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[imperialbari]

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[Doug@GT]

I know that some overseas areas like the Virgin Islands (formerly Danish) and Puerto Rico are not represented in the US parliament. But what about Washington DC?



Klaus

DC does not have congressional representation. However, the 23rd Amendment to the Constitution provides DC with presidential electors "equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State" so we know how much representation it would have if things were to change.

Doug "glad for non-political government questions"

[Doug@GT]

Washington DC does in fact have a congressional representative, but they don't get to vote - kind of like a UN Peacekeepper - just there to watch all the action, not really able to do anything.

Likewise, American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico send a non-voting delegate.

[windshieldbug]

But why would a a non-voting delegate want to marry a gay or lesbian?

[windshieldbug]

[windshieldbug]

No one ever talks to him

You mean he, "did NOT have 'sex' with that woman", either?

[Dan Schultz]

..... The media tell, that some states have voted on gay and lesbian marriages. That is an enigma to me. Why would a gay want to marry a lesbian? Klaus

Klaus.... Have you watched Leno this week? That was the punch line of a joke in his monolog a couple of days ago. You've gotta come up with some original material!

[MaryAnn]

And I'm sitting here trying to figure out the connection between being Danish and being Virgin. ..... I give up!

MA

[iiipopes]

And the worst part would be not getting to vote on who you marry!

[Gorilla Tuba]

But why would a a non-voting delegate want to marry a gay or lesbian?

To get to the other side?

Damn! I just spit beer all over the screen. That's funny!

[imperialbari]

And I'm sitting here trying to figure out the connection between being Danish and being Virgin. ..... I give up!

There is absolutely no connection between being Danish and being Virgin. If there had been a coupling between these entities, my country would not have been the present European (maybe worldwide) nation with the longest continuous history.

The Virgin Islands were named by Columbus in 1493 after a Catholic myth about St. Ursula and the 11.000 virgins. I have not dug too deep into that myth, but it is my understanding, that not even the modern Catholic Church supports that myth.

The Danish period is nothing to be particularly proud of towards the black population of the Virgin Islands. For Denmark is was a matter of sugar and rum, maybe also a few spices.

But then the main upholders of the Danish heritage are exactly the Black Virgin Islanders. They have been trained by Danish craftsmen in the old tricks of the trade to maintain the old forts, which were the strongholds in the control of the black population.

When I was 8 or 9 years old I for the first time ever met a black person in vito. He had been born on the Virgin Islands during the Danish years and had together with a girl been taken to Denmark to be shown at a colonial exhibition.

He chose to stay in Denmark. He became a deputy headmaster at a school, but was famous all over the country as a phenomenal singer accompanying himself on accordion. He is long gone, but one of his traditions stays on. He was also a very inspiring choirmaster in a mix of gospel and Danish traditions. He started a movement called, of everything, The White Choirs. These are made up of hospital staffers in various cities. They perform in their official hospital gowns, hence the name.

Victor Cornelins was his name. The name is unique, because the priest misspelled Cornelius on his birth certificate.

He caused one of the biggest surprises in my younger life. My father was the host of the event, so I was presented to Victor Cornelins. We shook hands, and my eyes got very open. He at once knew why. As he was the first black person I ever met, I was deeply surprised by the colour of his palm. Nobody ever had told me about that.

I still remember an anecdote he told these 50 years ago:

The nazis did not like black people, but they did not dare to touch Mr. Cornelins. He even had a special freedom to travel all over the country during the WWII occupation to do his lectures and concerts.

As an intermission I have to tell that old style soap basically was cooked animal fat. The German army wanted our fat, so wartime soap was supplemented with clay to various degrees. My still alive father remembers that soap as a total disaster.

One day sitting in one of our then very primitive railway sidelines, Mr. Cornelins sat on a bench across a local farmer, who obviously had not seen a black person before.

The farmer said: “OK, it’s wartime, but we still can get 80% soap, if we wanna pay for it!â€

[imperialbari]

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[windshieldbug]

It is for the less educated lower middle class... Even Oprah is a genius compared to Leno... If I at all watch US talk shows, then Letterman. He is so well educated, that he even is accepted in Europe. And he has the most perfect cooperation with his excellent band.

(and we caught the jab at Dan... )

[Doug@GT]

I have to apologise for coming up with the same punch line as Leno. When I wrote it, I found it funny. You have deflated that fun.

Now that was funny.