The Ground IS Shifting!
Nashville rejected the English Only Referendum today!
For English Only — 32,144 (44%)
Against English Only — 41,752 (56%)
From Enclave:
I expect nothing but contrition in any response from Eric Crafton, whose mantra while pursuing this expensive special election was “‘We the People’ have a right to vote on this matter.” Well, he should have been more careful about what he asked for. He has now caused this city to spend $500,000 to get us right back to the place we were before he started blowing hard. For shame!
Congratulations to the people of Nashville! Wait, this post needs one more exclamation point ! , there we’re done.
Tags: Radical Right
Congratulations, Nashville, and thanks for showing us how it is done.
This is not surprising. Half of the people don’t speak English in Nashville anyway. They speak Tennessean.
OK, boycott on country music is over.
Oh, you weren’t listening anyway?
My fiance is in law school at Vanderbilt and voted against English only today. I was very proud.
Congratulations Nashville! I guess Grafton’s GOP career is on hold now?
Saying “on hold” with “GOP career” is just redundant.
OK, boycott on country music is over.
Don’t go soft now – we still have to get them to stop wearing those silly hats.
English is the language of the United States. To deny this fact is pure comedy.
Those who seek to keep up some sort of egalitarian effort to have it otherwise hurt the very people who they seek to help.
The longer one stays unable to speak, write and work using English the longer that person stays in a lower economic class.
Immigration without assimiliation is counter productive.
The United States has no official language.
I was in the Navy stationed in Corpus Christi as a junior officer. I couldn’t afford the first two months rent until I got my pay. My landlady, who spoke no English, let me float the debt for two months.
I’m glad she didn’t have a “No English” policy.
Two points…take as a whole…
I agree that when one moves to another country with the intent to live there (not just visit), that person should carry an expectation to learn that country’s language. Not so much be an expert, but be able to carry a simple conversation at the minimum.
HOWEVER, it is quite arrogant of us to pretend there is an official or legal requirment of English in the USA. It is indeed the predominant language and the basis of our communications, but arrogance does not make it effectual to every human here. In the Utopia States of America, every person would be fluent in English. In the United States of America, it isn’t that way. So while we should encourage (even heavily so) English as the base language, it wouldn’t hurt us any more to attempt to pick up a foreign language ourselves. Well, unless that arrogance thing gets in the way and makes it impossible.
Yo quiero cerveza! Corona es muy bueno.
See? I’m on my way!!!
OMG! I just checked “Rebuild the Delaware GOP” website.
In the context of the Delaware GOP, I’ve felt competitive, angry, sometimes hopeful (Tyler Nixon), but now…..
A website like this is like NAMBLA: all you feel is disgustful pity.
Vaya con Dios….
Immigration without assimilation is counter productive.
Resistance is futile.
Mike wants to pretend that Eric Crafton was trying to benefit society with his foray into racial code-word politics. What a farce.
As with most wing nut bloody shirt waving, the goals of the “English Only” wingnuts are practical but political. It all comes down to the next election and getting conservative cows to moo.
The results show that the public is onto this kind of moronic political theater.
Vaya con Dios
Dios mio, Joanne! You just knocked at least half of the DE Liberal population (commenters included) on their ear! I can hear the papá del cielo talk now!
Smitty is right. Everyone should try to learn English and it is much harder for them to function in the U.S. if they don’t know it. However, living in the real world, we know that this is not always possible and we should try to accomodate where we can.
Ah Smitty–now you’re slaying me!
But another angle to this English debate is stress…I do know when people are in an emergency or stressful situation, native language is the one they revert to–and are much easier soothed when counseled, or directed via written or spoken native format. I realize signage, and application forms may not fall under that category, but it sure goes a long way to extend some human courtesy interpretively in other areas.
Jason-can cows be coaxed or trained to moo? Serious!?
Ah, Pornstache has risen from his long slumber to proudly show off his whites-only approach to citizenship. So Mike, are you referring to the Queen’s English or just any version of English (southern, western, New England, Bushism)?
As my people would say to people like you, Mike – gey cocken auf en yam.
Is there someone or something threatening the use of English in this country? Why does this contimue to be an issue? Why is my neighbor’s use of Spanish so intimidating? Instead of fomenting revolution about English Only (how absurd!) we should be advancing the cause of multi-linguilism. I love the idea that the guy who made this such a big deal got beaten by the vote of the people. Viva la difference!