I got this in an e-mail from the CENTER FOR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM and I had to post this to get this information out. This is absolutely unbelievable. I am copying the text as the CFIF sent it.
The federal government says employers MUST hire people who REFUSE to communicate in English or face the consequences.
Strange, isn't it... our government has a problem pursuing employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens but has no problem going after small businesses and nonprofit organizations that simply ask employees to speak English while they're on the clock!
First, liberals told us we had to give up our religion, even during Christmas and the rest of the holiday season:
No prayers in school...
No nativity scenes on the town square...
No mention of God at high school graduations...
Next they told us we had to give up love of our country:
America is racist and sexist...
America coddles the rich and exploits the poor...
America is the most dangerous nation in the world...
NOW THEY'RE DEMANDING WE GIVE UP OUR LANGUAGE!
That's right! The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is going after a Salvation Army thrift store BECAUSE IT REQUIRED EMPLOYEES TO SPEAK ENGLISH ON THE JOB! The store even gave everyone a year to learn English. Two refused and were fired.
Here's what we're heading toward:
You go into a shoe store and the clerk doesn't even know the English word for shoe.
The waiter in a restaurant can't understand what you're ordering and brings you soft-boiled eggs instead of fried chicken.
A worker in a sawmill cuts off your right arm because he doesn't know the meaning of "STOP!"
This madness is one more consequence of allowing 12-20 million illegal aliens to pour across our borders unchecked.
This time, however, somebody is saying "NO MORE! ENOUGH!"
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) has introduced a bill that -- if passed -- would stop EEOC dead in its tracks.
His bill would "make clear that it is not against federal law for an employer to require employees to speak English on the job."
Since Congress created the EEOC, it has the authority to tell it what to do AND WHAT NOT TO DO!
Hundreds of Businesses Harassed By The EEOC For Requiring English...
Here is what Senator Alexander says about his bill in a press release.
"A federal agency says it's illegal for an employer to require employees to speak in English, which, in plain English, means that thousands of small businesses in American would have to hire a lawyer and be prepared to make their case to a federal agency that there is some special reason to justify speaking English on the job. I believe this is a gross distortion of the Civil Rights Act and a complete misunderstanding of what it means to be an American."
Lest anyone think this bill would force illegal aliens to speak English at all time, Alexander said this;
"This bill's not about affecting people's lunch hour or coffee break -- it's about protecting the rights of employersto ensure their employees can communicate with each other and their customers during the working hours. In America, requiring English in the workplace is not discrimination; it's common sense."
In other words, people can speak in Spanish, Swahili, or any other language they wish during their personal time (lunch, coffee-breaks etc.). Anyone who says otherwise is either misinformed or lying.
By the way, Alexander originally offered a similar bill as an amendment to the Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill; and it was added to the CJS Appropriations Bill back in June by a vote of 15-14.
And liberals squashed it!
A conference committee was to iron out differences between the Senate and House versions and send it to the President.
But the liberals, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, caved in to the advocates of illegal immigration and refused to bring the bill with Alexander's amendment before the conference committee.
Instead the radical and ruthless Pelosi presented an omnibus bill that gutted the amendment.
Now Alexander's back with a free-standing bill that says the same thing.
If this bill fails, the EEOC -- and liberals in government -- may declare all-out war against small businesses in America.
In fact, the EEOC filed 200 ACTIONS just this year against employers because they required employees to speak English. Given the fact that small business contributes the lion's share of jobs and economic growth in America, this behavior is suicidal.
Press One For English
So how do the American people feel about the English language, as opposed to Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank and Harry Reid and Teddy Kennedy?
According to a recent poll, 80 percent of Americans believe English should be the official language of the nation.
Nearly 90 percent believe it's important for immigrants to speak English.
More that 75 percent believe employers should have the right to require their employees to speak English while on the job.
Yet our own government is actively siding with people who REFUSE to even attempt to learn the English language.
How many times a day do you dial your phone and hear: PRESS ONE FOR ENGLISH; PRESS TWO FOR SPANISH?
Our entire education system in many parts of the country has been changed to accommodate the children of people who speak languages other than English.
A North Texas friend tells us that virtually all the downtown signs in his city of almost 200,000 are now in Spanish.
America is a melting pot... so many of us had parents, grandparents or great-grandparents who came to the United States from another country.
Did we make such concessions to them?
When Italians immigrated to this country, did America immediately introduce bilingual education into its schools, with math taught in Italian?
When others immigrated, did towns and cities all over the country scrap English signs and substitute signs in German or some otherlanguage?
Did anyone ever dial a government agency or bank and hear PRESS ONE FOR ENGLISH; PRESS TWO FOR SPANISH?
More to the point, did the federal government EVER intervene on behalf of immigrants who refuse to learn English?
Everyone is supposed to be treated equally in this country.
Teddy Roosevelt had it right when he said: "We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language."
Liberals Say Asking People To Speak English Is "Abusive."
Of course some folks think President Teddy Roosevelt was a blow-hard patriot.
For example, there's Laura Boston, who works for the Houston Interfaith Worker Justice Center -- an organization whose name tells you it isn't exactly conservative, or patriotic for that matter.
Ms. Boston says requiring employees to speak English is "an annoyance tactic" and "just part of abuse you sometimes get from some employers."
You have to wonder why employers would go out of their way to annoy their workers -- a tactic that would be bad for production. In an automobile plant you'd be sure to get a few doors on backwards every shift.
Obviously Ms. Boston can't understand -- or refuses to understand -- why it would be good for business AND GOOD FOR MORALE if everyone at least attempted to speak the same language.
In fact, it is a good idea for people who wish to live in the United States on a permanent basis to learn English, since fluent English is the key to better jobs and a better life.
Why do I have the feeling the Interfaith Worker Justice Center isn't really interested in that kind of self-improvement?
JustWho Are The Bigots Here?
The EEOC apparently isn't interested in the role that language plays in the life of our nation.
The agency would obviously prefer to punish employers than to encourage employees to better themselves.
Columnist Michael M. Bates summarizes the larger role that language plays in our society -- and, for that matter, any society
5 comments:
Hi Dirk... thanks for the email about your entry. I think immigrants should learn to speak English for all the reasons you mentioned above. Their kids are learning English amazingly well in school... parents of the kids need to learn it too. Sure, it's going to be a little harder for them. But many of them are taking the time to do it. Because so many of the parents don't speak English yet, and because sometimes I have to speak with them, or write notes to them, it would be helpful if I knew some Spanish... it would be helpful if I as a teacher, use what I know to teach them English if I knew some Spanish. So I'm going to learn the language. Starting in January, actually. They are our border neighbor, after all. I learned French when I was in college, why wouldn't I want to learn Spanish too? It's something I've always wanted to do. But it's not because I'm trying to make it easier for them... I'm trying to make it easier for me. Language is a beautiful thing to learn. I'm in agreement.... immigrants need to learn our language to function as good, law-abiding citizens. bea
The email posted equates speakers of a foreign language (i.e. Spanish) with illegal people. They are two separate issues and since companies can fire illegal people anyway one is not even relevant to the other.
In truth, this bill is a political gimmick... part of the desperate attempt by some to play on the emotions of folks in order to discriminate.
But I will play along and take the issue at face value....
This bill wants to give employers the ability to fire people... but it is unclear =who= they want to be able to fire.
Are these employees people with the ability to speak =both= English and Spanish who choose to speak Spanish to each other, or are these employees who are unable to speak English?
And what of those people who are here legally & are still learning the language? I know some people here from SE Asia who have been here 10 years & are still learning the language. After working all day, they take English classes 2 nights a week. My neighbor was born & raised in South GA & I swear, sometimes, he's speaking a foreign language.
In summary: the bill can easily be used to fire people because of their nationality, race, or any other pre-text. And since it doesn't distinguish between legals & illegals, it can be used to discrimiante against =legals= here too.
Here's the Bostom Globe link:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/12/28/firing_of_spanish_speakers_leaves_many_unfazed/
(Just trying to keep a discussion going. Not like it is the Russians landing on the sun or anything.)
Hello Dirk,
I honestly loved your intestinal fortitude in posting this IMPORTANT piece of news. Thank you ! I need you permission to post it in my own AOL blog, please.
The numbers [percentage of Americans] see the value of one business language, of course. How many accidents and lost lives are from poor communication skills? Wars are started over MIS-communications.
Go figure, would the Army let some one serve and get others blown up , killed, or messed up because someone doesn't know the correct language- military English???
Shake your head "NO" ! I would know-- as I served 2 tours of duty in Vietnam: 68-70.
And, shoe shine boy from GA... 'the man with no name' is just trying to act like a pompous goof to get an audience with his illogical baloney, IHMO.... LOL. I notice that no ones wants to comment on his "Blog." I hope he doesn't quit his 'day job...'
ENGLISH ONLY !
Tom S
Disabled Vietnam Veteran: 68-70
I fought America's battles so we could keep our English language and culture !
I for one think if you live here in the USA you should speak and understand English!!!! I had a lady who said she did but when it came down to her doing the job she had no idea. GRRRR makes me so angry
Deb
when there was a huge wave of immigrants that came here so many many years ago, at the turn of the century, they wanted to learn our language and become Americans! Now? The world has changed. I totally believe if you are going to live in the U.S. you need to speak English as your first language. It is so hard to do a job in any sector and not be able to correctly understand each other. I have dealt with lots of customers where we just can not figure each other out and i just keep saying "huh, huh", like an idiot, because they are not speaking English.
lisa
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