The Kansas GOP has introduced a bill to make English the official language of the state. The benefits of this are obvious as all official Kansas business and documents will be in one language eliminating the waste attributed to printing documents in more than one language. While some would complain this puts the burden on the individual to have things translated, that's how it should be. Why the Kansas taxpayers should foot the bill for those who refuse to assimilate into the United States and use the prominent language of this country is beyond me.
For those who cry about how this will affect the poor non-English speaking community, get off your butts and set up a free non profit to help them out and stop putting the burden of your conscience on everyone else. Since immigration began in this country, new immigrants have assimilated and fit into society. Only recently have things gotten so far out of control that funds that should be spent on meaningful services to citizens and legal residents of this country have been diverted to ridiculous items like multilanguage documents that should be the duty and personal responsibility of non-English speakers. We welcome immigrants, but we don't need to hold their hand every step of the way.
Governor Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, agreed during her re-election campaign that English should be the state's official language. So let's see if she gets behind this or becomes just another lying politician.
AP
Under the bill, no state agency or political or taxing entity would be allowed to issue written materials in any language other than English.
Exceptions to the law would allow use of another language to protect public health, to protect a person's rights in a criminal or civil proceeding, to provide instruction to people learning English, to promote international commerce or to use phrases from other languages.
The bill also would mandate that official public documents, such as birth and death certificates, would be in English.
...
''If you're going to be here and get ahead, you've got to know the native language,'' said House Majority Leader Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell.
''It's good for them to assimilate.''
So what do the Democrats in Kansas have to say? Well here ya go:
Although Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, agreed that learning English was important, he said state government shouldn't do anything to shut out individuals not fluent in the language.
They're not doing anything to "shut out" non-English speakers Anthony Hensley. They will still have the documents and be allowed all of the services they have now. The only difference is that rather than having some stupid nanny state laws that waste millions of taxpayers dollars, the onus is on the individual to step up.
Just think, this could actual spur jobs and business as new translation businesses open and people are employed. Hey, maybe some of those who get employed are some of these people who are now actually learn English and become bilingual! But it always seems that the Democrats point of view is that the government should do everything for people in this country, that people are too stupid and that people should not be expected to
actually do something for themselves and that the rest of society should be responsible.
I'll expect Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley to be the first person to resign from the House if this bill is passed and open a free translation service with his own money and work there full time, since he feels so strongly that these people will be disenfranchised. I mean after all he's willing to spend everyone else's money on it, why not his own?
