Posted on 12/11/2007 2:25:30 PM PST by fweingart
An English language advocate is praising Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo for boycotting a recent Spanish language debate with his fellow GOP hopefuls.
The debate was held on the University of Miami campus on Sunday and was broadcast on the Spanish language network Univision. Candidates' responses, spoken in English, were simultaneously translated into Spanish. Congressman Tancredo (R-Colorado) was the only GOP candidate who turned down an invitation to attend the debate, saying his fellow candidates were "encouraging violation of the law" by taking part.
Tancredo -- who has made a tough stand on illegal immigration the centerpiece of his campaign -- boycotted the event, saying that the law requires individuals who wish to become a naturalized citizen to have a knowledge and understanding of English, including the ability to read, write, and speak the language.
Jim Boulet, executive director of English First, argues the Colorado congressman was "absolutely correct" in his decision, noting that about 40 percent of Hispanic voters speak English and get their news in English. "And they find this kind of thing demeaning," says Boulet. "So I really don't understand why the Republican candidates are bowing to political correctness on the language front."
Boulte agrees with Tancredo's contention that there is no reason to have a debate in any language other than English. He says even the candidates themselves cannot be sure their debate responses were properly translated.
"There are Cuban Spanish, Mexican Spanish, Puerto Rican Spanish, and Castilian Spanish [speakers]-- and they're all very different," he points out. "So even if you're being translated accurately into Castilian, the Puerto Rican voter might hear something entirely different that you didn't intend."
Boulet says U.S. voters have enough trouble understanding what the candidates are saying in English, so he questions the push to add another language.
According to a recent Pew Hispanic Center report, 23 percent of registered Hispanic voters align with the GOP -- five percentage points lower than in July 2006. That same report says 57 percent of the Hispanic voting bloc call themselves Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party.
They were anxious for assimilation and were for the rest of their lives decidedly conservative.
Big difference between the waves of unwashed and uneducated illegals who, by their very nature, chose the easiest way to get happily along.
Being the welfare mecca of the world where the system is easy to tap, they happily drain away to their hearts content and, of course, this is most reassuring to the liberal pansies who rule us and who must count on votes either legal or illegal to keep them in power.
Extremeism?
What an utterly foolish thing to say.
If extremism is the desire to close a nation's borders to a massive illegal invasion by the least desirable of another nation's population, then many of us on this forum are extremists!
I, for one, don't just want the borders closed to illegals, but I want those here deported and a moratorium placed on immigration for at least five years in order to get these welfare hogs rounded up and shoved back across the border.
You're 100% right!!!!!!!
I have known Tom for over twenty years beginning with his work at the Independance Institute in Golden Colorado.His positions are well considered.
Even though I was living in the next CD, I always considered him my congressman.
You make no sense; I do not understand your question.What are you talking about ?
Too bad our candidate hasn’t got a chance!
It's too bad that George has been such a disappointment on Law and Order. But he is bang on about Illegal Aliens and has focused the GOP to crime in the streets.
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