Woman given a ticket for no hablo englis?

[NiteStryker]

Originally Posted by Afterburner

The problem as I see it is that Dallas gives the driver's exam in Spanish. Make it an English only exam. Problem solved.

Yea that becomes an issue then if they are condoning the language like that.

[Nemmerle]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pedantic

I'm judging by the fact that she's gotten by for 20 years without English, that I think she'll be fine for another 20 without it.

That has practically nothing to do with what I was talking about. This isn't about her convenience, it's about everyone else's convenience, the extent to which a society can be integrated and the expenses involved in not being so. She might be perfectly happy with it, that's not really the point.

Originally Posted by Mr. Pedantic

She was given a citation for the u-turn. Fine by me. However, booking someone on the side because they can't speak English is completely unfair, stupid, and really quite strange.

Well yes, but in my view only because it's illegal.

Originally Posted by Mr. Pedantic

0.8% of the US population (according to the last census) can't speak English. Want to book all of them?

If they ever have to talk to police? Yeah I do. Failiure to cooperate with an investigation, attempting to pervert the course of justice - throw the whole lot of the, 'you were being awkward and now you're nicked' charges, at them. You reap what you sow and if you decide not to learn English the failiure of capability there is your fault just as you'd be responsible for the failiure of capability if you didn't learn to drive.

Originally Posted by Mr. Pedantic

As for the traffic stop, that shouldnt be hard. There'd be police everywhere with big cones and probably a long line of other cars in front of you. What else are you going to do but stop?

If it was that simple the cop would never have become aware that she couldn't speak English, at some point her failiure to make herself understood has come up.

[Afterburner]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pedantic

A lot of states (maybe even the whole US, I don't know) require official documents to be made in both English and Spanish versions. If you change the drivers license test, then you'd have to, by continuation, change everything else as well.

Good. All government documents at every single level in the United States should be English only. Speak your language at home or with whoever else you want, I wouldn't ever try to force someone to unlearn their language. However, if you are living in the U.S., a country in which 99% of people speak English, you should learn it too. It needs to be this country's official language.

If I move to Germany I expect to speak German, if I move to Mexico I expect to speak Spanish, if I move to China I expect to speak Chinese, and if anyone moves to the U.S. I expect them to speak English.

[Smitty025]

Originally Posted by Nemmerle

That has practically nothing to do with what I was talking about. This isn't about her convenience, it's about everyone else's convenience, the extent to which a society can be integrated and the expenses involved in not being so. She might be perfectly happy with it, that's not really the point.

Sadly, the other people in this world do not exist to be bent to your will or mine in an attempt to make life more conveinent for either of us.

If they ever have to talk to police? Yeah I do. Failiure to cooperate with an investigation, attempting to pervert the course of justice - throw the whole lot of the, 'you were being awkward and now you're nicked' charges, at them. You reap what you sow and if you decide not to learn English the failiure of capability there is your fault just as you'd be responsible for the failiure of capability if you didn't learn to drive.

In this case it is not the person who can't speak English who is impeding the investigation, that person may be perfectly willing to help; it is the police officer who cannot understand what the person is saying.

[NiteStryker]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pedantic

I'm judging by the fact that she's gotten by for 20 years without English, that I think she'll be fine for another 20 without it.

I think its quite rude and selfish to move to another country and be so deeply arrogant that you refuse to even attempt assimilation with the local area.

Originally Posted by Mr. Pedantic

She was given a citation for the u-turn. Fine by me. However, booking someone on the side because they can't speak English is completely unfair, stupid, and really quite strange.

She has been in the united states almost as long as I have been alive, and she cant speak the language? Deport her ass.

Originally Posted by Mr. Pedantic

0.8% of the US population (according to the last census) can't speak English. Want to book all of them?

All of those who dont care to try? Yes.

Originally Posted by Afterburner

Good. All government documents at every single level in the United States should be English only. Speak your language at home or with whoever else you want, I wouldn't ever try to force someone to unlearn their language. However, if you are living in the U.S., a country in which 99% of people speak English, you should learn it too. It needs to be this country's official language.

Dear god I could jack off to that post.

Originally Posted by Afterburner

If I move to Germany I expect to speak German, if I move to Mexico I expect to speak Spanish, if I move to China I expect to speak Chinese, and if anyone moves to the U.S. I expect them to speak English.

Originally Posted by Smitty025

In this case it is not the person who can't speak English who is impeding the investigation, that person may be perfectly willing to help; it is the police officer who cannot understand what the person is saying.

No. It is not the responsibility of the police officer to learn the languages he may deal with a few times in his career....it is the responsibility of those calling themselves an "American citizen" to learn the common language.

[Afterburner]

Originally Posted by Smitty025

Sadly, the other people in this world do not exist to be bent to your will or mine in an attempt to make life more conveinent for either of us.

That's pretty much the whole point of life, and definitely the whole point of all forms of government from despotism to communism.

In this case it is not the person who can't speak English who is impeding the investigation, that person may be perfectly willing to help; it is the police officer who cannot understand what the person is saying.

Because you say so? I'm sorry but that isn't how it works. The Police officer is the government representative. You have to listen to them, not the other way around.

[Smitty025]

The Police officer is the government representative. You have to listen to them, not the other way around.

Yes, and in our system of government the police officer enforces the laws that are created by the government with the consent of the people. Seeing as how there is no law requiring the average citizen to learn English, the person in that situation has done nothing wrong. So as it stands now are the two views not of equal merit? One could argue that the person is wrong for not learning the language just as easily as one could argue that the officer was wrong for not catering to the needs of the constituents he swore to protect.

[Nemmerle]

Originally Posted by Smitty025

Sadly, the other people in this world do not exist to be bent to your will or mine in an attempt to make life more conveinent for either of us.

Oh, I've always wanted to hear the answer to that question. So what is the purpose of life, for what end do we exist?

We don't know, it's an empty question. All we know is that we do exist, and now we have to deal with the world that is in front of us.

Originally Posted by Smitty025

In this case it is not the person who can't speak English who is impeding the investigation, that person may be perfectly willing to help; it is the police officer who cannot understand what the person is saying.

The police officer has become aware of this person in the last few minutes, the person was aware of the existence of the police for years. The police officer has learned the common language and it is simply not the responsibility of the majority to cater for eccentricities of the minority. If I choose to speak only in binary beep codes should the officer be expected to follow me in that? What nonsense. The minority should conform to the majority and not vice versa.

[NiteStryker]

Originally Posted by Smitty025

Seeing as how there is no law requiring the average citizen to learn English, the person in that situation has done nothing wrong.

Illegal U-Turn and not carrying her license on her while driving. Thats 2 things wrong.

I would have thought something is wierd if there is a mexican woman making an illegal u-turn, not speaking english and not having her license on her. I'd verify her legal residency status.

Originally Posted by Smitty025

So as it stands now are the two views not of equal merit? There exists nothing to say that the person must learn English, so one could argue that the person is wrong for not learning the language just as easily as one could argue that the officer was wrong for not catering to the needs of the constituents he swore to protect.

Was the officer in the right? Legally, no. Morally? I'd say so.

[Mr. Pedantic]

Fine, fine, fine. I can see I am in the minority. I'll shut up now. However, I still stand by what I said.