VA Proposal would ban all non-English government materials

[Patroklos]

Apoc went to VMI, Patty. And Southern VA really is as stupid as he describes.

So you mean with all those migrant workers and VT/Radford/Longwood/James Madison/William and Mary/Norfol Southern/University of Virginia/etc. didn't provide any opportunity to meet hispanic or asian people?

How about Norfolk Naval Station, Cecil Field, Langley Airforce Base, Damn Neck, Little Creek Amphibious Base, Prtsmouth Naval Ship Yard, Fort Eustis, Fort Monroe, Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, etc.?

[Apocalypse]

Yeah, if you are in the southwest part of Virginia...unless you are in Roanoke or Lynchburg you are pretty much seeing wall to wall white people in most areas.

[Patroklos]

Ah, well lets not slander all Virginians over a guy you met in passing from an area of the state that accounts for 10% of the overall population

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
er, shes not a native? Shes an immigrant?

Even first-generation immigrants can become fully integrated.

[Apocalypse]

Well, a lot of people there just seemed racist. I come from Houston, which the Dalai Lama called the most race friendly city in the world.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Oh. Virginia ...

Fooled me too.

I do have a problem with the V.A., since a lot of non-American join our armed forces to expedite their goal of U.S. citizenship.

But a state can do what it wants. Hopefully, it would want to help all those legally within its borders, but that's its choice.

[Patroklos]

I do have a problem with the V.A., since a lot of non-American join our armed forces to expedite their goal of U.S. citizenship.

You have to pass a rather rigid English language test to join the military for such purposes.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


Even first-generation immigrants can become fully integrated.

Ive always understand "nativism" to mean hostility to immigrants and immigration generally, not to "unintegrated" immigrants only. I suppose theres always a continuum - the 1920s KKK probably wasnt super concerned about, say, English Protestant immigrants, but I also dont think theyd have been cool with Irish Catholics who fully integrated. And Id have trouble calling a 1920s English Protestant a "nativist" even if they were a Klan member. And of course, QOTM is NOT hostile to hispanic immigrants in general, nor does she participate in the paranoia about illegals - she just is kinda skeptical about the need for certain accommodations her family didnt get.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Patroklos


You have to pass a rather rigid English language test to join the military for such purposes.

But their widows and orphans have no such test.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Yep. Why should the state ban local governments from offering materials in different languages? After all, the US has no official language.

In the early 90's Pete Wilson got a law passed in California declaring English to be the official language. The courts ruled that the state still had to provide native language support for all legal documents for nonEnglish speakers.

[Vesayen]

Xenophobia is not always unjustified.

Case in point:



####ing scary.

[David Floyd]

I personally don't have a problem with making things difficult for people who choose not to learn our language quickly, or at all.

And I know the US hs no official language. We should, and it should be English, but with that said, we're an English speaking nation.

My point is, if you want to speak Spanish only, then stay in our country of origin - why come here? Oh, that's right, you want the benefits of living in the US, such as readily available government services, education, medical care, employment opportunities, etc. I forgot, my fault.

In that case, LEARN ENGLISH!

[Kuciwalker]

I personally don't have a problem with making things difficult for people who choose not to learn our language quickly, or at all.

Yes, but it's well established already that you're an asshat.

[David Floyd]

Personally, I think the people that move here, and expect US to be flexible to THEIR needs, rather than the other way around, are asshats.

If I move to Mexico or Guatemala I won't have my hand held by liberals who are concerned that it's sooo unfair to me that official documents and services aren't in English.

[Dinner]

Costa Rica and Panama both went out of their way to make sure everything was available in English. The extra effort has meant a lot of American retirees have moved their to enjoy the warm sunny weather and low cost of living during their retirement years. Being so welcoming to foreigners has really helped their economies.