Monday, January 29, 2007
English Only Movement Comes to Oregon Legislature
Historical perspectives are in short supply. Nobody wants to remember much of anything, it seems, except maybe the last movie seen or who got nominated for a Goofy. Maybe some old resentments about something or other….
There’s a bill in the legislature to make English the “official” language of Oregon.
This makes me nuts. It’s a direct hustle for the vote of those people who believe (I won’t say “thinking,” because that’s not what they’re doing) that America is being innundated with the hoardes of illegal immigrants, sucking up our precious natural essences. That’s an old propaganda piece—the Irish, Italians, VietNamese and various other non-Northern Europeans have invaded our Anglo-Saxon protestant paradise: to arms! to arms! Grab your crosses and torches!
If you start following the links on the English-should-be-official sites, you'll sooner or later come back to the Nasties—the sites advocating the arming of the citizenry, the abolition of equal opportunity laws, outlawing women's rights to their own bodies, and so on. Same ol' same ol'.
Ugh.
Ore. legislators push bill to make English official language
1/20/2007, 1:11 p.m. PT
The Associated Press
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1169327956270030.xml&storylist=orlocal
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Yamhill County's all-Republican legislative delegation and other Republicans have introduced a bill to declare English Oregon's official language.
"While our diversity makes us strong, it takes a common language to bring diverse people together," said Rep. Donna Nelson, R-McMinnville, the bill's sponsor.
The bill would force few if any changes if passed. It stems from a national English-only movement.
When Arizona voters approved adopting English as their official state language by a 3-1 margin in November it became the 28th state to do so.
U.S. English Inc., a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group, said similar legislation is pending in at least seven other states and that it hopes for a federal bill.
Opponents denounced it as opportunistic at best, racist at worst.
Nelson said on Friday that response has been positive.
It could release public agencies from having to provide services or information in other languages unless mandated by state or federal law.
Officials in the legislative and administrative branches said they were unaware of any such requirements in the first place but that many agencies voluntarily offer some materials and services in Spanish as an option for safety reasons in matters such as road rules or pesticide applications.
But Lonn Lon Hoklin, a spokesman for the state Department of Administrative Services, said he was unaware of any requirements to do so.
Critics of English-only legislation regard it as political posturing or worse.
"They're trying to be attentive to their conservative base. Why else would they bring this up?" asked David Molina, a Beaverton businessman who sits on the Oregon Commission for Hispanic Affairs.
Mike Davis, a University of California historian and co-author of the book "No One is Illegal," said the English-only movement feeds on historical misunderstandings and silly paranoia.
English, he said, is the fastest-growing language on the planet and far from endangered.
"Why then English only? Because it allows racists and nativists to pursue their dirty business with the plausible denial that they are not advocating discrimination, only Americanism," he ***
___
Information from: News-Register, http://www.newsregister.com
There’s a bill in the legislature to make English the “official” language of Oregon.
This makes me nuts. It’s a direct hustle for the vote of those people who believe (I won’t say “thinking,” because that’s not what they’re doing) that America is being innundated with the hoardes of illegal immigrants, sucking up our precious natural essences. That’s an old propaganda piece—the Irish, Italians, VietNamese and various other non-Northern Europeans have invaded our Anglo-Saxon protestant paradise: to arms! to arms! Grab your crosses and torches!
If you start following the links on the English-should-be-official sites, you'll sooner or later come back to the Nasties—the sites advocating the arming of the citizenry, the abolition of equal opportunity laws, outlawing women's rights to their own bodies, and so on. Same ol' same ol'.
Ugh.
Ore. legislators push bill to make English official language
1/20/2007, 1:11 p.m. PT
The Associated Press
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1169327956270030.xml&storylist=orlocal
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Yamhill County's all-Republican legislative delegation and other Republicans have introduced a bill to declare English Oregon's official language.
"While our diversity makes us strong, it takes a common language to bring diverse people together," said Rep. Donna Nelson, R-McMinnville, the bill's sponsor.
The bill would force few if any changes if passed. It stems from a national English-only movement.
When Arizona voters approved adopting English as their official state language by a 3-1 margin in November it became the 28th state to do so.
U.S. English Inc., a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group, said similar legislation is pending in at least seven other states and that it hopes for a federal bill.
Opponents denounced it as opportunistic at best, racist at worst.
Nelson said on Friday that response has been positive.
It could release public agencies from having to provide services or information in other languages unless mandated by state or federal law.
Officials in the legislative and administrative branches said they were unaware of any such requirements in the first place but that many agencies voluntarily offer some materials and services in Spanish as an option for safety reasons in matters such as road rules or pesticide applications.
But Lonn Lon Hoklin, a spokesman for the state Department of Administrative Services, said he was unaware of any requirements to do so.
Critics of English-only legislation regard it as political posturing or worse.
"They're trying to be attentive to their conservative base. Why else would they bring this up?" asked David Molina, a Beaverton businessman who sits on the Oregon Commission for Hispanic Affairs.
Mike Davis, a University of California historian and co-author of the book "No One is Illegal," said the English-only movement feeds on historical misunderstandings and silly paranoia.
English, he said, is the fastest-growing language on the planet and far from endangered.
"Why then English only? Because it allows racists and nativists to pursue their dirty business with the plausible denial that they are not advocating discrimination, only Americanism," he ***
___
Information from: News-Register, http://www.newsregister.com
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Pete, corporate America loves mass immigration because it's the primary factor that maintains economic growth. Opposing illegal immigration — especially the some 3 million coming across the Mexican border every year — is an effective way to sabotage capitalism.
Another way is to also drastically reduce our own consumption.
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Another way is to also drastically reduce our own consumption.
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