[Grovenet] ear mark this!

[Walt Wentz]

What waste? If a citizen is fluent in Spanish but has difficulty with 
English, should we deny him the right to make an informed vote? 
(Note, I said "citizen--" I can't conceive of an illegal alien trying 
to vote, and thus risk identifying himself to authorities).
If we made English our "official" language, could we then legally 
refuse to make ballots understandable to citizens who were not fluent 
in English? If the city issues newsletters containing essential 
information in English, should we withhold that information from 
people who could understand it best in Spanish?
In short, would making English our "official language" legally enable 
us to de facto create a disenfranchised, helpless  subclass?
Or (ahem) is this, perhaps, the true intent of this whole "official 
English" movement?
Walt

>Wrong. You can vote in other languages. Forest grove puts out newsletters in
>english and spanish. It isn't a form of bigotry to look upon that as a
>waste.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com]On
>Behalf Of Walt Wentz
>Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 2:15 PM
>To: Forest Grove local interests list
>Subject: Re: [Grovenet] ear mark this!
>
>
>
>Steve:
>We already have a "common language!" It is, by default, English. What
>people are objecting to is the meaningless and xenophobic rigamarole
>of proclaiming it our "official" language. We don't use Latin for
>writing "official" documents anymore, yet that used to be the
>"official" language of our European ancestors. Latin served the
>purpose of excluding the common people from "official" business--
>but, instead of excluding merely one small class of unwelcome
>immigrants, it excluded the entire populace, except for churchmen and
>lawyers. I don't notice anyone wailing and pleading to return to
>Latin as the only language for official documents. Why should we
>enshrine English in that position?.
>Walt
>
>>Just an example of what happens without a common language. Who can
>>understand it all. So lets have an official language that government uses
>>for elections, drivers licenses and all that.
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com]On
>>Behalf Of Katie Allnutt
>>Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 10:50 PM
>>To: Forest Grove local interests list
>>Subject: Re: [Grovenet] ear mark this!
>>
>>
>>Using Babel fish to translate from Portugese to English gives this:
>>Is enough to say it that I can agree to the David and Walter with
>>this edicao. However I disagreed in many topicos. But if voce nao
>>could understand that this voce never would know that one, voce? Thus
>>nao proving its proprio point
>>
>>    Italian starts out with pack saddles agreeing with David about
>>something. French has landlords proving points. And Spanish isn't
>>much better.  So I'll guess it is supposed to be Portugese, but the
>>post loses something in translation.
>>
>>Katie
>>
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