Saturday, January 17, 2009
English Only Distortions
My hometown of Nashville, Tennessee is currently debating an English first amendment that would make the native tongue the official language in all issues but public health and safety. There are deliberate misrepresentations by opponents of the measure including those supposedly objective local media members. They use "English only" and seldom mention the public health and safety exemptions. Proponents including Councilman Eric Crafton who originated the measure have been harassed. The Councilman maverick has even had his life threatened. Support for this initiative should be common sense. On one side of my family, I am a second generation descendant of a man from Poland who made a point of emphasizing English as the language of success with opportunity being greatly increased for immigrants by a rapid assimilation of the language of commerce and culture. He pointed to British literary giant and fellow Polish expatriate Joseph Conrad as an example of what mastery of the language could produce. A Japanese American and hero of the conservative movement, S. I. Hayakawa, was one of the first nationally-known backers of this helpful concept which promotes more rapid transition by immigrants into Americans and reduces expense on taxpayers who would otherwise be responsible for providing translators and duplicating the publication of documents. One of the most galling aspects of the campaign has been hearing that so many of Nashville's elites including the Governor, Mayor, and the heads of Nashville's colleges and universities have gratuitously inserted themselves into the debate against the dreaded "nativists", and the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, a government entity has even given $5000 to the campaign to defeat the English first measure. How are government agencies permitted to engage in political advocacy particularly when their viewpoint if adopted creates additional costs for the taxpayer and should be seen as using the taxpayers own funds against them to feather their governmental nest?
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