Court says woman with limited English can be kept off ballot

[Snake Alchemist]

(Reuters) - Arizona's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that a city council candidate with limited English language skills can be kept off the ballot in a largely bilingual town on the Mexico border.

A Yuma County Superior Court judge touched off a furor last week when he disqualified Alejandrina Cabrera, 35, from running for city council in the town of San Luis over what he called a "large gap" between her English proficiency and that required to serve as a public official.

In a brief two-page ruling, the Arizona Supreme Court did not give a reason why it sided with the lower court, but said a written decision would follow "in due course."

The controversy has swept San Luis, a sleepy farming town hugging the Arizona-Mexico border, into the incendiary national debate over immigration.


http://news.yahoo.com/arizona-supreme-court-says-candidate-barred-ballot-223049511.html

One thing I cannot understand is how you can graduate from a US high school without a proficient command of the English language.

[Bicoastal]

1. OK, just so I'm the first person to make this very obvious joke--

And yet Sarah Palin qualified. (rimshot)

[niyad]

4. her and georgie boy

[Snake Alchemist]

6. LOL. nt

[niyad]

2. how in the hell can one graduate from two ivy league schools without a proficient command of

the english language --witness georgie boy, whose english was worse than any number of european speakers I know.

[TheWraith]

3. "graduate from a US high school without a proficient command of the English language."

Why not? People in my home town do every year.

[rbnyc]

15. No doubt...

...half of adults for whom English is their first and only language have limited proficiency.

[unblock]

5. these days especially, graduating from high school is indicative of remarkably little.

for starters, many schools will refuse to fail football players... aside from holding them back once so they can play them an extra year, of course.

of course, you can get your friend to take your tests for you and do your homework for you, or just steal the answer key.

or you can beg the teacher for an alternative project that you can pass. note that not all teachers are completely strict or even ethical in this situation (most are, of course, but some aren't).

finally, a school in a heavily bilingual area may conduct much of the class in the "other" language, or at least a fellow student can translate.


at the end of the day, many schools look for reasons to pass students, not to fail them.
so many undeserving students are passed through.
especially if they or their parents are powerful or at least bullies.

[Snake Alchemist]

7. There's a good dose of depression to end the day. nt

[LisaL]

10. I just read about a dog

getting a high school diploma. Seriously.


"In a couple of hours, with our help, Molly passed. After a $300 payment and a few days later, her diploma and official transcript arrived."

http://www.khou.com/news/local/ITeamDiplomasPartOne-138874309.html

[Rhiannon12866]

8. This is no longer LBN, please repost in GD. Thanks!

[Rhiannon12866]

9. Unlocking. I have been convinced this is a new development in an ongoing story, .n/t

[GobBluth]

11. Concerns me in more ways than one (considering GWB) as a deaf person

I am not Deaf (big D), I am late deafened, trying to find my way, so I am stuck between two worlds, but fortunate to find many accepting Deaf peoples. Many Deaf from birth, while intelligent and educated, have a very difficult time understanding/translating the written word, as ASL is not equivalent to English. This is bullshit and limiting, not just to individuals, but to constituents who could benefit from some amazing people whose first language is not English. My in-laws, Greek immigrants, fluent in English, still tend to go to Greek when possible (we live in a densely Greek populated area, so this is easy for them) when dealing with important issues. We are limiting our nation with crap like this, sorry. I am assuming the same can be said for any person whose first language is not English.

[Rhiannon12866]

14. I've taken classes in ASL and I agree wth you.

I wish that it was taught in more schools, since it is a universal language. My mother's first language was Polish, though she was born here, and I do know some, but wish so much that I was fluent. In other countries, learning other languages is considered very important, but not so much here.

Welcome to DU, GobBluth! We're glad to have you with us! And, if you're interested, we have a Deaf/Hard of Hearing Group here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1148

[Great Caesars Ghost]

12. I recall that refusal to learn or speak english is protected speech.

Can't remember when it was or where.

[Tripod]

13. Nice post.

I still don't understand how people can still act like they live in the past. Aren't we all evolving, and progressing? I guess not.