European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 1, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes saturday september 1,1990 columns Mike Feinsilber some Vietnam protesters see Gulf crisis differently the people who tormented Lyndon b. Johnson with chants of a they hey lbs How Many kids did you kill today a Are old enough now to have a son or daughter in the marines. And some of them arc ready to take to the streets again. When president Bush deployed the troops he mobilized the peace movement. The peace Niks of Vietnam and the next few generations of anti War activists arc forming coalitions planning vigils keeping the fax machines humming. Human rights lawyer Ramsey Clark called together a a coalition to Slop . Intervention in the Middle East to demand an american withdrawal from the persian Gulf and to denounce the attempt a to take the people of this country by Surprise and usurp Arab and International peaceful and diplomatic  someone even remembered the a teach inst of the 1960s at which speakers tried to talk the Vietnam War to death. A persian Gulf teach in was quickly scheduled in new York City. But things arc different. Bush disarmed the peace advocates by going multinational and going to the United nations. And the peace movement cannot bring itself to ally with Saddam Hussein who used chemical weapons in the Iran Iraq War who gassed his own country a kurdish minority and who invaded Kuwait a country that helped finance his 8-Ycar War with Iran. Even so dedicated an anti War advocate As Dave Mcreynolds of the War resisters league a which Hasni to supported a War since its creation in 1923 by pacifists jailed during world War i a concedes a this is not Vietnam and Saddam Hussein is not to Chi Minh who was the revolutionary who led communist forces in a a War of liberation in Vietnam. The kids who taunted Lyndon Johnson also used to cry a who hoho Chi minho at him. A we were so stunned the first Day or two at Saddam a invasion that we did no to know what to do a my Reynolds acknowledged. But it did no to last. The league adopted a position decrying iraqis a a indefensible invasion but saying a the Arab nations should be allowed to resolve the  american leftists Mcreynolds said were shocked when Jesse Jackson wrote a statement for the new York times on aug. 12 supporting Bush a deployment. A saudi Arabia asked for our help a Jackson wrote. A it seems to me that we were obliged to  Mcreynolds said Jackson a left Wing supporters Are gathering signatures on a letter taking him to task. A it says a what Are you doing Jesse a a he said. A you Are supposed to speak for us. This May have looked presidential to you but it does no to look rational to us James j. Kilpatrick the Sawe Thap and you Are going to lose our  George Mcgovern the democrats anti War presidential candidate in 1972, also told the times that he supported Bush. Jerome Grossman is another defector. He sold his business the Massachusetts envelope co., in 1975 to devote his energies to the Council for a liable world which he helped found in 1955. During the Vietnam War he said he orchestrated the moratorium marches of oct. 15, 1969, a the largest demonstration in the history of  does he think Bush did wrong slowly Grossman ticks off his answer a no. 1, he set a bad example when he invaded Panama. No. 2, he continued the Reagan policy of not encouraging Energy conservation. No. 3, he did not denounce iraqis use of chemical weapons. But in his handling of the current crisis apart from the obscene continuation of his vacation i have no serious major criticism but most leaders of the old peace movement Are less wilting to give Bush the Benefit of the doubt. Bruce Birchard disarmament specialist at the american friends service committee the Quaker group deplores the huge american buildup. A even if the United states does not want War a and that a not something we re certain of a any unexpected move could Lead to the whole thing blowing up a he said. And Ira Shorr program director at sane freeze said americans initial reaction was a to rally around the president a but he said people Are becoming convinced that the administrations Foremost priority a is a military Resolution to this  he draws a lesson from history a i think our response to War will forever be changed by Vietnam. We will never be As deeply trustful of our government As we were  Mike Feinsilber has covered Washington for the associated press since 196$.an emphatic no vote for puerto Rico statehood let it be stated for the record bluntly and without qualification statehood for puerto Rico is an intolerable proposition. Pending Bills that would pave the Way to that Prospect should be Defeated out of hand. The american press regrettably has paid Little attention to the puerto rican Issue. The situation is heating up. Two Senate committees have completed work on a Bill s. 712 that would Speed the path to statehood. A subcommittee in the House has reported its Bill . 4765 to the full Interior committee. Under a timetable proposed last year puerto Picans would go to the polls on june 4, 1991. They would choose among three options statehood Independence or continued status As a Commonwealth. Under the Senate Bill if a majority opted for statehood a even a majority As fragile As 50.1 percent a puerto Rico automatically would become our 51st state. Under the House Bill a Vole for statehood would still require supplementary legislation. If a plebiscite is to be held next summer a puerto rican Bill would have to be passed very soon. Time is Short and pressures mount. Floor votes could come at any time after the committees formally report their Bills. The Case for puerto rican statehood echoes some of the arguments that one hears in support of statehood for the District of Columbia. As citizens of the United states the islands 3.3 million residents Are subject to service in the armed forces. Like residents of the District they have no voting representation in Congress. The difference is that residents of puerto Rico pay no Federal income taxes or social Security taxes and they have no vote for president. Two Paramount objections stand in the Way of statehood. The first is cultural the second constitutional. Spanish is the principal language of puerto Rico. Spanish would continue to be the principal language under statehood. The islands proud culture is essentially hispanic. No act of Congress could alter these facts of life. To admit puerto Rico to statehood would be to invite the very dissension that has Tom Canada apart Over the question of French speaking Quebec. The answer to this invitation should be an emphatic no the precedent of Hawaii is inapplicable Here. With Hawaii a admission to the Union in 1959, the tradition of geographical contiguity was breached but the principal language of Hawaii is not hawaiian but English. It is All very Well to have a multilingual society a we have Large areas of multilingual population in Florida and in the Southwest a but official bilingualism is something else entirely. The .a. Enjoys the great Benefit or a common language abuse it As we May. That asset ought never to be compromised. Under the Constitution Congress May admit new states by simple statute but on one Point the Constitution seems Clear. It says that Quot All duties imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United  in its status As a Commonwealth puerto Rico now enjoys a great Benefit of non uniformity . Companies doing business in puerto Rico pay no income taxes on their profits there. This provision known As Section 936 of the tax code has been of incalculable value to the Island. A study by the congressional budget office concluded that without the incentive of Section 936, puerto Rico would lose 100,000 jobs Over the next 10 years. The unemployment rate is now 14.4 percent. The Prospect is for economic disaster. Proponents of statehood respond in several ways. They Point out that the Constitution does not say that a a taxes must be uniform throughout the United states. It says Only that a fall duties imposts and excises must be uniform. Moreover proponents have written a neat gimmick into their Bill in order to surmount any problem of uniformity Federal taxes would be collected in puerto Rico As they Are collected in All the states but during a five year transitional period in puerto Rico the proceeds would be Given Back. The phrase is a covered  it is in fact a cover up. This wont do. With statehood residents of puerto Rico would qualify for an additional $2 billion to $4 billion a year in welfare benefits. If they want to go for Independence Fine. If they want to maintain their successful status As a Commonwealth Fine again. But statehood no. Statehood is irrevocable. Neither con Gress nor the Island could change its collective mind hereafter. Let us fend off the idea while we can. Universal press Syndicate