English-only Movement Targets Nashville

[Roamin Catholic]

[quote]NASHVILLE — A city councilman is hoping voters will make Nashville the first major metropolitan area where English is the official language.

Councilman Eric Crafton worked for five months to pass his proposal to prohibit local government communications in languages other than English. But the measure was defeated when former Mayor Bill Purcell vetoed it, calling it unconstitutional, unnecessary and mean-spirited.

Now Crafton is trying to bring the measure back as a referendum on the November ballot. He says his “Nashville English First” group has reached its goal of 12,000 signatures. The petitions must be turned in by Saturday.

Business groups, including the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, are worried it could hurt tourism and business development efforts in a city that bills itself as “Music City USA.”

The city council, which previously passed a similar ordinance, voted 25-8 on Thursday in favor of a resolution asking local voters not to support the measure.[/quote]

[Madame Vengier]

I'm all for it. It needs to be nation-wide.

[jmjtina]

English is nation-wide.

It's just that not everyone speaks English as a first language due to many factors.

Should they learn English? Yes, of course.

But should they be prohibited from speaking their native language or getting government service in their native language if that is all they know? Of course not.
Most of the services provided have federal and state funding that require interpretation if needed which don't have to abide by the rule if passed.

Most of the council is against it. Hopefully the voters echo their sentiment. If not, they have people waiting to fight it out in court.

Edited August 11, 2008 by jmjtina

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='jmjtina' post='1624612' date='Aug 11 2008, 06:51 PM']English is nation-wide.[/quote]

As the official language of the United States? No, it's not.

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='jmjtina' post='1624612' date='Aug 11 2008, 06:51 PM']But should they be prohibited from speaking their native language or[/quote]

No one has EVER said people shouldn't speak a second or "native" language or should be prohibited from doing so. Never, ever, ever. Show me where ANYONE has said Americans should ONLY speak English.

Every single time someone mentions English as the official language, someone else comes in and starts talking about people having the right to speak a native language. We are not talking about second languages. Speak all the languages you want to!! We are talking about English as the OFFICIAL language of the United States.

Can you not understand the difference?

[jmjtina]

[quote name='Madame Vengier' post='1625070' date='Aug 12 2008, 04:46 AM']Can you not understand the difference?[/quote]

Don't take what I say out of context. That is where your confusion with my statement lies.

Government agencies will be prohibited from giving service to others in their native languages.

Obviously, people will be prohibited speaking in their native languages if that is all they know in the context of getting any kind of government service. Therefore, if they want service, they will be required to speak English.

Can you find service in the English language everywhere in the US in government related services? Yes.

Bottom line, I don't agree with the bill. But that's just my opinion. Feel free to disagree.

Edited August 12, 2008 by jmjtina

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='jmjtina' post='1625089' date='Aug 12 2008, 06:11 AM']Don't take what I say out of context. That is where your confusion with my statement lies.

Government agencies will be prohibited from giving service to others in their native languages.

Obviously, people will be prohibited speaking in their native languages if that is all they know in the context of getting any kind of government service. Therefore, if they want service, they will be required to speak English.

Can you find service in the English language everywhere in the US in government related services? Yes.

Bottom line, I don't agree with the bill. But that's just my opinion. Feel free to disagree.[/quote]

I did disagree. And you said I was "confused".

[Socrates]

I had great-grandparents who came to America from Germany and Norway around 100 years ago. They had to learn English. They didn't get government services in German or Norwegian, nor did they demand them. The same with those who came over from Italy and Poland in the same period. They all had to become American and learn English, and were not pandered to.

I don't see why it should be any different with immigrants from Mexico or other countries.

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='Socrates' post='1625786' date='Aug 12 2008, 09:40 PM']I don't see why it should be any different with immigrants from Mexico or other countries.[/quote]

It shouldn't, except that PC liberals have turned our country so upside down that reason is wacky and wacky is logical.

[dominicansoul]

I agree with Madame V, in that it is the PC liberals who are the ones who are fighting this kind of thing. I believe most Mexican immigrants are very eager to assimilate to the American culture. They can't help it if some official tells them that they don't need to speak the language to become American Citizens. I think liberals are the ones who try to keep English from becoming the official language of the states, not immigrants.

My public library has programs teaching English as a Second Language. I was present in the library one night, while this program was going on. I was shocked to hear the instructor telling the immigrants that "Republicans are not interested in the poor." IF this is the kind of propaganda that is fed to immigrants, I don't see how they are supposed to know the truth otherwise.

I'm all for making English the official language. I don't think anyone should be denied a job just because they aren't bilingual! (As it is in some cases...)

Edited August 13, 2008 by dominicansoul

[Mercy me]

[quote name='Socrates' post='1625786' date='Aug 12 2008, 10:40 PM']I had great-grandparents who came to America from Germany and Norway around 100 years ago. They had to learn English. They didn't get government services in German or Norwegian, nor did they demand them. The same with those who came over from Italy and Poland in the same period. They all had to become American and learn English, and were not pandered to.

I don't see why it should be any different with immigrants from Mexico or other countries.[/quote]

I agree. What we have now is called tyranny of the minority, where the minority is getting away with forcing the majority to pander to them. This seems to me to be counter to the ideals that this country was founded upon.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='Socrates' post='1625786' date='Aug 12 2008, 09:40 PM']I had great-grandparents who came to America from Germany and Norway around 100 years ago. They had to learn English. They didn't get government services in German or Norwegian, nor did they demand them. The same with those who came over from Italy and Poland in the same period. They all had to become American and learn English, and were not pandered to.

I don't see why it should be any different with immigrants from Mexico or other countries.[/quote]
My grandparents came to the US about 60 yrs ago and they learned English, because that's what they needed to do and WANTED to, because they realized that was the way to make it, here. They are horrified when they hear, nowadays, about people taking the citizenship test in other languages. If you want to hear people vehemently for English as a national language, talk to them!

[quote name='dominicansoul' post='1626161' date='Aug 13 2008, 01:09 PM']I agree with Madame V, in that it is the PC liberals who are the ones who are fighting this kind of thing. I believe most Mexican immigrants are very eager to assimilate to the American culture. They can't help it if some official tells them that they don't need to speak the language to become American Citizens. I think liberals are the ones who try to keep English from becoming the official language of the states, not immigrants.

My public library has programs teaching English as a Second Language. I was present in the library one night, while this program was going on. I was shocked to hear the instructor telling the immigrants that "Republicans are not interested in the poor." IF this is the kind of propaganda that is fed to immigrants, I don't see how they are supposed to know the truth otherwise.

I'm all for making English the official language. I don't think anyone should be denied a job just because they aren't bilingual! (As it is in some cases...)[/quote]
I remember in jr high, in Spanish class, the teacher telling us that a lot of the immigrants wanted their children to learn English, but their local gov't wanted to put classes in school in Spanish.

I also remember researching a speech on English as a national language, and a good deal of the people promoting it were people who were immigrants, who realized the way to get a fair chance is by learning English, and they immigrants are being cheated by not being made to learn it.

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='dominicansoul' post='1626161' date='Aug 13 2008, 01:09 PM']I agree with Madame V[/quote]

Sweet.

*giggles into hand*

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='MissScripture' post='1626367' date='Aug 13 2008, 06:29 PM']My grandparents came to the US about 60 yrs ago and they learned English, because that's what they needed to do and WANTED to, because they realized that was the way to make it, here. They are horrified when they hear, nowadays, about people taking the citizenship test in other languages. If you want to hear people vehemently for English as a national language, talk to them!
I remember in jr high, in Spanish class, the teacher telling us that a lot of the immigrants wanted their children to learn English, but their local gov't wanted to put classes in school in Spanish.

I also remember researching a speech on English as a national language, and a good deal of the people promoting it were people who were immigrants, who realized the way to get a fair chance is by learning English, and they immigrants are being cheated by not being made to learn it.[/quote]


Ironically the man who founded the national movement for English as the official language was a Japanese-Canadian who loved America so much he immigrated here, thus becoming Japanese-American.

[url="http://www.us-english.org/inc/about/hayakawa.asp"]http://www.us-english.org/inc/about/hayakawa.asp[/url]

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Madame Vengier' post='1626421' date='Aug 13 2008, 09:16 PM']Ironically the man who founded the national movement for English as the official language was a Japanese-Canadian who loved America so much he immigrated here, thus becoming Japanese-American.

[url="http://www.us-english.org/inc/about/hayakawa.asp"]http://www.us-english.org/inc/about/hayakawa.asp[/url][/quote]
Wouldn't he become Canadian-American?