Dems who voted to make English our "official" language

[joemurphy]

Lincoln - AR
Pryor - AR
Carper - DE
Nelson - FL
Landrieu - LA
Baucus - MT
Conrad - ND
Dorgan - ND
Nelson - NE
Johnson - SD
Byrd - WV

I wonder how many of them speak another language? So what happens to the "unofficial" languages spoken widely in many areas of the U.S., like Spanish, Yiddish, Mohawk, Cherokee, Navajo, Lakota et al?

Thank you to the above Dems for their wonderful commitment to multiculturalism.

[Totally Committed]

1. Remarkably close the the bunch that crossed over to vote for

Alito... see my sig line.

I just read in another thread that a vote for one of these moronic a-hole DINOS is a vote for Conyers or Kennedy. Conyers or Kennedy would be disgusted with this vote.... almost as much as I am.

TC

[joemurphy]

4. Right, the so-called "moderate" Dems who joined the

so-called "Gang of 14". Happily Salazar (one of the Gangsters) remembered the ethnic roots of his last name this time.

[sandnsea]

39. So THESE are the ones who keep gumming up the works??

You don't say!! It's NOT the corporate DLC sell-outs. Well I'll be danged.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Both Lincoln and Pryor speak Arksawan!

[quickesst]

7. Arksawan?

I'm born and raised in Arkansas. I don't believe Arksawan is spoken here. For that matter, I don't even know what an Arksawan is. But, I will pass it on, I'm sure my kin will get a kick out of it. Thanks.
quickesst

[sinkingfeeling]

18. Oops, I left out something....Arkansawan. Sorry. I still see the state

population referred to as Arkansawyers in the newspapers here.

[flordehinojos]

3. once the cuban americans get a whiff of nelson's of fla.vote he may just

be toast...and katherine harris may get his seat.

[nickshepDEM]

5. AR and ND should be proud.

Especially ND, they have two of the finest senators in the country.

Ill be writing Mikulski and Sarbanes for not supporting this piece of legislation.

[pnwmom]

6. Don't we want to have Democratic Senators in red states?

Or are we too purist for that?

Isn't it the job of Democrats to represent the wishes of the people in their own states? This means that there will be votes made by some Democratic Senators that Democrats in other states might not approve of. Without these occasional votes, soon we would have no Democratic Senators in red states.

[joemurphy]

8. What about representing the Sioux in North Dakota?

And since when did this become such a burning issue in the Red States?

And what good are Democrats that always vote with the Republicans?

[pnwmom]

19. They don't always vote with Republicans. Check out

www.progressivepunch.com

if you are interested in voting records. There's surprisingly little overlap between Republicans and Democrats these days.

[TechBear_Seattle]

12. If a red state Dem Senator votes with the red state GOP...

Is he really a Dem? Is it better to have a "democrat in name only" than work to get a real Democrat elected?

[pnwmom]

20. He's a Dem when it comes to deciding whether Dems or

Repubs are assigned to be chairs of ALL Senate Committees. At this point in time, that's good enough for me.

[frylock]

13. that argument became null and void after IWR

[pnwmom]

21. IWR?

[joemurphy]

22. Iraq War Resolution n/t

[pnwmom]

26. That argument is even more crucial since Bush has

pushed us into what he's now calling a new world war.

We have to get the Bush-traitors, and we can make a start by getting the Chairmanships of committees so we will finally have subpoena power.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pnwmom]

23. So I'm making a "racist apologetist argument" by pointing out

that Senators don't get elected if they don't represent the people in their states? And that we need more Democrats in office in order to get Bush & Co. out?

Sorry, but I disagree.

[ruggerson]

33. I totally agree with you

It just gets discouraging that we have to pander to base instincts to keep Democrats in red states. They have to vote for every jingoistic, racist, homophobic, sexist piece of legislation that comes down the pike.

But, you're right. There's no other answer.

[Hippo_Tron]

45. It's also those democrats' jobs to be LEADERS

And not just do what polls well....

What he was saying about the Iraq War Resolution earlier, is that while it was incredibly popular at the time, now a majority of Americans wish that we hadn't gone into Iraq. Because congressmen are supposed to be able to make better decisions than the people, they should've not approved Bush's request to go to war. That way, their constituents would never have had wish that we hadn't gone into Iraq becuase we wouldn't have gone into Iraq.

[longship]

9. You forgot Finnish.

My grandparents all came from Northern Europe after the turn of the 20th century. My mother's primary language was Finnish, even though she was born in Wisconsin. The household language was Finnish. She learned English first from her older brothers. My grandfather knew English, but to my knowledge, my grandmother did not. She lived over three decades here in the US and never spoke a word of English.

In the northern regions of the midwest (Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota) there are still communities where Finnish is common and even native borns speak with a tinge of Finn accent.

The interesting thing about this is that these communities are held together not only by a common language, but by their cultural heritage.

That's a part of my life that I sorely miss since moving to Southern California. However, I find the Mexican culture here delightful. I just wish that there was a pasty store (or two) here.

Cultural heritages, and all their affectations (including language), enrichen this country. I am firmly against this ridiculous "English" bill.

[joemurphy]

11. You're right about Finnish. Forgot about the upper Peninsula

of Michigan. Lots of French and Cornish descendants there too. And pasties are delicious! Had some in Hubble, Michigan.

[LunaSea]

10. Will lawmakers be deprived of Latin?

Just wondering...

[Fire Walk With Me]

14. Oy! Such a ting.

Am I out of line to imagine that an official religion might be something they'd suggest at some point?

[guidod]

16. I'M TIRED OF ALL THIS SHIT!!!!!

Let's see immigration, english, gay marriage? Next will be flag burning! Quit falling into the repugs (Rove) trap and stop talking about all of this crap. Who cares??? FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!! Are we forgetting it's an election year?

[wiley]

17. Nevermind

[rockymountaindem]

24. All that could concieveably happen to those languages is

that they won't appear on ballots, your utility bills, street signs etc. It's not exactly like we're banning books in other languages or their use at home or in cultural associations etc.

French is the official language of France, but plenty of Frenchmen still speak other native languages (Basque, Breton, Picardie) or other immigrant languages (Arabic).

[Igel]

50. Except that the Senate specifically

said unless the use of other languages is authorized or mandated by law.

And it doesn't cover private matters, such as contractual relations. It would do much less than people think it would.

And it's only in the Senate; it'll have to go through a conference committee or be voted on separately in the House to become law.

[unlawflcombatnt]

25. Thanks - I know who to send Thank you letters to.

Thanks for posting that. I now know which Democratic Senators to send thank you letters to. It's about time some Democrats stood up for the American people and the American middle class, instead of catering to the Corporate Cheap Labor Lobby and their allies in the open border lobby.

Congratulations to all of those that did.

[Telly Savalas]

49. It's generally considered poor form to end an English sentence

with a preposition.

[Igel]

51. Or to overuse the passive.

"Preposition stranding" is a very nice English practice. Sometimes people confuse phrasal verbs with preposition stranding; fortunately, this isn't a case of that.

Too bad French and Latin don't have preposition stranding. They have obligatory pied-piping. But they're certainly not justification to continue to strait-jacket English.

I imagine that if English had been the model for French in the 1600s we'd still have quaint, but archaic, folk struggling to split French infinitives. :-)

[buff2]

27. Good for them!

11 true patriots standing up for the American people! Can't knock that!

[joemurphy]

28. Yeah, fly your flag you true American.

And someone whose native language is Spanish and doesn't speak English well isn't really an "official" American like you. That's a great thing. Really great.
Send them your congratulatory letter. All "true" Americans should be pleased.

[ldf]

30. all it takes is practice.

maybe they should try it.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NativeTexan]

34. Can't argue your point, buff.

My main problem is this. I understand that when the Europeans, that many of us sprung from, came thru Ellis Island that they didn't speak English, and I also understand that many of, especially the older members from immigrant families, STILL don't speak a lick of english. Whether they are Italians or Polish or whatever, I doubt that anyone expected to find a country expected to speak to THEM in THEIR native tongue.

BUT.....I am involved in retail here in Texas, and the one thing that I see ALOT...and I mean ALOT....is latino immigrants that get mad at ME and my employees...why? BECAUSE WE DON'T SPEAK SPANISH!!! Now I didn't move to Mexico. But if I did, I wouldn't EXPECT that people waiting on me in restaurants or shoe stores would speak ENGLISH. That doesn't mean that some DON'T, just like their are bilingual service employees in Texas. And even though a "tourist" might think that Mexicans that WANT the American dollar SHOULD speak english, I don't believe that it is their responsiblity to do so. But when you are coming into another country to work and better yourself, and may have even done so illegally.....I can't see where you have any place getting mad at the locals for speaking the local language!! It is THEIR responsiblity to become part of the American experience by becoming part of the culture, which, I believe, requires learning the predominant language ot the adopted country.

[liberalpragmatist]

37. I do think that's a temporary problem

A recent survey found that only 7% of 2nd-generation Hispanic-Americans speak Spanish as their primary language. While the term "primary language" may be vague, it is true that the overwhelming majority of American-born-and-raised Hispanics speak English fluently. Language assimilation WILL happen. Bilinguilism was common in ALL immigrant communities for a few generations.

The attitude of some of your customers who expect that you should be able to speak Spanish probably comes from the fact that several businesses and institutions DO provide bilingual services, which probably makes them expect it as a given.

[NativeTexan]

40. You could be right there too....

.....but they need to lower their expectations JUST a tad....lol

[lynne]

42. I think that English as our National language -

- may be a lot more important to businesses - especially small ones - than to individuals. Having English as our national language may help prevent future legislation requiring businesses to translate every memo, flyer, brochure, menu, etc. into several languages and the requirement of bi-lingual employees. The expense to double produce and translate everything is overwhelming and is passed on to the rest of the consumers. Sure, some businesses currently do that because they have a high number of immigrant clients but such services should be voluntary only.

[nadinbrzezinski]

52. It IS volutnary

it only becomes a requirement for Gov'ment agencies such as the DMV

[lynne]

53. For the most part, it is voluntary -

- with some exceptions that will not be revoked by making English our national language according to what I've read.

That is why my post referred to FUTURE legislation.

[Hippo_Tron]

47. What form of English should be our national language?

Should we all learn to speak like they do in Beowulf?

[Nimrod2005]

29. This is really a sick sick vote...nt

[ruggerson]

32. What's the common demoninator here? Why, Dey'se all RED states

ok, so Delaware is kinda blue, and FLA is on the fence, but the rest are all red, red, red.

Which tells us that in red states, politicians have to pander to white people's fears in order to stay elected.

[Hippo_Tron]

46. Bill Nelson is beating his opponent by 30 points

He could vote straight party line this year and still beat Katherine Harris in double digits. He may be in a red state, but he's by no means in danger of losing his seat. And Delaware isnt' kinda blue, it's very blue. Carper was Governor for two terms and then became a senator. He has a very slim chance of losing.

[madfloridian]

54. I thought several Republicans filed by the deadline?

Msybe I am mistaken, but I remember hearing LeRoy Collins, Jr. did...his dad was governor.

[Hippo_Tron]

55. They're all unknowns

Harris will probably win the primary and if she doesn't, none of them will do much better. Nelson is one of the safest incumbents in the US Senate.

[madfloridian]

57. See my post in GD about LeRoy Collins...dad was governor..a Democrat.

Actually he was one of the best governors the state ever had. He could take off, IMHO. Name recognition.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1247527

[TankLV]

35. My sincerest and overwhelming THANKS to al these dems!

Great job - keep up the good work.

And I am NOT being sarcastic.

I just may send these dems a letter of support and a cash contribution.

Thanks for letting us know who's looking out for MY interests!

I'm sure you didn't mean to, tho!

HA! Jokes on YOU!

HA!

[Telly Savalas]

48. "all" is spelled with 2 l's.

[BigYawn]

36. Speaking as an immigrant to the USA, I am glad to see

that Americans are waking up to the importance and unifying
force a single official language can be. I was born and raised
in a multi-lingual country, and have seen AT FIRST HAND the
dissention and divisiveness caused by not having a single
language for all official and commercial business.

[Zookeeper]

56. Thanks for posting your personal experience, BigYawn.

As you can see, personal experience doesn't rate as high as ideology on DU lately.

I also happen to agree with you. The reason this is an issue now, and not in the past, is because the number of Spanish-only speakers is so large. Previous immigrants (or at least their children) HAD to learn English to function in this country. With such a large percentage of the population able to live their lives "in Spanish," there is a tremendous risk of having two separate societies eventually. With the natural diversity of the U.S., it's crucial that we all have a language in common. (And, no, I'm not interested in learning Spanish and shouldn't have to.)

[Rainscents]

38. These same people always screw things up!

Every time I see the list who vote with republican... it's always the same group of the people. They really need to go!

[fujiyama]

41. I believe all of those

also voted for the bankruptcy bill.

Funny, the defense I usually see is "they are representing their constituents"...

Really? Is Landreiu or Byrd representing the poor of New Orleans or the miners of coal country while supporting these crappy pieces of legislation?

These senators are smart at voting for meaningless legislation that doesn't do anything for anybody. This "English only" campaign makes no sense whatsoever. What is the point of this? English is the de facto official language as it is...Everything is in English. Is this really a pressing concern? Certain areas that have a large population of non English speakers is problematic, but I'm sorry but that requires funding and English education. Funny, I don't see ANY senator mentioning federal funding for ESL classes.

The question is, how are these people really helping to better the lives of their constituents? They aren't. Jingoistic, feel good crap, may make them feel good, but it's all feelings. What a bunch of worthless fucks.

[joemurphy]

43. The bankruptcy bill was a horrible piece of legislation.

As was their unprincipled stand on the Alito nomination. Add this "English" is our official language abomination to their "Wall of Shame".

For me, the Democratic party stands for inclusivity, multiculturalism, and
tolerance of minor differences amidst a wider sharing of more important values. "English only" to me is just code-speak for the exact opposite.

[nadinbrzezinski]

44. Interesting NONE of them is fro the SW

Yes it matters... by the way if they get away with it, I wonder if our distinguished Senators realize there goes the bilateral border commisiion and many other bilateral groups that rely on the dusty old agreements of Guadalupe Hidalgo.