Impatient Senators Target Borders, Anthem (resolution passed)

[Rose Siding]

snip>
The Senate approved a resolution late Monday evening stating that the U.S. national anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance, the oath recited by immigrants when they are sworn in as citizens and other songs or statements symbolizing national unity should be spoken or sung in English.

"At the opening of the Senate each day, or at a football game, or at a Boy or Girl Scout meeting, we are free to sing or say our national symbols in any language we please, but we ought to sing and say them in our common language, English," said Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican.
...
Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii spoke against the resolution, noting that the nation's motto — E Pluribus Unum — is in Latin.

``We cannot win the hearts and minds of people of other nations and promote American ideals if we close the door on people expressing their support for our country and the freedoms on which it was founded,'' Akaka said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5811185,00.html

[sidpleasant]

1. Lamar Alexander: too stupid to graduate from a school for retarded fish

"We are free to sing or say our national symbols in any language we please, but we ought to sing and say them in our common language, English." In other words, "you can sing the anthem in any language you like as long as its English."

My wife dealt with Alexander a couple of times in her business. The first time she met him she was shocked by how dense he was, especially since he'd been Secretary of Education. He may be even less intellectual than Bush, hard as that may be to believe.

[anotherdrew]

14. another republican wedge issue feeding frenzy. disingenuous lier's all

so sad that it's come to this, where grandstanding and posturing about meaningless non-sense is what attracts these people's base? I don't think this dog will hunt, lol.

[kineneb]

18. another pol

that is so dumb that they need to be watered every morning...sigh.

[Miss Chybil]

2. Freedom of speech... in English!

How do these idiots get elected?

[Born Free]

11. Good move...

The main problem most people I know is they fear they will have to learn spanish, I think this is a good move, it helps to remove one of those divisive issues. It doesn't "hurt" for them to learn a little english. The law does not say they can't use their native laguages, they only need to learn a few english words get sworn in. A fellow coworker said he still has the many books he had to study to pass the test to become a citizen, he came to America at age 4 when bombs were being dropped in Europe. Democrats make big mistakes not trying to understand where some of the pro english people are coming from, many are not evil people, they just want a little respect, some had to work to become citizens, they are proud of that and want others to earn it as well.

[Miss Chybil]

16. I'm not against the idea people should learn English if they want to live

and work here, (I would certainly learn German, if I moved to Germany, or Spanish if I moved to... well, a lot of places),but I was being sarcastic in my remark. The free speech amendment doesn't specify one has the right to free speech only if the speech is in English.

[Ian David]

3. Pass a resolution that Christian prayer should be in the original Hebrew

[Vogon_Glory]

4. Actually JC Spoke Aramaic...

Actually, Jesus of Nazareth spoke and prayed at least as much in Aramaic as in Hebrew. That should give linguistically-challenged right wingie-dingies something to keep them busy!

[Ian David]

5. Good point. But then again...

Most of the words attributed to Jesus were probably written long after the death of the man named Jesus who may or may not have existed.

[Vogon_Glory]

7. But Then, There's The Jesus Project

But then, there's the Jesus project, which is going through not only the recognized canon, but also the Apocrypha as well as some of the books that early churchmen allowed to hit the cutting room floor (they were claimed to be either heretical or invalid) to detect by style and language what was originally set down and it looks like JC said some very different things than what the hard-core Evangelicals SAY he said.

Stay tuned for further developments--and watch the ecclesiastical fur fly!

[cleofus1]

12. well we all know

[NYC Liberal]

9. Blasphemy! Jesus spoke English, was a good Christian, and grew up

down South in the good ol' USA!

Everyone knows that.

[Vogon_Glory]

13. Folks like that would also say that He had short hair and shaved, too! n/t

[rodeodance]

6. i'd think they would have more imp. things to do like ensure health care

for all, or protecting our enviroment. or or or.........

[hatrack]

8. Blah blah blah BLAH blah blah BLAH BLAH blah blah blah BLAH BLAH

Blah BLAH BLAH blah blah blah BLAH blah blah blah blah BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!

I think that about covers it.

[IndyJones]

10. Comforting they are able to be in unison on such trivial issues.

Now if we could get them to work on the issues impacting most all American citizens, we'd be golden.

[AlCzervik]

15. this resolution is this years Freedom Fries.

[Norquist Nemesis]

17. Oh NO! Not a Resolution!!!

UGH! Fuckwits wasting more time pandering. Next up will be flag burning.

[tanyev]

19. Well, THAT will fix all of our problems. Whew!

Now the senators will be free to focus on taking lots of money from lobbbyists.