Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Legislature / Woods 'English Only' Bill Advancing in State House
Posted by Jeff Woods on Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 1:36 PM
Two of our favorite legislative characters are back in the news, creating lots of buzz for finding new and innovative ways to embarrass Tennessee. We're talking about Reps.Tony Shipley and Eric Watson, either of whom gives the public cause to demand minimum I.Q. requirements for elected officials.
Recall that Shipley, known affectionately as Capt. Apocalypse within the Capitol press corps for his tendency to publicly blow his gasket, thinks God might pick up Tennessee and drop us into the ocean for being too lenient to gay people.
And Watson last session worked himself into knots trying to figure out how not to appear racially insensitive while also killing a resolution expressing regret for slavery. In the process, not only did he invent an entirely new species -- the Hispaniel -- but he raised long forgotten concerns about the "yellow man's" involvement in slavery.
In their new adventure, our heroes are pushing legislation to mandate that all Tennessee driver license exams are conducted in English only. The bill cleared the House Public Safety Subcommittee yesterday. When a lobbyist for Volkswagen, which is building a billion-dollar plant in Chattanooga, raised objections, saying it might hurt the state's economy and make foreign workers feel unwelcome, Shipley and Watson came unhinged.
"That speaks closely to blackmail," Shipley huffed. "This is a safety bill," Watson complained.
We guess it's a surprise to these guys that businesses aren't anxious to move to a state filled with xenophobic wingnuts.
Comments (10)
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Anybody pointed out to these guys that all stop signs are octagonal, all yield signs, triangular for a reason.
I guess next thing they will be building a fence around the state to keep all those people without TN Driver's licenses out.
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Foreign executives are concerned and interested in tax credits, tax savings and economic development incentives. These companies bring over far fewer executives than the Americans they claim, purport and promise to hire.
As a product of public education, I am appalled that many schools in our country—perhaps even TN, are cutting classes in music, arts and PE to save money. We all can come to some agreement that these courses are critical to a child’s academic career. So if TN is looking at saving money and allocating those saved dollars to public education, then why continue funding multiple languages for a driver’s license exam, which is a privilege to the tune of nearly $ 200K or more per year?
In closing, as recent TV commercials for Toyota depict countless of Toyota mechanics with black, white, brown and yellow faces proclaiming that they are unified in safety with us because they TOO are moms, dads, with children and parents and they TOO drive Toyotas, well the same is to be said that we ALL share the same roads whether it be driving a Toyota, Chevy, Ford, or Mercedes but what must UNITE us ALL for public safety is that the driver’s license exam be administered solely in English.
Lives are not to be risked to appease any one group or make this privileged opportunity to drive an easier process for the sake of being friendly or accommodating.
When a person is injured or killed due to a motorist's inability to read and understand a written sign, I am sure the excuse or as the VW lobbyist said “hospitality” of "let's continue being friendly to license applicants" will be not be accepted.
Must we wait until then?
Eddie Garcia
Foreign executives are concerned and interested in tax credits, tax savings and economic development incentives. These companies bring over far fewer executives than the Americans they claim, purport and promise to hire.
As a product of public education, I am appalled that many schools in our country—perhaps even TN, are cutting classes in music, arts and PE to save money. We all can come to some agreement that these courses are critical to a child’s academic career. So if TN is looking at saving money and allocating those saved dollars to public education, then why continue funding multiple languages for a driver’s license exam, which is a privilege to the tune of nearly $ 200K or more per year?
In closing, as recent TV commercials for Toyota depict countless of Toyota mechanics with black, white, brown and yellow faces proclaiming that they are unified in safety with us because they TOO are moms, dads, with children and parents and they TOO drive Toyotas, well the same is to be said that we ALL share the same roads whether it be driving a Toyota, Chevy, Ford, or Mercedes but what must UNITE us ALL for public safety is that the driver’s license exam be administered solely in English.
Lives are not to be risked to appease any one group or make this privileged opportunity to drive an easier process for the sake of being friendly or accommodating.
When a person is injured or killed due to a motorist's inability to read and understand a written sign, I am sure the excuse or as the VW lobbyist said “hospitality” of "let's continue being friendly to license applicants" will be not be accepted.
Must we wait until then?
Eddie Garcia
So, if our glorious state legislature has its way Tennessee will show itself to the world as a place where we don't welcome anyone who isn't exactly like us, where we are trying hard to re-fight the Civil War, and where you are apt to get shot at in a bar.
Are they yearning for the good old days when everyone thought the Beverly Hillbillies were an accurate representation of Tennessee?
I think my favorite John Adams quote is appropriate:
"In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress."
A truly progressive driver's license exam would require prospective drivers to translate a portion of the exam into another language besides English.
Note: An accommodation for the members of our legislative branch might include a box of crayons.
I know a woman from Australia, where they drive on the left side of the road, who visits the U.S. every couple of years. And every time she does, she rents a car. And every time she does, she get into at least one accident. Because she is driving on what, for her, is the wrong side of the road, and all her reactions are off.
I had much rather have people who are used to right side driving but aren't fluent in English on the roads here than Brits and Australians who speak English as their first language. Driving skills and understanding signs in international standard shapes and colors are not language-dependent.
Woods, you make me sooooo mad!!!!! I got so mad I banged my hand against the wall and now I think I broke it! Representatives Watson and Shipley are true American patriots, much like myself. They are risking life and limb in service to the state that they love. Why you ask? Because they have become targets, much like Phil Valentine and Eric Crafton, of the illegal brown horde, who will stop at nothing to take them out. Both these gentlemen have to bunk at different places each day to keep a step ahead of this horde. And being the true servants that they are, they can't afford a security apparatis to protect them.
So, in closing, if you libtards love the illegals so much, why don't you accompany them down to Mexico and live with them. Then we can get rid of two birds with one stone, libtards and illegals. I like the sound of that!!!!!
"Can you take a drivers license test in English in Germany?"
In short, yes: http://www.osterberger.org/test.html
... and ALL of the manuals, laws, and theory documents related to driving in Germany are available in English.
The _written_ part of the test is ostensibly supposed to be carried out in German, but there are lots of transplants who fill it out in English (maybe with a delay in issuance).
You likely wouldn't have to do that as the EU has total reciprocity with the US related to driver's license issuance.
"Recall that Shipley, known affectionately as Capt. Apocalypse within the Capitol press corps for his tendency to publicly blow his gasket, thinks God might pick up Tennessee and drop us into the ocean for being too lenient to gay people."
a.k.a. "Colonel Klink" in Northeast...
