Standing up to Uncle Sam
[Guest post by DRJ]
More states and state politicians are joining Arizona in standing up to the federal government:
“Tim James, a Republican candidate for Alabama governor, is getting a lot of attention for a new ad that questions why the state offers driver’s license exams in a dozen languages.
“This is Alabama. We speak English,” James says, looking into the camera. “If you want to live here, learn it. We’re only giving that test in English if I’m governor.”
***
James, a businessman and son of former two-term Alabama governor Fob James, has said requiring an English-only exam would protect public safety by ensuring that drivers could read traffic signs.Legislation under consideration in Georgia also would require English-only driver’s tests.”
The protest aspect of these movements has become as important as the principles behind them. It reminds me of the anti-war movement although, ironically, so far this is more peaceful.
— DRJ
ironically, so far this is more peaceful.
Other than the government approved protesters, who don’t seem very peaceful.
But the MAJORITY statements, are quite peaceful. It’s all those pesky “mostly peaceful” “protesters” who aren’t peaceful.
I would call them “Riots against the rule of law.” But hey! I’m not a community organizer. I’m just a guy who wakes up several times a night to police sirens. So I’m clearly just a stupid teabagger, unlike the ever loving rioters/mostly peaceful protesters in Arizona.
Douglas (2c3ce5) — 4/28/2010 @ 1:02 amDRJ, unless my phone call is of an urgent nature, If I get a “For English Press 1” recording I hand up. No exceptions. This IS the United States and although we are a multi-national/multi-ethnic society English is standard, if you have to press 1, let it be for some other language and keep the regular message in English. Guess I’m a racist huh?
GM Roper (6afe02) — 4/28/2010 @ 4:53 amIt does seem funny to have a driver’s test in a language other than English when all signs with words are in English.
It’s about time States start pushing back. For far too long, the Feds have passed laws requiring more from the States while funding less of it.
Corwin (ea9428) — 4/28/2010 @ 5:39 amWell, California offers online voter registration forms in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. I’d think that should be a higher standard than driver’s licenses.
Kevin Murphy (5ae73e) — 4/28/2010 @ 8:19 amSo, a compromise. Issue driver’s licenses to all, but with a line on the license that goes:
US Citizen __ Legal Resident (expires) ______ Other __
Kevin Murphy (5ae73e) — 4/28/2010 @ 8:21 amSlightly OT – But I just half heard on Fox that the Supreme Court ruled that the war maemorial cross in SoCal can remain where it is. Any one else hear about this?
Have Blue (854a6e) — 4/28/2010 @ 8:34 am#6, yes. The ruling was that the lower court did not take into account the land was sold to a private owner. I believe that was how it was stated.
Corwin (ea9428) — 4/28/2010 @ 8:44 amInability to read traffic signs, street signs, maps, newspapers, phone books, you name it, it’s all part of not being able to read the dominant language.
I know how difficult it can be. I tried to drive and get along in Tokyo for a little over a year. Never did learn to recognize more than a few of the most common signs, or say more than the most basic words. Getting lost on the highways was an everyday occurrence.
ropelight (a47510) — 4/28/2010 @ 8:51 amThe driver’s license/language thing is a serious and costly matter. A friend was quite seriously injured in an auto accident caused by someone who proclaimed they could neither speak or read English. It took hours for police to locate an “interpreter” in the other driver’s language so they could question him, determine if he had insurance (he did not), complete the police report, and then officially read him his rights and charge him. Later, he fled the country before facing justice. My friend’s insurance company and employer absorbed thousands and thousands of dollars for my friend’s medical expenses and while he was on disability.
And, I do think that Americans driving in foreign countries whose language they do not speak well need to be conscious of this issue and do some advance homework on signage, rules of the road, etc.
elissa (29aa91) — 4/28/2010 @ 9:34 amI’ve never understood this claim that “only the Feds may prosecute people for violations of mmigration law”. It’s certainly not based on the US Constitution, which merely gives Congress the authority to “naturalize” people as it sees fit.
And if you take this idea seriously, why not say that the states are usurping the Feds when they prosecute people for murder? Murder is a crime under Federal law, and Federal law trumps state law, so logically the feds should get in a snit if Arizona tries somebody for murder.
As is usually the case when the government is doing something exceptionally stupid and irrational, the courts created this muddled mess.
Subotai (69bf04) — 4/28/2010 @ 11:28 amDuring the Paleolithic Age, I was in South-Asia courtesy of a close, powerful relative (so powerful that he made me wear blue each and every day). We could check out a VW mini-bus for short trips, but we were forbidden to drive, as we did not speak the language, did not know the local rules of the road (BTW, they drove on the Left), and the maps were very unreliable (local knowledge was golden); so, it came with a “native” driver.
AD - RtR/OS! (ecaeda) — 4/28/2010 @ 11:30 amSo, the driver drove, and we set back and enjoyed the trip, and his comments on the passing scene.
This is the same Alabama that in the last decade got a BMW, Hyundai, and EADS plant.
el duderino (fedc3d) — 4/28/2010 @ 5:51 pmBTW Fob James lost his re-election bid to a Democrat, in Alabama, who ran entirely on a state lottery. Shortly after taking office, the referendum was overwhelmingly defeated.
el duderino (fedc3d) — 4/28/2010 @ 5:56 pm