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DEL.ICIO.USHola, Georgia voters. This isn’t Mitt Romney.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ain’t life just one irony piled on top of another?
On the same day that Republicans at the state Capitol revived an English-only push, the ’08 presidential candidate backed by many of Georgia’s GOP elite cut loose with his first radio ad targeting Spanish-speaking voters in Florida.
“It is a difficult time in the world, in the Americas, and in our Cuba in transition,” says Al Cardenas, former chairman of the Florida GOP and a Jeb Bush ally, in his native Spanish. “Mitt Romney understands the dynamic of Cuba.”
Contrast that with the effort by state Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica) to give the state’s current English-only statute a place in the state Constitution.
H.R. 413 escaped a House subcommittee on Tuesday. If it gets a two-thirds nod from the General Assembly, it would still require a crowd-pleasing vote in the November general election next year.
Yes, like the gay marriage prohibition, English’s place as the official language of Georgia is already in the state code. There’s a good reason to put it in the state Constitution as well, but it’s something only lawyers can put into words.
At the risk of losing some of you, we’ll attempt the technical explanation passed on to us by a high-ranking member of the state bar:
Currently, using Spanish in official state documents is merely illegal. Whereas, if the prohibition is part of the state Constitution, it is really, really illegal. Which is another thing entirely.
Comments
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By Jay
March 7, 2007 11:36 AM | Link to this
God Bless Rep. Tim Bearden of Villa Rica. Rep. Bearden has proven himself to be a capable leader in the General Assembly and worthy of higher political office. U.S. Senate in ‘08 or Lt. Gov. in 2010!
By Wayne
March 7, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this
Senor Romney can habla espanol en Florida all he wants. He just better not be doing that in Georgia. Ingles solamente!!!
By Mitch Silvers
March 7, 2007 12:14 PM | Link to this
Like Mitt Romneys state I would like to see Georgia enact some form of Universal Healthcare! Like Massachussetts I would like to see a strong Mental Health Insurance Parity Act pass this year under the Gold Dome ! Any comments on these topics ???
Thanks.
By War Eagle
March 7, 2007 12:35 PM | Link to this
If we do not enforce ENGLISH as the only language to be spoken, the Mexicans and the Muslims will take over our language and country. Kick them out and crime will drop by almost 50%.
By e
March 7, 2007 12:52 PM | Link to this
Those Spanish speaking Muslims—- thanks dude, I didn’t even know they were such a menace.
By Tony
March 7, 2007 12:52 PM | Link to this
Shock! Horror! What does John Linder think about his champion? What do the rest of these supporters think? He’s acknowledging the language barrier of legals and illegals and making sure he bends over backwards to speak in their language. Panderer! Is this a sign of what he would do as President? Will he ensure documents are printed in Spanish? Will he ensure government PSA’s are in Spanish? I wonder if those staunch advocates against such government actions are rethinking their support for Multiple Choice Mitt. Add Spanish as an item on his mulitple choice.
By Leroy
March 7, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this
I ain’t ever speaking no Mexican and no Arabic. I am an American! I live in America! I pay taxes to America! My childrens were born in America And I will only speak American! God Bless America!
By Jim J
March 7, 2007 1:25 PM | Link to this
Good Lord what a bunch of rednecks.
By buck
March 7, 2007 2:13 PM | Link to this
Bearden doesn’t even know the translation of his hometown Villa Rica. what a moron!
By John D
March 7, 2007 2:49 PM | Link to this
Here’s an idea. Let’s make English the official language in every state. At the same time, let’s require that proficiency in a second language (other than English) is required to graduate from any high school. Some of these rednecks in Georgia will need to learn English first.
By Jay
March 7, 2007 3:17 PM | Link to this
Buck - the only moron here is you looking in a mirror. Tim Bearden is a patriot and leader of men! Who cares what Villa Rica means in Spanish or any other language. What Villa Rica means in political terms is this beatifful growing city in Carroll County has a majority of right minded patriotic citizens who had the forsight and intelligence to elect Mr. Bearden to the Georgia House. Soon, the rest of Georgia will join in recognizing Mr. Bearden’s many talents and his ability to legislate Georgia’s needs.
By buck
March 7, 2007 3:31 PM | Link to this
yes, clueless Bearden and his “city of gold” will rule the world someday!
By Tony
March 7, 2007 4:36 PM | Link to this
Wow Jay….you sound like some Soviet era Kommissar glorifying the great revolutionary leader and the patriotic workers and peasants of the people’s republic of Villa Rica.
Perhaps you need to learn how to spell beautiful before you are considered illegal under the English only rule.
By Jay
March 7, 2007 5:00 PM | Link to this
Tony - I know how to spell beautiful…my blood pressure got to me as I was quickly typing to respond to “politically correct” morons in Buckhead and Virginia Highlands and other sissy areas of Atlanta. Yes, I do hope that workers and other taxpayers rise up in Villa Rica, Douglasville, Marietta, and throughout Georgia and rid our beautiful state of politically correct panderers. Our native son, Mr. Bearden is a God fearing right thinking gentlemen who panders to no one. God bless Mr. Bearden, my native Georgia and all who protect her!
By Tony
March 8, 2007 9:35 AM | Link to this
Isn’t Bearden the nut wanting to allow everyone to hide guns under the seats of cars thus making law enforcement’s job even more unsafe and difficult?
I love the Senate Majority Leader’s logic that a car is an extension of a house. Last time I checked Senator you cannot do whatever you want with your car on public roads. You have to have a license to drive it, you have to drive sober, you have to drive a certain speed limit, certain side of the road, etc. What you do with your car on public roads is no way equated with the freedoms you have on your private property. Now cops have to worry about intent with someone pulled over for DUI.
Imagine this scenario…we’re going into DEEP generalizations here. Your good rural hunter type downs a few Buds, drives home drunk, gets pulled over by a cop, he gets belligerent, cop sees gun….what does cop do? Before I get slammed for the generalization you can go ahead and replace the one I made with numerous other options. Fact remains the same..in this day in age, what does a cop do? Do they take chances? Might they overreact? Are you willing to take the liability and risk?
Are certain people too lazy to get a concealment permit? What hurts to actually go through a vetting process? If you’re legal and have nothing in your record, why is it an undue burden to just get a permit? Perhaps Mr. Bearden and his “patriotic” senses in language and guns needs to realize that he is nothing more than knee jerk and nothing but a panderer himself.
By Jay
March 8, 2007 9:53 AM | Link to this
Jay - you’ve got to be in the fertilizer business because I never heard so much crap before……..Mr. Bearden’s protection of our 2nd Amendment is to protect law abiding citizen’s rights to protect themselves. Law abiding citizens will always be law abiding. Guns don’t commit crimes - criminals do!
By Jay
March 8, 2007 10:34 AM | Link to this
Tony - I meant Tony is full of crap - it’s very difficult blogging and running a business at the same time. I almost told a cash paying customer they were full of crap.
By Tony
March 8, 2007 12:06 PM | Link to this
Jay, Jay, Jay…sorry you hate yourself that much to confuse your own self. Nothing in his bill does anything for law abiding citizens to protect themselves. Want to hide your gun, get a permit. You’re on the public roads so the government has the right to regulate what happens on those roads. Your pursuit of happiness does not extend to your right to drive drunk, drive on the wrong side of the road, or do whatever you feel your rights entitle you to do.
Your right to defend yourself is not being infringed. Perhaps if you weren’t so knee jerk and actually studied Constitutional Law and saw in reality your rights are not currently taken away you’d know that. Bearden is truly on your level. God help us all for people like him who think the Wild Wild West is more in line with the visions of the Founding Fathers.
By Guy Pinestra
March 8, 2007 1:07 PM | Link to this
I think ‘English only’ laws are a good thing. The enormous costs involved in providing documents in multiple languages is a ridiculous waste of the taxpayers dollars.
I think people who are too lazy to learn the language of the country they reside in, whether or not that residence is ‘legal’, shouldn’t be pandered to.
And since the topic in question got hijacked, I think that any law that promotes the safe possession of a firearm by law-abiding citizens is a GOOD law. Kennesaw was WAY ahead of the curve when it MANDATED gun ownership.
It’s ALREADY legal to transport registered firearms in a private vehicle. To make exceptions to that right based on where a vehicle is parked is another intrusion by the ‘nanny-state’ in the name of the ‘collective good’. Criminals and crazed workplace shooters aren’t going to obey the law ANYWAY.