I'm Tim James. Why do our politicians make us give driver's license exams in twelve languages? This is Alabama; we speak English. If you want to live here, learn it. We're only giving that test in English if I'm Governor. Maybe it's the businessman in me, but we'll save money and it makes sense. Does it to you?
100 comments
You can't learn English in a single day, dumbass. It's going to take some time. What do you propose they do, NOT have citizenship until they pin it down? No, no, you'd hate that even more.
Besides, what the fuck does it bother you? Having English right next to their natural language helps people learn, and no one is forcing you to take a test in Mandarin Chinese or whatever.
@ Porky Pine
You beat me to it!
First of all I beg to differ that Alabamans speak English.
Secondly, I think it is the douchebag in you.
This belongs in RSTDT.
Also, if you insist that the driver's test must be in English, you are effectively banning many immigrants from driving, but then I suspect you may consider taking away immigrant rights to be a good thing.
@commonsense : since the United States has no official language, you can't expect everyone to be able to understand and speak English the way I can expect everyone in France to be able to understand and speak French. But you're right, it has nothing to do with religion. Though it should be also noted that the definition of "fundie" employed on this site has nothing to do with religion either .
@Murdin
While English may not be an official language in a legal, it is in a de facto sense. No one can expect to function in every day US society without at least some knowledge of English. The only way you can is if you remain completely insulated within a subculture that speaks your language.
Personally, I think we should require that drivers show at least enough aptitude with the language to understand any signs they may be given whether they've seen them before or not.
Here are some other stupid ways to save money!
1. When faxing, use sans-serif fonts. It saves time and toner.
2. When phoning or surfing the Internet, STFU. You have nothing of any meaning to say and are wasting time and electricity.
3. Take that banjo off your knee. This will make it quicker for you going through those skinny trailer doors. Time is money.
"Do you want your driver's test in english, spanish, chinese or dude?"
"Um, dude, dude."
[clerk hands Pauly a coloring book and crayons]
Ahm Tam Jamus. Wha duh urr pollytishuns maek uss gaev dryvurs lisans egsams in twalve speekkings? Dis be Allerbammer, whe speek Anglish.
Moron should've realized that his statement doesn't help diminish the stereotype that Alabama is full of retards.
"If you're in Alabama, what you're speaking is not English."
durr, racism is ok when we do it!
No offense to anyone here whose first language is not English (mine was French), but I don't have a problem with restricting the languages the driver's test is given in to only those languages common in your area.
@Murdin
The United States may not have an official language, but Alabama does(English, obviously). Now, I don't agree with him or anyone who thinks that people don't exist in America until they learn English, but it's probably not a good idea to say that it would make more sense if there were an official language.
Why do our politicians make us give driver's license exams in twelve languages?
Why do you give a shit? Why not ask yourself that question, and when you figure out the answer ("It doesn't really make one bit of difference to my life, but I don't like people different than me and just want to bust their balls"), then you can go back and re-read Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31 and Luke 10:27 and come up with some bullshit rationalization for why Jesus would have agreed with you.
Oh no! Poor little minded small world person. Probably never been farther than 100 miles from home and considers himself well traveled.
The existence of people not of Alabama must be such a huge psychological blow to his extremely fragile itty bitty ego.
Perhaps, with years of psychotherapy and numerous drugs he might eventually recover.
Not fundie in and of itself.
For reference, these are the languages:
Alabama does not print manuals or study materials in any language other than English. However, the written test is offered in American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese
Until those who don't have driver's license drive anyway, cause wrecks, and the cost of insurance goes up. Then there's the extra paperwork and man power to hand out all those tickets and prepare the court system to handle the extra weight. Then of course there's the loss of revenue from those not who can't speak or read english that won't get license. Not to mention the taxation of the jails housing those who are repeat offenders for the fact they couldn't get a driver's license because you as governor said "English motherfucker...do you speak it?"
Shrike:
Um, yeah. I think they cover that in the driving test. Plus, the majority of road signs are pictoral, rather than relying on text, because it makes them quicker to identify. Which is useful when you're doing 70, and trying to look in five different directions at once...
@Scooby71: "However, the written test is offered in American Sign Language"
This seems like a WTF to me. I think being able to hear is kind of a necessary part of being able to drive well--horns, sirens, etc.
Ah yes, Alabama, where everyone has two first names: Billy Joe, Becky Sue, Tommy Lee, etc.
I was bicycling to Key West a few years back, and I saw a road sign just north of Mobile that read: "SCHOOL ZONE, SLOW TO 55 WHEN LIGHTS ARE FLASHING." And people say the kids in Alabama are slow.
"I'm Tim James, bitch!"
That is all...
Choctaw and the Cherokee would like a word with you.
This is almost as bad as the BNP who once said "that I should speak english in their country"...
I was speaking in welsh...
In retrospect, yeah I should have sent this to RSTDT instead.
After I sent this in the following also hit me like a brick:A cheaper way to give the driver's license exam would be by using computers to do so.
This is completely retarded, but not fundy. AL has some of the most lax enforcement of traffic laws in the country. I have relatives who have been driving for years without a license. Many of them are repeat DUI offenders. The worst that ever happens is they get a little fine, and maybe have to spend the night in jail to "sleep it off."
Don't just write it off as the good ole boy system either. One of my cousins is married to a Mexican. He came to the country illegally. He's never bothered to get a license, because the state of AL doesn't do anything, except warn, or fine him, whenever he's pulled over.
How would just giving the test in english save any money? I assume you already have the 12 versions of the test for each different language, so its not like you are paying for the translation.
Are you printing out a version for each language every time someone comes to take the test, then giving them all and letting them choose? If so then you're doing it wrong. Wait till someone comes in, see what language they speak, THEN print out a test in their language.
Also, one would think that you already paid someone a least a small amount to translate the tests. If you stop using the translated version, then you wasted money. Fail money saving plan is fail.
Actually, in my state, the test is given in American English only. You are, however, allowed to bring anyone you want to "translate" for you. In other words, they take the test for you and no one cares.
For the poster that said it takes a while to learn the language, your international driver's license is good for a loooooong time in the states. Plenty of time to get the basics of the road figured out before applying, assuming you're legal to be here and all that.
(Yes, I have a relative that works at the DMV... she's scared shitless to drive after seeing what she's seen. Hearing her stories I believe we should have a national language and that DUI plates should be permanent.)
It should be RSTDT, but anyway, a fundie doesn't have to be religious. Please remember that, people.
More xenophobic than racist.
Perhaps Tim is a bit too stupid to realise that road signs are generally pictures, just to make sure everyone can understand them, no matter what their level oor literacy or language.
I'd imagine he's also too dumb to realise that you don't need to be able to speak English to be able to read place names on road signs...
Not fundy, I wouldn't even say it was particularly racist... although I know there are different opinions on the matter, I tend to believe that immigrants should be encouraged to integrate into the community rather than forming a separate ghetto... part of which must include speaking the common language of the area.
The current candidates for governor of Alabama are doing their best to put the "goober" back in "gubernatorial."
A lot of people don't speak English, and the United States has no official language. So yes, we have to make driver's license exams available in the languages that people speak, because to do otherwise constitutes discrimination. A lot of immigrants, contrary to popular opinion, are in fact here legally.
"This is Alabama; we speak English."
*BZZZZZT! * Sorry, you fail, but thanks for playing. It's we British and the intelligent non-fundie American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand etc descendants of the British, who speak English. You fundies, rednecks, teabaggers, inbred 'invisible friend-believing' subhumans etc actually speak Dumbfuckistani:
image
As far as I know, there's no such thing as a language called 'American'*. After all, an American language? Ask any Indian. American religion? Ask any Indian. 300 million illegal immigrants? Ask any Indian.
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*- The nearest thing to an 'American' language is Klingon, invented by Marc Okrand: an American.
twelve? I used to live in Texas, they made me take mine in English. Oh sorry, Alabamans don't even speak english properly, they speak redneck.
I'd say you should only give the tests in Iroquoian, Navajo, Cree and Ojibwa. M'kay?
Erm, this is Sweden. Something like 69 % of us speak English well enough to guide tourists around. I also speak German and French well enough to guide the tourists to a real Tourist Agency. Probably Italian and Spanish too...
I just watched the movie Brothers, and wondered why the Army didn't teach their soldiers just a bit of Arabic before sending them off to Afghanistan and Iraq. It COULD come in handy knowing what the local people are saying, while holding you hostage, right?
But who am I to speak? I only know "yalla, yalla", "Allahu akbar" and "Marg bar Amrika".
Wait are they MAKING you take it in 12 different languages?
Or are they just offering it in 12 different languages?
Seriously, there are people in the world different from you. Get over it.
IF you want people to assimilate, then you have to let them be part of society.
One can be Fundi about things other than religion.
In this case it's the "America should be English Only!!!" type.
Whoever approves thing is slipping, if you just type in random numbers you can see some of the 'recent' ones that don't "Make the cut".
For example this is somethign the reviewer considered "Not fundi"http://fstdt.com/QuoteComment.aspx?QID=73098
The argument I love most against Atheism is this. If Atheism is true, then all Atheists have absolute knowledge and can know everything (we know that this isn't true because of disagreement so this hinders Atheism, but for the sake of argument..). If Atheists can know everything, then they are just as knowledgeable as what we define to be God. This makes Atheists God. Therefore God is an Atheist. YIKES! shoddy logic.
You "Approvers" Please tell me how that is not fundi...
hasn't anyone noted that, honestly, the Governor probably doesn't have the power to do that?
Also, a quote from The New American:
"A federal court ruled in favor of Sandoval and Alabama went back to providing the tests in multiple languages, even as it appealed the ruling. The state lost again in appeals court but the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision (Alexander v. Sondoval) overruled the lower court, finding that Sandoval lacked standing to sue. Under the law, only a government agency is allowed to sue for enforcement of Title VI, the court said. The decision did not, however, protect the state against loss of federal highway funding, something opponents say will happen if it reverts to English only. The prospect of losing highway money might not agree with the businessman in Tim James, but it does not seem to dampen his political instincts. "
You know you only have to take it in one of those languages, right?
Also, your business sense sucks.
Considering public transport doesn't go to every corner of the state (basing this on where I live), wouldn't it make sense for immigrants to get a license, even if they have to take the test in their own language? Hell, then they have the freedom to drive to ESL classes after work without having to constantly ask someone for a ride, or pass completely because the bus doesn't go anywhere near the location, thus missing out on the chance to improve their English even more. [/thinking out loud]
By the way, I know someone from Alabama. Redneck English does not make up her vocabulary.
And yes, from what I know, hiring interpeters...well, very good ones, is more costly than printing tests in the appropriate language, especially if you want someone who's got years of experience to draw upon. You don't want a super-cheap interpreter, because they might not have a clue as to dialectical differences or cultural variations. That alone can cost you a big chunk of business, never mind wasting money on the endeavor.
How is it "saving money" if people have to pay the DMV (i.e., state government) to get a license?
Oh, wait. I forgot. They're conservatives; of course they want small business instead of government!
*Unless, of course, they're a state politician taking federal money, because they have a genuine need for it, whereas only all those other states have "pork."
[*]I'm not against conservatives taking federal money if it will actually help their state; they do still pay federal taxes after all, even if they really hate the government. It's just the hypocrisy of it that makes me so angry I need to rant about it semi-relevantly on the Internet. GRRR!'
ETA: And the only reason people speak English in the place now called Alabama is because the English and US helped kick out the Native Americans.
#1159466
"Do you want your driver's test in english, spanish, chinese or dude?"
"Um, dude, dude."
[clerk hands Pauly a coloring book and crayons]
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Ahm Tam Jamus. Wha duh urr pollytishuns maek uss gaev dryvurs lisans egsams in twalve speekkings? Dis be Allerbammer, whe speek Anglish.
Moron should've realized that his statement doesn't help diminish the stereotype that Alabama is full of retards.
I LOL'D SO HARD!! XD!!!
Im guessing he doesnt know how hard it is to learn a new language.
Also,its not nearly vileenough to get into the fundie category.
“I'm Tim James.”
“Why do our politicians make us give driver's license exams in twelve languages?”
"This is Alabama; we speak English.”
“If you want to live here, learn it.”
"We're only giving that test in English if I'm Governor.”
“Maybe it's the businessman in me, but we'll save money and it makes sense. Does it to you?”
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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