Senator Heller bilingual error

[TexasWife25]

Heller, through his statements and votes in Congress, has consistently supported limiting or eliminating the ability to conduct government business in any language other than English. Heller has sponsored legislation to limit election ballots to English-only, to mandate that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid only be filled out in English and to make English the official national language. Heller also supported a bill to end birthright citizenship.

On his Spanish-language website, however, his statement indicated concern over Nevada students whose first language is not English.

“No doubt, education is the path to success. Many children in Nevada have the double challenge of getting a good education while still learning to become proficient in English,” the site says in Spanish. “Dean has worked for many years to develop quality education, which offers families and communities the resources they need to serve their children.”


http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/may/28/heller-reaches-out-hisapnics-foes-say-real-message/

 

[Cheyenne]

Heller, through his statements and votes in Congress, has consistently supported limiting or eliminating the ability to conduct government business in any language other than English. Heller has sponsored legislation to limit election ballots to English-only, to mandate that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid only be filled out in English and to make English the official national language. Heller also supported a bill to end birthright citizenship.

On his Spanish-language website, however, his statement indicated concern over Nevada students whose first language is not English.

“No doubt, education is the path to success. Many children in Nevada have the double challenge of getting a good education while still learning to become proficient in English,” the site says in Spanish. “Dean has worked for many years to develop quality education, which offers families and communities the resources they need to serve their children.”


http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/may/28/heller-reaches-out-hisapnics-foes-say-real-message/

So what's the problem? He wants the spanish speaking kids to go to school and learn english. Okay with me.

 

[TexasWife25]

So what's the problem? He wants the spanish speaking kids to go to school and learn english. Okay with me.

to the english speaking constitutes- "English should be the only option on public forms, it should be the national language!Im very anti immigration!"

to the spanish speaking voters- "I completely understand how hard it is to get an education while trying to learn english, Im working hard to make it easier for you"

 

[pete]

to the english speaking constitutes- "English should be the only option on public forms, it should be the national language!Im very anti immigration!"

to the spanish speaking voters- "I completely understand how hard it is to get an education while trying to learn english, Im working hard to make it easier for you"

i'm having trouble seeing a problem here...
the statements don't contradict. unless you're making the incredibly poor presumption that all spanish-speaking people within our borders are illegal or something.

on a side note, i'm wondering (hypothetically) what costs more: improving language education for native spanish-speaking legal citizens, or printing everything from government forms to food labels in 2 separate languages?

 

[TexasWife25]

i'm having trouble seeing a problem here...
the statements don't contradict. unless you're making the incredibly poor presumption that all spanish-speaking people within our borders are illegal or something.

on a side note, i'm wondering (hypothetically) what costs more: improving language education for native spanish-speaking legal citizens, or printing everything from government forms to food labels in 2 separate languages?

You dont see the difference in saying how anti-spanish as an option on forms and in the public sector you are, while telling spanish speaking people you understand their plight while learning to speak english?

edited to add - i also think its a little shady to have a translated to spanish option on your website and then instead of translating you say something different.

 

[TorontoBoyWest]

You dont see the difference in saying how anti-spanish as an option on forms and in the public sector you are, while telling spanish speaking people you understand their plight while learning to speak english?

edited to add - i also think its a little shady to have a translated to spanish option on your website and then instead of translating you say something different.

I would say that shady and politician are two words never before seen together....

I see what you are saying but to suggest that this is new and groundbreaking is a stretch. He is saying one thing to one group and another thing to another.

That is politics.

 

[TexasWife25]

I would say that shady and politician are two words never before seen together....

I see what you are saying but to suggest that this is new and groundbreaking is a stretch. He is saying one thing to one group and another thing to another.

That is politics.

Oh I agree, hes not breaking new ground in any way. However I think its one thing to give say, 2 speeches and present 2 different views to those groups, then to present 2 different views on a single webiste.

 

[pete]

You dont see the difference in saying how anti-spanish as an option on forms and in the public sector you are, while telling spanish speaking people you understand their plight while learning to speak english?

edited to add - i also think its a little shady to have a translated to spanish option on your website and then instead of translating you say something different.

your first sentence confuses me, but i think i understand what you're trying to say. you think he's being a hypocrite. and that's not a stretch, almost all politicians are

but no, there's no contradiction. basically he's saying to the native spanish-speakers: "look, dude, i know it's hard but you gotta do it." and obviously if they speak spanish now then he's got to say that in spanish. if they already knew english well then he wouldn't have to say it, would he?

and he's not being hypocritical really (though i'm only commenting on what's in this thread here, i haven't researched the guy or anything so pretty good chance he's a douchebag in 50 other ways, who knows). his message is basically, english everywhere for everybody. to the people who don't speak english, he's trying to say the same thing nicely so they don't get pissed at him and pour salsa into his gas tank.

 

[oggbashan]

In the UK we have a real problem because of the range of first languages among our immigrants and descendants of immigrants. The cost of providing official forms in multiple languages is considerable, and provides employment for an army of translators.

In Wales, all official bodies communicate in English and Welsh. My original birth certificate many decades ago was issued in English. Last year I ordered a duplicate because the original document was worn and tattered. My new one was bi-lingual. Apparently I was born in the county of Sir Mon. That's Mon, Mam Cmyru.

Sometimes the translators can err. One recent road sign in Wales read, in English, "Keep Left". In Welsh, the same sign read "Keep Right".

After two weeks driving around North Wales I now know that "Araf" means "Slow" and "Dim Parcio" means "No Parking". Welsh road signs are twice the size of English ones because they have to show both languages.

But Matrix signs on major roads flash between Welsh and English. If you first see the Welsh version, you're past the sign before the English version appears, heading for an unknown danger, or perhaps you've missed something banal such as "Tired? Take a Break."

Apparently a complicated diversion sign appeared in English as a complex set of instructions but the Welsh version read "How the fuck do I translate that?".

Back on topic. Most UK immigrants want to learn English but the resources to help them vary by location. If an immigrant is above school age, accessing English lessons can be difficult and expensive.

 

[Wrong Element]

It's not uncommon to stress one message to one audience, and ignore that before another audience that might not be as eager to hear it, but it takes chutzpah to do that on the exact same website. Especially since Heller apparently doesn't believe there are any Spanish speakers in Nevada who also understand English perfectly well.

 

[TexasWife25]

your first sentence confuses me, but i think i understand what you're trying to say. you think he's being a hypocrite. and that's not a stretch, almost all politicians are

but no, there's no contradiction. basically he's saying to the native spanish-speakers: "look, dude, i know it's hard but you gotta do it." and obviously if they speak spanish now then he's got to say that in spanish. if they already knew english well then he wouldn't have to say it, would he?

and he's not being hypocritical really (though i'm only commenting on what's in this thread here, i haven't researched the guy or anything so pretty good chance he's a douchebag in 50 other ways, who knows). his message is basically, english everywhere for everybody. to the people who don't speak english, he's trying to say the same thing nicely so they don't get pissed at him and pour salsa into his gas tank.

hmm its funny, we read the same thing and interrupted it differently. I read "Im working hard at banning spanish in the public sector while promising spanish speaking people that Im working hard at making the transition to english easier"

 

[oggbashan]

One of my daughters is friendly with a family of Eritreans now resident in the UK. The children of that family now speak perfect London English but their first language was Tigrean.

They then learned Egyptian Arabic, then French and finally English. At home they speak their own mixture of languages switching between Tigrean, the mother and father's normal language, Arabic, and English. Sometimes they do that in one sentence!

PS. In one of Bill Bryson's books he was watching a soap on a Welsh language TV channel. He couldn't understand a word except one character said "... in Welsh ending in 'dirty weekend, look you'." Bill was amused that the Welsh language didn't include 'dirty weekend'.

 

[pete]

hmm its funny, we read the same thing and interrupted it differently. I read "Im working hard at banning spanish in the public sector while promising spanish speaking people that Im working hard at making the transition to english easier"

everybody interprets things a little differently, it's cool

oh well, let's just jump into bed and settle this thing once and for all, yeah?

 

[TexasWife25]

everybody interprets things a little differently, it's cool

oh well, let's just jump into bed and settle this thing once and for all, yeah?

No no, this is the GB, you're supposed to call me an idiot and then reference this thread over and over for the next decade

 

[BoyNextDoor]

There should be a official language. I don't think it is any big deal.

 

[TexasWife25]

There should be a official language. I don't think it is any big deal.

*shrug* Im ok with it being a state issue. I believe something like 30 states have made it their official language.