ESOL
April 13th, 2005
West Virginia has finally got with the program, the geniuses confirm that english is the best choice for an official language.
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first of all: speaking english would likely be a step forward in the verbal evolution of many native west virginians.
second of all: it's actually a quite discriminatory step as it can be used to prevent info getting to non-english speakers about important and essential services or events.
third of all: yes, i have been to west virginia.
Would like to think they were trying to say that English is our first language and the one we use in all our official documents. But this sort of "sneakin in the back door" with English-only provisions sounds like an attempt at exclusion to me.
Kind of sad that they think that English is the only language. I guess everyone else who wanted to live there better learn the lanuage or leave the state. Can you imagine DC doing that or getting rid of all the "foreigners"? I hope not.
among the myriad problems with legislation such as this is that it means that the state need only print official documents in english. for example, if a spanish speaker who may speak some english but not read it tries to apply for a loan, food stamps, welfare, or any other type of public or private assistance, they will need to bring an interpreter with them. the state can refuse to provide that service anymore, or to print translated materials, under the theory that english is the official language. it's a shame and is a less than thinly-veiled affront to immigrants or non-english speakers. i think it's terrible. ...and tara is correct, what about those native west virginians who they think speak and read english? what's going to happen to them when they find out that all they really speak is some sort of pidgeon appalachian. so sad.