fishin wrote:blatham wrote: Canada, as you may know, is bilingual as a matter of law. I have not met a European who does not speak at least three languages fluently. Vancouver now is close to 50% of Asian descent and all the ATM machines, for example, have Mandarin as well as English while the can of peas you buy is french on one side and english on the other.
It is interesting that you mention Vancouver and it's Asian population in your screed againt Gingrich. Vancouver's own Electoral Reform Commission determined that ballots must be printed using western characters.
"It is not certain whether multilingual ballots are permissible under the Charter. It is at least arguable that the Charter's requirement that names be listed alphabetically suggests that names on ballots must employ the Western alphabet. Several speakers at our public meetings
have suggested that multilingual ballots would increase participation of minority groups in political life.
I think, however, the advantages of multilingual ballots are outweighed by the problems that might be associated with them.
Given that only citizens of Canada have a right to vote, it can be expected that the overwhelming majority of voters, immigrants and otherwise, will have acquired facility with the English language."
http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/erc/pdf/verc_report.pdf (page 122)
So yes, they can be multilingual - as long as that other language uses the western character set. I wonder how much that helps that Asian polulation in Vancouver?
It is also interesting to note that in a footnote on the bottom of that same page they mention
"Section 5(1)(d) of the federal Citizenship Act requires that the citizenship applicant possess an adequate knowledge of one of the official languages of Canada. The associated Regulations say that the applicant should be able to comprehend basic spoken statements and questions in past, present and future tenses."
How dare Gingrich suggest that the U.S. have a similar requirement! And shame on those Canadians for being so racist and xenophobic!
My god! What must you have gone through to dig that up? A long time ago, I did some work for Berger's mother. Never met him but he's been a dedicated and civic-minded fellow. He's submitted proposals here on a range of electoral matters and referring to the Charter, finds that the Western alphabet seems mandated on the basis that names are to be listed alphabetically. He doesn't state here what 'problems' he finds attending multilingual ballots (there may be further on this in the submitted document but I'd just as soon chew on some lead paint than read it for no monetary recompense). But they would have to be, for me, apparent and very significant to counter-balance the gains arising from making new citizens' introduction to voting as easy as possible.
I don't have a problem with permanent citizenship status hinging on an "adequate knowledge" of a nation's official language (or languages, plural, as in canada). That will surely work to the benefit of those entering a country and promote general efficiencies all around. In a similar vein, mandating a single language for air traffic communications looks pretty sane.
But that is not what Gingrich is up to and it isn't what many others are up to in this 'debate'. Eg, see woiyo's post above yours. That is xenophobia and is repugnant for that (not to mention deeply ahistorical). In 1800, there were more Italians in New York city than in Milan, more Irish here than in Dublin, etc...and very arguably, no city has been so influential in establishing America's identity than New York.
America isn't unique in this regard. When canadian PM Trudeau introduced legislation to mandate teaching of French in english schools and teaching of english in french schools (and multi-lingualism in government operations) there were a lot of Canadians who were pissed, for cultural hegemonistic and xenophobic reasons. Tough luck. Most are dead now and the country is better for that legislation. Or one can point to the beginnings of Canadian anti-drug laws/hysteria near the beginning of the 20th century with the large influx of yellow-menace folks.
But universality provides no moral exemption for xenophobia. Rape is evident in all cultures too.
or Ms. Clinton .
