What should be done about illegal immigration?

GOP tries to make English official
By Stephen Dinan
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 1, 2007



Some Republican senators are calling the English-language requirements in the immigration bill toothless and want the bill to declare English the "national" language of the U.S. and the country's official means of doing business.
The fight is over whether the bill should call English the "common" language -- as it reads now -- or deem it the "national," or official language, which the Republican senators say would cut the amount of government services provided in other languages and would overturn President Clinton's 2000 executive order that encouraged federal services to be delivered in different languages.
Sen. James M. Inhofe, Oklahoma Republican, has proposed an amendment to make English the national language -- a move that he said declares that "there is not an entitlement for language, other than the English language, to be given to people who want government services. Very simple."
Even though the same amendment passed as part of last year's failed immigration bill, many Democrats oppose it, and there is no guarantee that the Senate will allow a vote on it when the chamber finishes the immigration bill next week.
The English issue is closely linked to assimilation, a key part of the immigration debate, and a CBS-New York Times poll last week found that 62 percent of those surveyed thought recent immigrants don't try to learn English "within a reasonable amount of time."
The Senate bill tries to encourage English by making former illegal aliens show after four years on a legal visa that they have applied to take an English class and, after another four years, pass the citizenship test's English requirement before gaining a green card.
In an interview with McClatchy newspapers earlier this week, President Bush said the bill's declaration of English as the common language is a statement of the importance that he places on assimilation.
He campaigned for president in 2000 against making English the official language and in this week's interview said that he instead favors an "English-plus" policy.
"English is the gateway to great success in America, plus we want people being able to learn other languages, as well," he said.
K.C. McAlpin, executive director of ProEnglish, said the bill's requirements to learn English are empty because they don't kick in for at least eight years. He also said the test is "a very meaningless hurdle" that requires immigrants to write and read two sentences each in English.
"There's a lot of evidence to support the idea that many, many immigrants naturalize without any basic English skills at all," he said.
The overall Senate bill, negotiated behind closed doors by the Bush administration and a bipartisan group of senators, would grant illegal aliens legal status and a path to citizenship, create a temporary-worker program for future workers and give more priority in future immigration to those with needed skills

Mr. Inhofe's amendment would mandate that no person is entitled to government services in a language other than English except as required by law, such as court translators to protect defendants' rights. The amendment also says when the government prints forms in multiple languages, the English one will be the sole authority.
Opponents said that proposal is a solution in search of a problem.
Raul Gonzalez, legislative director at the National Council of La Raza, said that 82 percent of Americans already only speak English, that the government prints fewer than 1 percent of its documents in other languages and that research shows new immigrants learn English just as fast as those from previous generations -- all which happens without having English deemed the official language.
"The problem with the Inhofe amendment is it has unintended consequences, or perhaps intended. The most important is it makes it difficult to provide services in languages other than English," Mr. Gonzalez said.
Peter Zamora, regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said immigrants know that speaking English is the key to American life. He said the problem isn't a lack of desire to learn the language, it's lack of classes to teach it -- including several-year waits for English as a Second Language classes in some major cities.
"For Congress to declare that English is the official language is empty. Instead Congress should ensure that we have the kind of services necessary to help the community integrate," Mr. Zamora said.
Thirty states already have official English laws on the books and making it the official language draws overwhelming support. In a recent Zogby poll, 83 percent of the 993 likely voters surveyed said they supported such legislation.
The fight played out during last year's Senate debate, when the chamber passed two amendments, one declaring English the "national" language and the other calling it the "common" language. The "national language" amendment passed 62-35, and the "common language" amendment passed 58-39.
But Mr. McAlpin said calling English "the common language" is simply a statement of fact.
"That's like saying the sky is blue. It's a meaningless statement that doesn't do anything to give English force in law," he said.


WHY NOT?

Thanks Bill. I am trying to practice what I preach to others.

I must also admit, though, the more problems this bill causes for the GOP, the more I like it ....

Cycloptichorn

So you've said several times across several threads. The GOP will get blamed if this bill passes and they'll get blamed if it doesn't pass.

Still, not even the staunchest of their opponents to this "amnesty" have suggested wanting to see people get blown to bits by land mines.

Yes, it's a lose-lose for the GOP, which I love.

I don't wish to see anyone blown to bits by land mines; but you misunderstand my position. Securing our border using deadly force forces noone to get blown up by land mines. It only makes the consequences more severe for their illegal incursion.

I am behind a workable, agreeable solution. I have personal problems with illegal immigrants which relate to events in my life in which people were impacted quite negatively by the situation. These problems have lead me to have a rather rough opinion about the way the situation should be dealt with. But my personal opinion is immaterial to the solution we will eventually find as a nation.

Cycloptichorn

You didn't suggest this? What exactly did you suggest? Got a link?

That bit; he recanted long ago. Why focus on it now?

Shrug. It's what happens when you post pissed off.

Cycloptichorn

Consequences - as in, death? Yeah, I'd say that's damn "severe".

First I'd heard of it, so I didn't bring it up.

You did.

You say that as if I'd said otherwise. What's your beef today?

Doesn't sound like he's "recanted" 100%. "Rephrased" maybe.

I'm not sure why you're trying to stir the pot with me, but it's immaterial to me either way.

Though I do fully support the concept of you saying whatever it is you feel is neccessary to say in order to make yourself feel good. So please don't view this as an attempt to limit your chosen form of expression.

Cycloptichorn

currently reading the book : "CURIOUS SCOTLAND" BY GEORGE ROSIE published 2004 .
the chapter "no irish need apply" deals with the large influx of the irish into scotland in the early twenties .
"the kirk" and the ministers were not at all happy with the "irish hords" coming across !

from the book :


there was a strong movement to send the irish packing !
sounds all too familiar some eighty years later !
hbg

No one denies that there is suffering in third-world countries. However, the solution isn't to turn our country into one.

There is little doubt that this is happening. The hordes of illegals are driving down wages and benefits, and taking jobs from lower and middle class citizens. Unless something drastic is done (e.g., mining), I predict that things will go from bad to worse.

Spoken like an ignorant fool who's never laid eyes on a third world country in his life. Do you never get tired of making a fool of yourself? There's little doubt the United States of America is turning into a third world country? I find it incredible that one person can produce so very many examples of pure idiocy on a single thread. I see you never recanted your last bout with idiocy either; even after the reminder. Do yourself, and everyone a favor and spend 5 minutes on Wiki researching your next idiotic thought before wasting any more of the site's bandwidth.

Amazing isn't it?

advocate wrote :



pretty much what the scots were saying about the irish !



further from the book :


those darn irish interlopers better watch out !
hbg

I guess being against illegal immigration wasn't a racist issue then was it? Considering the Irish and Scottish are the same race and all.

Yes McWhitey... this is why the term racist gave way to bigot quite a while back.

I now recognize Bill by his smile. We had a kid in the neighborhood who was retarded. He had the identical smile.