Tennessee's legislators pander and posture recklessly on lots of issues, but few could harm the state's economic prospects as much as trying to put tests for drivers' licenses under English-only rules. Regrettably, that's precisely the purpose of a bill that a legislative committee wrongly approved Tuesday.
As if to rub in the insult, the committee's approval followed a a lawmaker's rude harangue to a Volkswagen lobbyist in response to the lobbyist's expression of concern about the legislation.
Mark Smith, the VW lobbyist, said he believed such a "one-size-fits-all, English-only, no-exception legislation is perhaps not the gesture of Southern hospitality that we think that companies looking to Tennessee are looking for."
"That speaks closely to blackmail," Rep. Tony Shipley, R-Kingsport, snapped back. Mr. Smith countered that he was not intimating that VW would pick up and leave. Rather, he said, he was concerned that by acquiescing to the English-only rule, VW might look like it supported such an action, when it clearly does not.
That's a telling comment on foreign companies' sensitivity to blatant anti-immigrant legislation. It's a sentiment the Legislature should seriously consider before a final vote on English-only legislation that seems mainly to be witless pandering to the anti-immigrant sentiment that has focused heavily the past several years against undocumented Hispanic immigrants.
For foreign companies, the source of many new jobs in Tennessee for several decades, an English-only test for drivers' licenses would be both a needless inconvenience and a sign that foreigners are not welcome in Tennessee.
Indeed, foreign executives would have reasonable cause to wonder about public attitudes toward them if our lawmakers appear so eager to present themselves publicly as xenophobic hotheads ready to lead an anti-immigrant rally.
The legislation, which moved forward under the committee's 4-1-1 vote, is also rightly seen by the state's business recruiters leaders as a foolish, if not racist, insult that undermines their efforts to bring new businesses and jobs to Tennessee.
Lori Odom, an official of the state's Economic and Community Development office, underscored that point. She politely urged the lawmakers to "consider the competitive disadvantage that English-only puts Tennessee."
Tennessee Jobs Coalition chairman Dan Haskell agreed that major employer groups in the state opposed the bill. He also pointed out that Tennessee presently provides drivers' license tests in Spanish, Korean and Japanese (think Nissan's mega-plant) in view of business and employee interests in Tennessee.
The state should now want to add German and Chinese to the license test, not take languages away. China is set to become the world's largest manufacturing economy. And German-based Volkswagen and Wacker Chemie AG are both building billion-dollar plants in Chattanooga and Cleveland, respectively.
Providing a drivers' license test in German would be a thoughtful and appreciated gesture. It certainly would be far more beneficial than the English-only bill. In fact, in recruiting Volkswagen, state officials provided drivers' license training materials and tests in German, though the German executives are all fluent in English.
Lawmakers have several reasons to drop the English-only measure. As a practical matter, undocumented immigrants are likely to ignore drivers' license tests if they are not in Spanish. That would mean more, not fewer, unlicensed drivers. Both undocumented and legal immigrants would benefit from better comprehension of state driving laws, and would be better drivers, if they could take the test in their native language.
If the goal is safe, informed drivers, as English-only advocates claim to want, they will drop pursuit of the legislation, and help prove that Tennessee does welcome foreign businesses and employees.
You are missing the boat, if not the car on this issue.
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.
So get over it and for public safety, this legislation has to pass. Stop using rhetorical scare tactics.
Eddie Garcia
I click on "NEWS" and get this opinion (and letters to the editor), rather than news stories? I'm not really for the bill--I applaud things such as New City Fellowship's Hispanic outreach--but surely for safety's sake drivers need to know enough English to read traffic signs to drive safely here, and maybe minimal English in case police stop them: "Officer, I don't speak English, I speak __; please get interpretation?" and understanding of a few things officers are likely to say. For all I know, such understanding is already required; I took the tests in AD. 1987/88 in English. But MAYbe it needs to be addressed. (Internationally, I understand English is required of airline pilots and control tower personnel.)
Jesus Christ is the one and only Lord and Savior for every ethnic group, so of course obedience to Him, and due response to His supreme generosity, requires that diverse cultures get along (and repent wherever wrong), whatever details of Bible Belt law this may involve.
We Tennesseans don't want to get our anglish test mixed up with no furen test. eg. how fur have you gone in a air if yore speedometer reads 50?
I think the driving test should be given in English, it makes for better understanding of the laws, also the person has to know the road signs in English- the two go together.
Eddie,
You are soooooo wrong. It is sad that you don't even know it. If you had any knowledge about the issue, you would not be pushing the ignorant English only bill. What this law does is encourage non English speakers to drive illegally. Law makers need to drop this backwards issue and show the world that Tennessee is an inclusive state that accepts diversity.
whatmatters
"show the world that Tennessee is an inclusive state that accepts diversity."
How broadminded of us. Show me another country on the face of the earth where you have to "press 1" to get the native language. I fully support any and all outreach programs to help these folks but we are "diversifying" ourselves into a third world country. Our common language is, or was, our common bound.
It doesn't have a d*mn thing to do with racism and intolerance.
It is always funny but yet remindful that in our country, agreeing to disagree is an American treasured quality.
I am an American citizen born in a foreign country. My parents and I legally came to the US in the early 70s.
I learned English at three years of age by watching TV. By the time I started kindergarten, I was able to assimilate. Because I wasn't blonde or blue-eyed, I was often called names, but BECAUSE I spoke English I was able to defend myself.
I am grateful to my God and my parents for giving me many talents.
I am the Eddie Garcia who supports this great bill. Immigrants must earnestly want to learn English for a better life. Other wise, what is the real reason they came here?
Being able to read the written signs on our roads ensures public safety. To those who say the our own Americans can't speak or know English themselves, this is my rebuttal.
I was raised to respect all people. Particularly, this country embraced me as a newcomer and I have an obligation to my country but also to not ridicule my fellow American.
Support HB 262 for public safety and in turn we are also nudging those immigrants to learn English for their own future.
As an immigrant, I can say--don't come to my country for a hand-out or feel you have an automatic entitlement.
Eddie Garcia
to whatmatters.
whatever!
Eddie Garcia
See you at the polls
Sailorman, Thanks for your comment. It is refreshing that there still are sincere and loyal Americans.
Our country, our culture, our language is worth saving and preserving. Immigrants HAVE to embrace our country as a WHOLE or don't bother coming here, please! Eddie Garcia
If you support this important issue, please join my FACEBOOK page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ProEnglishUSA/240181559511
Eddie Garcia
Sailorman
Canada is pretty much bi-lingual. The Prime Minister's speeches are half English,half French. Every product is labeled in two languages. My grandkids,and all kids,take French all the way through school. I see it as enriching the entire culture.
Because legal entry into the US has been difficult for some time,many people from all over the world have come to Canada as a second choice. That has made Canada amazingly diverse with different languages spoken on every corner. For many,they never learn English/French well,but their children do,it's a process. My French is pretty weak,but my two grandaughters already sound like they could be from Quebec.
Latin America is developing rapidly,bi-lingual education in the US might be very advantageous.
NC
Canada is NOT pretty much bilingual unless the silliness that went on in Quebec has secretly spread to the rest of the country. There may be a bunch of French speakers in Vancouver but it is not required by law. As I recall, around 25% of the Canadian population considers French their primary language.
If I moved to Montreal, I would expect to learn French.
Sailorman
When I say pretty much bilingual,I mean that the majority english speakers throughout the country have had significant exposure to the french language in school and in life. They may not be fluent,but they accept the existance of french as a co-equal language at the national level.
I was trying to suggest that a similar national attitude in the US might be helpful in several ways.
We're not the only ones with this issue
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/6920149.html
This is late to the game but I just got it from my niece who's in the Peace Corp in Rwanda - interesting:
Rwanda is currently in the process of changing its official language. Until last summer, the country had three official languages – Kinyarwanda, French, and English – but English was spoken very little. Last year, however, the government decided to drop French as an official language and switch everything to English. (See this Christian Science Monitor article for a discussion of why.) Where most education and government business used to occur in French, everything now occurs in English. This presents huge challenges, because few people in Rwanda speak fluent English. It’s hard to say what effects this change will ultimately have, but it will certainly be interesting to see! Meanwhile, Rwanda has obtained membership in the East African Community (made up of exclusively English-speaking countries) and the Commonwealth (making it one of just two Commonwealth members without a British colonial background).
The Center for Immigration Studies
http://cis.org/Announcments/SPLC-Immigration-Panel
“Immigration and the SPLC: How the Southern Poverty Law Center Invented a Smear, Served La Raza, Manipulated the Press, and Duped its Donors"authored by Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Jerry Kammer, will be released at a panel discussion on Thursday, March 18, at 9:30 a.m. at the Murrow Room of the National Press Club, 14th & F streets NW. The report will be online at www.cis.org.>
Check it out when you can. This is the organization that ANDY SHER of this very "paper" (comic book) relies on for journalism.
Two peas in a pod...
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