Small New York Town Makes English the Law

Small New York Town Makes English the Law

It’s about 2,500 miles from this green, rural town in the rolling hills near Vermont to the Mexican border at Nogales, but that hasn’t stopped Jackson from making a bid to be New York’s small version of Arizona in the immigration wars. Or that’s how it is beginning to feel two months after Jackson — which has 1,700 people, no village, no grocery store or place to buy gasoline, no church, no school, two restaurants and maybe a few Spanish-speaking farm workers — decided it needed a law requiring that all town business be conducted in English. One nearby town, Argyle, has since passed a similar resolution. A third, Easton, is likely to consider one at its Town Board meeting in June. The law has already put Jackson at odds with the New York Civil Liberties Union, which says it violates state and federal law. But in the great American echo chamber, every mouse gets to roar, so Roger Meyer, who proposed the law, feels he is making progress toward protecting the English language from threats near and far. “For too long, the federal government has shirked its duty by not passing English as the official language of the United States,” said Mr. Meyer, 76, a Town Council member and retiree who runs Chains Unlimited, a sawmill and chain saw and logging supply company. “So seeing as this law couldn’t be passed from the top down, I felt I’d start a grass-roots movement to try to get it passed from the bottom up.”

Link

This person could be classed as racist. America has no authorized language, like he said.

This man is breaking your laws.

I have to say I don't really see the point to this law, it seems like a bit of nonsense. That being said I certainly hope Govt. business continues to be discussed in English. What do you all think about this? Grass roots hero of the American way of life, or doofus trying to get a little fame?

reply to post by andy1033


I think calling him a racist is going a bit far. He very well may be, but enacting a law requiring official business to be conducted in English does not automatically strike me as racist.

They arent outlawing people speaking other languages, they want english to be the language used for conducting business. I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I think this is a white, older, hard working gentleman who has gotten annoyed with the whole "Press one for Engrish" thing. I'd like to see how it all plays out. I do like this current trend of people starting to do their part in keeping America America. At least it shows patriotism, even if it is a tad misguided sometimes. He is also going about it in a peaceful and legal fashion, which is important.

reply to post by LexTalionis


I just got a mental picture of him fuming over having to press 1 for English. I have a sneaking suspicion you are correct.

This kind of 'movement' seems to be spreading throughout America in different guises. Especially since the illegal immigrants problem has sparked up. I think what we are really seeing is the result of too many people feeling culturally alienated in their own country of birth. I'm not sure it can be described as racism.

IRM

reply to post by Raustin


I think it's a good move. His intentions may be suspect, but the end result would be a good thing.

Seeing how there's no businesses to speak of in that "settlement", besides maybe a town hall, I don't think it's going to make a dent in anything there. Maybe though it will start a grassroots movement and move to bigger towns, who knows.

Something to keep our eye on though, definatly.



Peace

reply to post by Raustin


I am a liberal but we do live in an english speaking country and everyone should have to know basic english. With that being said, if someone comes into the country by legal channels, they should be offered free english speaking classes and be given a time limit to complete and pass a basic test, maybe 2 years. On the same token, it is forcasted that the USA shall be predominantly latino mix in the next 100 years, I believe it should be mandatory for all children must learn Spanish. Change happens and those that do not prepare for it are doomed to fall to it.

[edit on 12-8-2010 by ACochis1]

reply to post by Raustin


Don't people have the right to conduct their business in the language of their choice?

This seems to be a literal violation of free speech.

reply to post by InfaRedMan


I don't believe its racism or prejudice, I think its citizens wanting everyone to pay there own share. I have no problem helping out with my taxes to those who need programs subsidized by the govt to get basic health needs, but I'm am tired of all the illegals that put a burden on the health care systems and the prison systems on all levels. I have no answers yet. I believe that the solution will be made because of politics, not necessity.

This law definitely isn't racist. I see no problem with it to be honest.

Just a thought.

It was the language of English that made US great. Universities were built using English, which translated millions of ancient texts on a diverse range of subjects and helped many leapfrog to build upon such knowledge, expanded upon the world, and almost dominated the world.

There is no other language or nation that had aquired that achievement, and spread that knowledge far beyond its shores. It was a language that America great, and united a People who came from other lands and even natives who spoke a different lingo.

Should such achievements be watered down, reduced to the lower levels of other languages that had failed to make its mark on the world the way English had?

Personally, no. English should always be the language of the nation. Other languages will not be discriminated, but for the sake of unity, they will be required to learn such language if they intent to partake on the achievements of the American People, contribute and make US even greater that it could ever be.

PS:- Pardon my grammatical and spelling errors. I ain't perfect, but with what was written as is, I am sure most will grasp my point, which is the purpose of communication.

It's interesting that they passed this law. But I am concerned that there might be anyone who will be able to read it.

I'm not at all surprised that one of the first posts is calling people out for being racist. Maybe they were being facetious.

Nvertheless, It is a fairly common sense approach to day-to-day business to establish standard practices that ensure continuity in governance and commerce.

It should not even be a discussion that we are an English speaking culture and our daily affairs in government and business should be so conducted. The all-inclusive cultural nonsense is undermining and contentious. Occasionally we should allow common sense to prevail. When it doesn't it sometimes become necessary to legislate it into exisistence.

I would also advise people to take some time and truely study the underpinning of our Constitution. The phrase "freedom of speech" has a concrete meaning. It's not simply a phrase to be taken out of context. A serious Constitutional student would not the make the "common" error of defing the phrase without examining it in it's proper context.

[edit on 24-8-2010 by sharkman]