Now why can't we do this....?
Discussion
West Virginia Makes English Its Official Language
This has been causing a bit of a stir on some of the 'merikan sites I visit!
Measure Inserted Into Bill as Amendment
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (April 12) - Two days after the end of the
legislative session, state lawmakers are discovering something few
were aware of: They voted to make English the official language of
West Virginia.
The language amendment was quietly inserted into a bill addressing
the number of members that cities can appoint to boards of parks and
recreation. Among mundane details about record-keeping, the amendment
adds the provision that "English shall be the official language of
the State of West Virginia."
Senate Majority Whip Billy Wayne Bailey successfully offered that
change to House Bill 2782 amid a flurry of bills moving back and
forth between the House and Senate on Saturday, the last night of the
60-day legislative session.
"I just told the members that the amendment clarifies the way in
which documents are produced," Bailey, a Democrat, said Monday.
House Majority Leader Rick Staton recommended that his chamber agree
with the Senate's changes. But Staton, also a Democrat, said he was
unaware of the substance of the amendment until asked about it by The
Associated Press Monday evening.
Efforts to make English the state's official language have been
introduced annually since the late 1990s. A group called U.S. English
has championed the cause.
"I think it's wrong that's something like that was snuck into that
bill in the last minute," said House Judiciary Chairman Jon Amores,
who helped kill an earlier proposal to forbid any state or local
agency from having to print documents in any language but English.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Joe Manchin could not immediately be reached
for comment.
Andrew Schneider, executive director of the American Civil Liberties
Union of West Virginia, said English-only laws are based on the false
premise that immigrants will not learn English without government
coercion.
"And English-only laws do nothing constructive to increase English
proficiency. They simply discriminate and punish those who have not
yet learned English," Schneider said.
04/12/05 06:40 EDT
Duncan23 said:
Do we ban Welsh and Gaelic again then?
By all means lets have a state financed gravy train for those who want to keep those languages alive (Because if we didn't you would never hear the end of the whining)
But I believe that everyone who speaks Welsh and Gaelic can also speak English-so your point is?
JagLover said:
By all means lets have a state financed gravy train for those who want to keep those languages alive (Because if we didn't you would never hear the end of the whining)
Welsh is 1st language in a large portion of west and north Wales. The reason why it's been eradicated in east Wales is because from the 1800s to as recently as the 1960s, if you were caught speaking Welsh in school you were beaten. Hence the whining.
JagLover said:
But I believe that everyone who speaks Welsh and Gaelic can also speak English-so your point is?
Well, the point being that the legislation removes any need for any signs or official documents to be in any language other than English. The current system is to have both Welsh and English available. I see no problem with having both available. Now if there were Welsh only signs/documents, and no English versions, I would be complaining. But I don't see what's wrong with the current system.
einion yrth said:
Now if there were Welsh only signs/documents, and no English versions,
Plenty of those in North Wales where local scallys, ( or possibly meibion glyndwr) have painted out the english bits.
I have family in deepest darkest north Wales and I'm made to feel most unwelcome by the locals. In fact on my last visit I nipped out for a quiet pint and had to beat a fairly hasty retreat from the pub.
einion yrth said:
Now if there were Welsh only signs/documents, and no English versions,
Plenty of those in North Wales where local scallys, ( or possibly meibion glyndwr) have painted out the english bits.
I've often wondered if the sons of Owain used Englands Glory matches...
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