los Estados Unidos en vez de solamente el presidente.
Which American President? Oh, the talking heads are talking of the president of the UNITED STATES…. Oh , OK…I thought they were talking of the President of Brazil.
The only thing more powerful than hate is love. Bad Bunny showed the world how to fight Trump's fascism on the biggest stage. I have written a poem inspired by his bravery: https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/bad-bunny-super-bowl-love
Heather thank you, Bad Bunnys 🐰 performance was inspiring to me even though I didn't get every word his message came in loud and clear.
So of course tRump being the sorry keyboard warrior that he is took exception, I was expecting this and waiting to see which foolish direction he would go, non-American, un-American but anti-patriot was the foolish of all times, that his cult will follow him into hell is assured I guess.
Perhaps worst of all was Megyn Kelly who claimed "that kind of football is ours"!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vV7kMCc__rM
Sorry dear, the TPUSA event was 'yours'. Didn't you get the memo?
Royalty is easily offended, poor things. Donald's lack of grace is a difficult barrier to overcome.
Hope HCR is well. Wishing her all the best and sending this message with gratitude for her excellent work and communication skills.
Bad Bunny's performance was historical as well as theatrical. I never felt so much joy watching a halftime performance. It was so well done and included so many real happenings. I just can't wrap my head around anyone preferring the MAGA option. And thank you Heather for another history lesson on the USA and it's never ending appetite for more acquisitions without enough thought or research on how to best serve the different cultures, never mind how they are treated currently as undesirables.
💓
Yes, love not hate is better for the country and the soul. Reject the haters who try to grab power and try to divide us.
The people of Puerto Rico voted in 2024 with a majority (56.87%) of those who voted opting for statehood. This provision was sent tothe US Congress, but Congress has failed to vote on the matter. Bad Bunny delivered an artful performance, telling the story of Puerto Rico. You did not have to speak Spanish to understand the story, unless you are totally ignorant of US history, which Trump is.
Hand in Hand
Bad Bunny is an American
Bilingually he speaks
To all of us in America
Who will listen in time to the beat
A universal language
That we all can understand
And appreciate—where love trumps hate
Every color hand in hand
The Cream of the Crop
The Epstein Class is full of regret
Regret that they got caught
With their names on a list they’d hoped would be missed
In the sands of time but was not
Repercussions aplenty
In many far-flung places
Where sense trumps sensibility
Among the guilt-stricken faces
Except here in America
Dear Donald and his friends
Our cream of the crop make clear they will stop
At nothing to save their skins
Shits and Giggles
I was wrongfully convicted
But I need to plead the Fifth
In case I beat my felony rap
There’s nothing I dare admit
However, this much I’ll tell you
Both Presidents, Bill and Don
Are pure as the driven snow in this
No, neither did anything wrong
I’d gladly say the same under oath
If Donald would grant me clemency
Just thought I would throw it out there in
The interest of full transparency
And one more thing—a favor
It’s just for giggles and shits
Could you please check the cameras outside my cell?
Jeffrey’s seemed to be on the fritz
P.S. - If this type of content resonates with you, please consider subscribing to our “Never Trump Poetry Substack” free of charge. Subscribers receive email notifications of my twice-daily pro-democracy poems, together with audio narrations and insightful commentary from my editor, Michael Broder. Thank you.
You should have to pay for such a large post. I stopped reading it long before the end.
If you can't be kind, don't reply.
Thank you, HCR. I did not k ow this part of PR’s “entanglement” into the US.
Another outstanding way for us to learn realities and impacts of where our American experiment in Democracy went wring
''Why Puerto Rico Should Be a US State: History, Democracy, and Equal Citizenship''
Puerto Rico has been part of the United States political system for more than a century, yet it remains excluded from full democratic participation. This contradiction is not accidental. It is the product of historical choices rooted in empire, racial hierarchy, and economic convenience. An accurate examination of Puerto Rico’s past and present shows that statehood is not a favor or an experiment. It is the logical fulfillment of democratic principles that the United States claims to uphold.
The story begins in 1898, when the United States took control of Puerto Rico following the Spanish-American War. Puerto Rico was not consulted. The island was transferred as a possession, not welcomed as a partner. Almost immediately, Congress made clear that Puerto Rico was to be governed differently from states. The Supreme Court’s Insular Cases, decided in the early 1900s, established that Puerto Rico belonged to the United States but was not fully part of it. These rulings openly described Puerto Ricans as culturally and politically unfit for full constitutional rights. That logic still shapes the territory’s status today.
In 1917, Congress passed the Jones-Shafroth Act, granting US citizenship to Puerto Ricans. This citizenship, however, was incomplete by design. Puerto Ricans could be drafted into the US military, which many were during World War I and every major conflict since. Yet they could not vote for president, and their elected representative in Congress would have no vote. Citizenship without representation became the island’s permanent condition.
Puerto Rico’s political status is often described as “commonwealth,” a term that suggests mutual consent and autonomy. In reality, Congress retains absolute authority over the island under the Territorial Clause of the Constitution. Federal laws apply without Puerto Rican consent, while Puerto Rico has no voting power to shape those laws. This arrangement violates the core democratic principle of consent of the governed.
The economic consequences of this status have been severe. Federal policies such as the Jones Act of 1920 restricted Puerto Rico’s trade, increasing costs and limiting economic development. For decades, tax structures encouraged outside corporations to extract wealth without building long-term stability. When Puerto Rico entered a debt crisis in the 2010s, Congress responded not with partnership but with control. The PROMESA law imposed a federally appointed oversight board that could override local democratic decisions. No state would tolerate such an arrangement. Puerto Rico had no choice.
Despite these constraints, Puerto Ricans have repeatedly demonstrated their capacity for democratic self-governance. The island has its own constitution, elected legislature, courts, and civil society. Puerto Ricans vote at high rates and engage actively in political debate. Multiple plebiscites have shown consistent support for statehood, most clearly in 2012, 2020, and 2024, where statehood received a majority of votes. These results reflect a growing recognition that the current status offers neither dignity nor security.
Opponents of statehood often argue that Puerto Rico’s culture or language makes it incompatible with statehood. This argument ignores history. The United States has admitted states with diverse languages, legal traditions, and cultures. New Mexico entered the Union with a Spanish-speaking majority. Hawaii maintained a distinct cultural identity. Diversity has never disqualified a territory from statehood. What has disqualified Puerto Rico is political convenience.
Others claim statehood would be too costly. This framing obscures the reality that Puerto Ricans already contribute to the federal system through payroll taxes, military service, and compliance with federal law. What they lack is equal access to federal programs and political representation. Statehood would not create dependency. It would correct an imbalance that currently distorts both democracy and the economy.
At its core, the case for Puerto Rican statehood is moral and constitutional. A nation that claims to value democracy cannot permanently govern millions of citizens without representation. A country that condemns colonialism abroad cannot maintain it at home. Puerto Rico has waited longer for equality than any territory in modern American history.
Statehood would not erase Puerto Rican identity. It would protect it by anchoring the island’s future in rights rather than discretion. It would replace a colonial relationship with a constitutional one. Most importantly, it would affirm that democracy is not conditional, cultural, or selective. It either applies to all citizens, or it is a hollow promise.
The question is no longer whether Puerto Rico is ready for statehood. The historical record shows it has been ready for generations. The real question is whether the United States is willing to live up to its own democratic ideals.
https://essayx.substack.com/
And whilst on that theme, I note that the French government's €30-million Choose France for Science initiative, launched last April, one of a number of european initiatives designed to attract foreign scientists, will see 41 of the 46 recruits relocate to France from the United States. Eight of these researchers worked at Columbia University in New York City, which last year saw hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of its research grants cut and frozen by the Trump administration.
Of course you're right about this but sadly it comes at a time when the prospect of joining the United States is not exactly an alluring one, as the Canadians and Greenlanders have shown.
This is one of your best ever, HCR. Dense with vital historical fact that illuminates current events, focused laser-like on the iron grip of capital and monopoly, and capitalist-supported racism. And thanks as always, Michael, for the excellent substitute reading.
A sweet, but not so sweet part of the inclusiveness of American history. It can't be TRUMPED!
A Great reminder that we’ve been thrust into hate mode by our government over the years and more clearly , recently under this Trump regime.
Bad Bunny’s message is coherent and real .
We need , as humans to love and respect each other, no matter our differences.
What a great Universal concept .
each other
Maybe there’s a hope here that America can be happy again once we get all this republican / trump hate, revenge, cruelty, corruption behind us.
And still we can’t seem to get over our racism and make these entities states but love to suck out their resources. What a shame.
Not hard to see a pattern here, exploiting people then trying to erase them. If this has been "progress", then we've had enough.
Todos somos Americanos. I had that pointed out to me by one of my superior officers during my 20 years in the Navy. This came up during conversation during a brief downtime in a training exercise with the USMC. He pointed out that though I was born in Panama, I was an American and also by NATURALIZATION a citizen of the UNITED STATES.
Cuando oigo hablar del presidente me da una rabia porque nunca dicen que presidentes están hablando. ¿Es el presidente de Argentina, de Bolivia, de Panamá, México? Cuál es el presidente? Siempre cuando hablan del presidente de los Estados Unidos deberían llamarlo así El Presidente de los Estados Unidos en vez de solamente el presidente.
Which American President? Oh, the talking heads are talking of the president of the UNITED STATES…. Oh , OK…I thought they were talking of the President of Brazil.