I know there are all these other goodish reasons. Aunt B. had a good reason yesterday that Pithcopied today (yeah, I noticed that…;-)) but I’ll be honest. I’ve never been one to vote on things because I’m worried of what others will think of us. I supported the war in Afghanistan and the early war in Iraq with nary a care about the opinions of other people.
The whole idea of the English-only bill just hurts my hindquarters for another reason.
I’m an American. I’m a free-born person. If I want to speak pig Latin for the rest of my days I’m gonna do it. If I want to open a store where I cater to other pig-Latin speaking freaks then damskippy I’m gonna.
I don’t quite get this tea party version of America some people have, where we have to have dress codes and codes of conduct that limit the individuality and freedom of citizens. I don’t get this version of America where some people think the things they like and enjoy should become codified while the things other people like and enjoy should become illegal. “America” doesn’t mean “I should get to boss you around because I was here first/have more money”. “America” means that you get to enjoy the pursuit of happiness through most means.
If you want to speak English Only in your house or your store or your church, be my guest. But don’t tell me what to do in my part of the world. If you want that kind of life, move to French Quebec.
Just Another Pretty Farce 
It is stuff like this that makes me lean libertarian, though, I must say.
My reason is purely pragmatic (and a little artistic). The proponents have never, not once, articulated the problem(s) this bill was designed to directly “fix”.
I think we all know the “problem” the bill is supposed to INDIRECTLY “fix”, but I don’t want any part of that.
But, in everything, I need narrative. If there is no conflict, there is no drama. And every cause needs drama (“we’re saving the planet! the economy! the children!, whatever) There’s none of that here.
They can’t properly tell us what’s wrong in our city that needs to be fixed by the bill. There’s an implication, I guess, that our town has too many Mexicans, and EO, I suppose, tries to indirectly address that. Not only is that premise offensive to all good people, their silly bill will not even do anything, really, about that particular “problem”. The whole exercise seems to be pointless noise-making.
I did my best to get Crafton’s opponent elected in the last election. Oh, well.
[…] Coble explains her opposition to English Only in this post. Here is an excerpt: I don’t quite get this tea party version of America some people have, […]
I agree, Slartibart.
And it’s not that there are too many “Mexicans.” (Not every native Spanish-speaking person who lives here is from Mexico, by the way.) It’s that not enough people are learning English fast enough, apparently, for some people’s taste.
I’m all for people learning and speaking English, but not at the expense of our being compassionate, hospitable, and welcoming to those who come here from other places to live. Why is it such a bad thing to offer an interpreter to someone? Why is it such a bad thing to translate documents into several major languages? Oh. Yeah. Costs money. Well, gee. We can’t do that, can we?
Since 1976, Nashville has been a major resettlement location for refugees. I’m glad we are known as a safe haven for people of all origins. I hope we continue to be so.
I shall continue to use what Spanish still is stuck in my brain from 6 years of study, helping make people feel welcome and appreciated. (Have you ever said “¡Gracias!” to a native Spanish speaker for their work/service and had a smile in response? I have, many times.) I’m glad I can talk with Guatemalans, Hondurans, Mexicans, and so forth in their heart language. And it’s great when they practice their English with me — I can tell that they enjoy doing so.
Ya know… It would behoove more of us Americans to learn other languages. But… that’s a topic for another blog post. Ya wanna get going on that one, Kat? ;o)
I forgot to mention something. This isn’t about limiting freedom, it’s about determining what policies will govern government business. If you want to speak Pig Latin in your home, you can still do it. You’d make more sense that way anyway.