Never ever going to happen. The latinos community has too much influence and all the lawmakers are afraid to be labeled racist nor alienating them alltogether.
Never ever going to happen. The latinos community has too much influence and all the lawmakers are afraid to be labeled racist nor alienating them alltogether.
shiner
Lifer
- Jul 18, 2000
- 17,112
- 1
- 0
No, it's to say "Learn our language if you expect to live and work here. Don't make us pay for you unwillingness to learn by having to print forms, signs, etc... in multiple languages."
If you were to move to France, Columbia, China, Russia, etc, etc, etc.... don't you think they would expect you to learn their language? Damn right they would, especially the snooty French.
In principle I think it's un-democratic to force english only in all government & education. If through immigration or whatever, the US were to become 51% spanish speaking, and the spanish speaking majority prefered that ballots, etc. be bilingual, then I see that as being entirely consistent with being a true democracy. In my mind, the same holds true at a district level, especially for voting on local issues. The 'culture' that needs to be protected in the US is the tradition of acceptance, being a 'melting pot' country that has always had a flow of non-enlgish speaking immigrants, many of whom live happy lives here without ever learning a word of english. Saying, 'it always has to stay english by law so we can prevent a time when it won't be english' is an ethnocentric, cowardly approach, and I consider those who strongly feel that way to be not too far seperated from the KKK and other white supremacists in their motivations. (Jeez, that's asking to get flamed isn't it - I'm thinking more of the people who have actually mailed me flyers about 'english only' movements, not those participating in this thread so far)
In practice, it's clear that anyone living in the US present day (as opposed to a hypothetical future) will have a much easier time carrying out their civic duties (voting, jury duty, visiting montana, etc.) if they have a good grasp of english. Immigrants in the past have made sure their children learned english because that was the practical thing to do. It still is the practical thing to do. You might be able to lead a happy American life from cradle to grave without a word of english if you are born in a neighborhood where a US minority is the neighborhood majority, and you're content to live your whole life in that neighborhood. If you want to participate as a US citizen outside of the context of that small neighborhood, you still need english.
Btw, I'm a native english speaker, bilingual in french due to a french immersion program in school.
In practice, it's clear that anyone living in the US present day (as opposed to a hypothetical future) will have a much easier time carrying out their civic duties (voting, jury duty, visiting montana, etc.) if they have a good grasp of english. Immigrants in the past have made sure their children learned english because that was the practical thing to do. It still is the practical thing to do. You might be able to lead a happy American life from cradle to grave without a word of english if you are born in a neighborhood where a US minority is the neighborhood majority, and you're content to live your whole life in that neighborhood. If you want to participate as a US citizen outside of the context of that small neighborhood, you still need english.
Btw, I'm a native english speaker, bilingual in french due to a french immersion program in school.
Kadarin
Lifer
- Nov 23, 2001
- 44,296
- 16
- 81
There has to be a common language. How can you be a productive, participating citizen of this country if you cannot take part in national debates over things like Iraq, when you cannot understand what is being said and you have no way to make your opinion heard? America, the "melting pot" of culture and democracy, would not be so if it is fractured into separate ethnic and cultural enclaves which are mutually exclusive to each other. Language has to be the common medium, so it must be required and taught in schools, and the best way to do so is to not provide the crutch of an education in whatever native language immigrants possess.
Throughout history, people have had a tendency to distrust and hate those who are different. Encouraging cultural expression can be a strength of American society, but doing so to the point of exclusion to the mainstream can be dangerous. We don't ever want to see things like "ethnic cleansing" here in the US.
Throughout history, people have had a tendency to distrust and hate those who are different. Encouraging cultural expression can be a strength of American society, but doing so to the point of exclusion to the mainstream can be dangerous. We don't ever want to see things like "ethnic cleansing" here in the US.
I would push so hard for anti-bi-lingual education if it were an issue in Oregon. But, since I have to fight for English enough as it is, there's no way Spanglish is going to get taken down :frown: I find it very rude that people speak their native tongue in public when trying to communicate with me. This is the United States. Speak English, dammit. If you want to go home and babble, you can babble all you want. If I go to your country, I sure as hell won't be rude enough to expect everyone to speak English - in fact, I wouldn't speak it outside of my home out of simple common courtesy for the society.
I expect the same.
nik
I expect the same.
nik
Why Bilingual government, even for adults? Why bilingual at all?? While it's true that teaching children more than one language does prove to show that a child will have a greater capacity for learning and such, there should be one national language that is for use in public and for official purposes - and no other language used for said things.
nik
Bilingual government forms are a necessity, but not teaching kids in two languages. I don't see how that can be productive. Kids can learn their parents' language from their parents.
shiner
Lifer
- Jul 18, 2000
- 17,112
- 1
- 0
No they aren't. Why should we have to print forms in multiple languages? IF people want to live here and benefit from living in this country then they need to learn the language. Think about it for a second. Do you REALLY want someone who took their driving test in Spanish out on the roads trying to read English signs?
Damn, you are one dense SOB! The same reply to CantedValve's post, applies to yours. We should NOT be required to offer tests, exams or any other forms in other languages. That's the point. Why should taxpayers have to pay for all that? Write a damn law stating that English is the official language and that's the end of it. For crying out loud, how many languages should these different forms be written in? If you cater to one language, why not others? Where do you draw the line?
If it isn't spelled out plainly, these other immigrants will be in court demanding their language be represented on all these forms too! SCREW THAT! :disgust:
It's hard to believe that there are some people in the USA who don't speak English. I refuse to believe it. How do they make it day to day????? :Q
driving test != government forms
besides, what are you going to do? deport some old asian woman because she can't speak english?
Why not? 1st Amendment.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
so does it work the other way? if they can't read the tax forms, are they exempt? after all, if they're not benefitting, why should they pay?
btw, the comment was meant to be for canted valve, sorry
The DMV in NY State is a government agency.
We have a written test and a driving test to obtain a license. The driving test requires an applicant to be able to read road signs, which are printed in English.
"...what are you going to do? deport some old asian woman because she can't speak english?"
Gawd! Another one!
WTF does not passing a driving exam have to do with being deported? Just exactly how many languages do YOU think we ought to print these forms in? Good Lord...
Gawd! Another one!
WTF does not passing a driving exam have to do with being deported? Just exactly how many languages do YOU think we ought to print these forms in? Good Lord...
ok but a test is not a form, no matter how you slice it. i agree, people should have to be able to read english road signs, but i don't think people should have to know english to do their taxes or whatnot.
you people say things like "blah blah they shouldn't be given the benefits if they can't be bothered to learn english" as if it were easy to learn english. if you were dirt poor, working 2 jobs just to get by, do you really think you'd be able to learn, say, chinese? no, and i don't think it is reasonable to expect other people to do the same. we have the government make things accessible to blind and deaf people... and i know these are things that they can not change, but for all effective purposes, many people can't learn a new language very quickly.
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