A senior official of america Virgin Islands (USVI) authorities is looking on the Division of Justice (DOJ) to terminate the classification of residents of US territories, together with these within the Caribbean, as second-class residents.
Teri Helenese, Director of State and Federal Relations for the USVI Virgin Islands authorities, spearheaded this initiative, emphasizing the pressing must overhaul insurance policies that undermine the basic rights and dignity of those Americans.
Criticizing the entrenched undemocratic colonial framework established by the notorious Insular Instances, Helenese highlights the detrimental influence of labeling inhabitants of Puerto Rico, Guam, and different “unincorporated” US territories as “half-civilized” or “alien races.”
These outdated notions, originating from a bygone period, have perpetuated a system the place constitutional rights and democratic participation are denied primarily based on arbitrary judgments of health and understanding of Anglo-Saxon rules.
Demand for repeal
Becoming a member of a refrain of voices advocating for the repeal of those archaic authorized precedents, Helenese underscores the need of abolishing what she describes as an anachronistic authorized stance.
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She contends that the persistence of such discriminatory practices not solely undermines the integrity of the American republic but in addition inflicts irreparable hurt on the residents of those territories.
Ethical crucial
Helenese passionately asserts that rectifying this injustice just isn’t merely a authorized matter however an ethical crucial.
Citing the condemnation of the Insular Instances by outstanding figures throughout celebration traces, together with Supreme Courtroom Justices Sotomayor and Gorsuch, she stresses that racial prejudices haven’t any place within the fashionable authorized panorama.
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Echoing the feelings of USVI Governor Albert Bryan, Helenese insists that Virgin Islanders deserve full civil and political rights assured by the US Structure.
In alignment with President Joe Biden’s assertion that there may be no second-class residents in america of America, Helenese urges the Division of Justice to desert its reliance on the Insular Instances.
She joins fellow leaders in demanding swift motion to expunge the stain of those instances from the authorized system.
Past redressing previous injustices, Helenese believes that repealing these measures will restore the foundational rules of justice and equality upon which America was constructed.
