On February 21, 2012, English became the official language of Frederick County, the first Maryland county to do so. And one week later, Queen Anne’s County is considering joining the club. QA’s Commissioner Dave Olds has proposed that English become the official language of QAC. This will be discussed at a public hearing on April 24, 2012.
Anne Arundel County might have been the third county to consider the law, but a pending proposal was apparently withdrawn after a controversy arose when Anne Arundel Commissioner Richard B. Ladd publicly used a racial slur about people of Asian decent.
Stu Cawley says
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t English already the de facto official language of Queen Anne’s County? If so, what, if any, procedural changes would follow from this ordinance? If none, what is the intent of this proposal other than to make county residents who speak little or no English feel unwelcome and their rights in jeopardy? If that is Commissioner Olds’ intent, rather than take such a backhanded approach, might I suggest he more forthrightly state for the record that he’d like to make life more difficult for his Hispanic constituents and explain why.
Lainey Harrison says
But Stu, you have to understand. Mr. Olds cannot help himself. He was born that way. He only sees what his myopic vision will allow and that means, foreigners – go home!
His little ordinance here is nothing more than a waste of taxpayers money, paying him to write this up, discuss it, and vote on it. Read it carefully, it means absolutely nothing. English is the official language except when prohibited by the feds or state, or crime victims, or public safety, or education. So, in other words, English is the official language except for when we must converse in another language. like spanish. We will continue to teach english to spanish speaking students, we will continue to take injured or sick spanish only speakers to the hospitals, we will continue to protect non english speaking crime victims…… what else is left? Not much, but that is about all I ever expected from Olds.
John Rolfe says
Alot of the “Hispanic Constituents” That speak little or no english, are normally illegal aliens. Most people who come to this country legally, try to learn english. Before anyone comments on here telling me I am wrong, I have lived here for 23 years and have seen the transition myself.
Mary Anne O'Boyle Leary says
Stu is absolutely correct in his assessment of the proposed legislation making Queen Anne’s County officially English-only. Better that Queen Anne’s –and all the other areas of Maryland– support programs that fund more English-language classes for adults, especially evening classes. They are sorely needed.
Mary Wood says
What a pointless waste of time and the paper this ordinance is printed on. Don’t the Commisoners have more important matters to attend to?
Jim astrAcha says
How does this affect restaurant menues? Can they call their pasta “carbonerra”? The billi is an embrassment.
Bob Garson says
This is absolutely disgraceful and a wholesale embarrassment to Queen Anne’s County. I thought that even Queen Anne’s County had overcome this kind of nonsense a long time ago. And don’t these commissioners have
more important issues to contend with?
Joe Diamond says
This makes sense to someone,
How would you like to be required to provide instruction in the native language of any student? This requires students to show up proficient in at least spoken English or at least lets the county off the hook for non native speaker instruction.
Mean spirited!
Joe
Warrior Bob Kramer says
Esto es un poco estupido, no te parece?
Warrior Bob Kramer says
Et il est tout aussi stupide en francais… oder Deutch.
Sallie says
What a great ordinance!
Does this mean that no longer will I have to read signs saying “Farmer’s Market”, hear “where is that at?”, and listen to accepted and condoned bad english from residents who would claim under the slightest duress that their relatives came over on the Mayflower?
Frankly, given instruction in our schools, those who come from other countries tend to be able to speak and write better english than most of our “native’ citizens. And they sure as h— appreciate the opportunity more than the monster-truck driving dropouts that hot rod out of high school and into unemployment.
Michael Troup says
https://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/german.asp
I’m thinking this ordinance will have the same effect as the one mentioned in the last paragraph. Now the timing of it? I could see why it appears xenophobic.
Gren Whitman says
Do dis mean i hev to spell kereck two?
Jail effn i dunt?
Brenda Jackson says
Well, you know that a week after the ordinance is passed all of the “illegals” will learn English. What an embarrassment. What does a law like that accomplish? How much money will it actually save? Why are we talking about having an English only county when other countries are bending over backwards to promote communication in more that one language among all people. I must share this one with a colleague who will have a field day with it in the classroom.
Sharon says
I for one will be glad to see this passed by the QA Co Commissioners, It is about time that we start protecting the things that are dear to us. Our English language should be required to be spoken in a manner that it can be understood before hiring for any type of employment that requires dealing with the public.
editor says
Editor approved anonymous comment
Bill Sylvester says
This actually makes some sense from a county procedural point of view. Without an ordinance like this, is the county required to provide translation services if someone comes before the commission with a perceived problem? County’s and municipalities across the country are having to deal with this very issue. It might be one thing if spanish to english and vice versa was the only translation needed. But what about the french, swahili, german, russian, chinese, etc, etc. Doesn’t every language deserve to have a translator if the Hispanics get one?
D LaMotte says
Good article in the Times yesterday…apparently speaking two languages actually increases one’s intelligence. I
spend quite alot of time in Canada where English/French is on every package and most people make sure that their
children speak two languages. How about embracing Spanish and maybe our kids would be bilingual,
If lucky. We are so very isolated in the U.S. Many other nationalities speak at least two languages.
Why this fear when so much good can come from this. I mean, just listen to the butchered “English” one
hears everyday.
joe diamond says
Hold on yo,
I be havin a degree in dis stuff!
Cultural anthropologists track the duration between points of tribal presence and adoption of dialectic parlance. Comparisons of verbal and written samples of communication tend to suggest cultural proximity followed by migrations and subsequent adjustments in communication symbols as the ambulatory group seeks acceptance within a new cultural and geographic environment. Often there is an ethnocentric conflict with results in favor of the advent party if xenophilic forces are absent but successful force of arms has achieved a new status quo. The lingua franca could change suddenly or in more gradual stages but attempts at establishing a lexicon based on legislation seem absent from the historical record. (Frogs and their French Academy does not count….they didn’t like” jazz “but ate it after WWII)
Feel me, bro?
Joe