Dear Source:
The tenets of a Modern Free Republic should normally include equality, transparency and a tolerance for others and their rights. Equality amongst our citizenry is a paramount tenet that is one of the supporting pillars of our republic. Why then, are some of the elected Delegates to the Fifth Constitutional Convention seeking to ignore the rights of certain citizens who reside in our territory, because of their birthplace?
Why is an elected body, such as the Fifth Constitutional Convention, holding closed-door sessions which directly effects the rights of all citizens within our territory?
Any U.S. Citizen who is either born within or Naturalized within our great nation and is a qualified resident of our territory should be afforded the privilege and opportunity of running for and being elected to any elected office in our territory.
It is my profound belief that any individual or collective group which seeks to divide, classify, generalize or otherwise minimize the rights of any our citizens will eventually be doomed to failure either here or on the mainland. Further, I fear that any document which is produced by the current Constitutional Convention which abridges or otherwise seeks to restrict or remove the constitutional rights of any US Citizen will be met with a deeply negative response which might even endanger our other endeavors in Congress, not to mention a sure death by referendum here in our territory.
If an individual is not granted equality irrespective of their place of birth, why should they then be required to pay the various taxes here in the territory? Is not legislative and executive representation the right of all US Citizens irrespective of their nativity?
In closing, if we are to maintain our basic rights, then we should thoroughly oppose any attempt which seeks to remove those rights by limiting individuals from attaining public office due to reasons of nativity. The current Constitutional Convention should be immediately suspended and disbanded before it causes any more damage to our Territory's reputation, not to mention the cost of any endeavor which shall not garner popular public support.
Joseph P. Stropole
Frederiksted, St. Croix
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