Greenland

Editor, Times-Union:
In previous letters to the editor, I wrote about possible candidates for the 51st state in the Union. Those candidates were divided into three categories: current U.S. territories, Article IV Section 3 state (one that could split off from a current state) and potential new territories. An Article IV Section 3 state is highly unlikely and has not been done since the creation of West Virginia.
The third category of potential new territories has gotten more attention recently and currently has one candidate that being Greenland, but at one time or another throughout our history that were other candidates in the Western Hemisphere such as parts of western Canada, the Canadian province of Newfoundland, Cuba, Panama, the Yucatan Peninsula, Baja California, the Mexican state of Sonora and the South American country of Guyana. A brief overview of these potential new states is provided in the book “Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and other States that never made it.” Which when read along with another book “How the States got Their Shapes Too: The People Behind the Borderlines” shows how the U.S. came into being and how easily a map of the U.S. could look significantly different than it currently is.
Greenland, the world’s largest island with a potential treasure trove of natural resources ranging from iron, diamonds, oil, rare earth metals to uranium, is currently an autonomous territory of Denmark. It also occupies a strategic position in the Arctic Ocean and is considered part of North America. The U.S. has shown interest in buying this territory “since the mid-1800s.” So far Denmark has not shown interest in selling this territory nor have the residence of Greenland expressed any desire to become part of America as a state or territory but have indicated on a willingness to do business with the U.S. and hosting U.S. bases.
Whether or not Greenland decides to remain a territory of Denmark, become independent, joining the U.S. or even Canada remains to be seen. Whatever way is chosen by the people of Greenland, that territory along with Denmark, Canada and the USA are still part of the NATO community.
The U.S. should always strive to maintain good strategic relations with our neighbors at our northern and southern borders something that has kept our nation safe along with having two oceans as natural barriers. our nation also needs to maintain good strategic relations with Panama, the Caribbean island-states, and Columbia. One needs only to look at the history of Europe, Africa, and Asia, along with the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, to understand how the benefits of such a policy will work for the U.S. and all its North American neighbors in the long run.
Alexander Houze
Leesburg