Hey, Buddy, Can't You Read the Sign?

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Jan 10, 2000

Although voters in Alabama overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment making English the official state language, a federal court has ruled that the state must offer driver's-license examinations in Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese, French, Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese, as well as English. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower-court decision mandating the requirement because the state receives federal transportation funds and, therefore, is subject to U.S. Department of Transportation rules regarding discrimination against people because of their national origin.

"Essentially, the court is claiming that if you don't speak English, you have a constitutional right to receive service in whatever language you do speak," said Mauro E. Mujica, chairman of the U.S. English citizen-action group. While the ruling specifies the languages spoken by largest segments of minority speakers, there are a total of 100 languages other than English spoken in Alabama, and some 329 other languages spoken in the United States.

"This is a bit of an absurdity that hopefully will strengthen the resolve of our supporters in Congress as to why we need English as an official language, now" another U.S. English official, Tim Schultz, tells washington in brief. "When something like this happens, it gives more urgency to our goals."

Schultz says the issue extends beyond Alabama or the 11th Circuit because "other states see this decision and decide they'd better follow suit because they may get sued." While the decision indeed may be antidiscriminatory, it also seems pro-homicidal. One assumes, though, that road-hazard warnings also will be adjusted to suit the new licensees. Hopefully, someone in the state transportation department knows how to write "Single Lane Ahead" or "Bridge Out" in Mandarin.