Santorum to Puerto Rico.......Learn to speak English dammit!

[rightwinger]

Santorum: English must be adopted by Puerto Rico


"As in any other state, you have to comply with this and any federal law. And that is that English has to be the main language," Santorum told El Vocero, a San Juan newspaper. "There are other states with more than one language as is the case in Hawaii, but to be a state in the United States, English has to be the main language."

Democratic Rep. Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico's non-voting delegate to Congress, said today on CNN that Santorum has a "narrow and limiting view of what America is all about."

 

[High_Gravity]

Alot of the Puerto Ricans I met do know English.

 

[ABikerSailor]

"I would support the people of Puerto Rico if they make the decisive decision to move forward with that, I would support it," he told a group of about 50 people at a town hall meeting. "But that's a decision the people of Puerto Rico have to make and so far they've chosen not to make it. And so talk to your friends, and see if you can work that out."


Later, discussing the issue with reporters, Santorum declined to say specifically how high the percentage rate of approval would have to be in his view, but indicated that the bar would be high. "It can't be 50 percent plus one," he said. "It has to be a strong voice."


The issue has long divided the people of Puerto Rico, which has been a U.S. territory since 1898. In the most recent plebiscite, held in 1998, 47 percent of people supported statehood, but a slight majority, 50.3 percent, rejected all options, including statehood, independence or continuation of commonwealth status.


While Santorum said it was not the role of the president to advocate for Puerto Rico's statehood, he said, "To me, it doesn't make any sense to be in America and not want to be a state and have full rights as a United States citizen."


Speaking with the local newspaper El Vocero, Santorum said English would have to be the official language of the state, but seemed to suggest, incorrectly, that English was a federal requirement of statehood. "Like any other state, there has to be compliance with this and any other federal law," Santorum told the newspaper, according to the Reuters news agency. "There are other states with more than one language, such as Hawaii, but to be a state of the United States, English has to be the principal language," he said.

Santorum supports Puerto Rico statehood with English language condition - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

Is this the way to get votes for the GOP? Telling people that they have to speak English?

Unfortunately for Santorum, there are no such laws on the books.

 

[FuelRod]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quSvXylCv60&feature=related]welcome back kotter- 3 substitute teachers - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ABikerSailor]

Unfortunately for Santorum, there are no laws that state you must speak English in this country.

 

[Katzndogz]

If they want to be a state, yes they should speak English. If they don't they can speak Klingon if they so choose.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Just found out that RW has started a thread about this just before I did.

Can I get a merge Mods?

<sure, anytime>

 

[rightwinger]

If they want to be a state, yes they should speak English. If they don't they can speak Klingon if they so choose.

Where is that in the Constitution?

 

[High_Gravity]

If they want to be a state, yes they should speak English. If they don't they can speak Klingon if they so choose.

There's no rule that says that, theres a shit load of Hispanics in Texas, New Mexico and California that don't speak a lick of English, maybe they should be severed from the union.

 

[High_Gravity]

Rick Santorum should fuck off to Saudi Arabia with his zealout backwards views.

 

[Intense]

Santorum: English must be adopted by Puerto Rico


"As in any other state, you have to comply with this and any federal law. And that is that English has to be the main language," Santorum told El Vocero, a San Juan newspaper. "There are other states with more than one language as is the case in Hawaii, but to be a state in the United States, English has to be the main language."

Democratic Rep. Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico's non-voting delegate to Congress, said today on CNN that Santorum has a "narrow and limiting view of what America is all about."

So does Puerto Rico. Someone should remind Santorum that Puerto Rico is not a State though. The best thing for Puerto Rico would be the Repeal of the Jones Act.



The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (P.L. 66-261) is a United States federal statute that regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports.

Section 27, better known as the Jones Act, deals with cabotage (i.e., coastal shipping) and requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. The purpose of the law is to support the U.S. maritime industry.[1]

In addition, amendments to the Jones Act, known as the Cargo Preference Act (P.L. 83-644), provide permanent legislation for the transportation of waterborne cargoes in U.S.-flag vessels. The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 has been revised a number of times, the most recent and thorough revision was the re-codified version of 2006.[2]

Merchant Marine Act of 1920 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[FuelRod]

If they want to be a state, yes they should speak English. If they don't they can speak Klingon if they so choose.

 

[ABikerSailor]

<threads merged>

Rick Santorum should fuck off to Saudi Arabia with his zealout backwards views.

He is almost as fanatical in his Christian beliefs as the Taliban are about Islam.

 

[uscitizen]

I guess Santorum just blew PR off?

If he had said this earlier he would have lost American Samoa as well.

 

[bitterlyclingin]

"A man that can speak two languages is blessed. A nation that has to speak two languages is cursed!"

 

[ABikerSailor]

I guess Santorum just blew PR off?

If he had said this earlier he would have lost American Samoa as well.

I'm wondering why he went to Puerto Rico if he was going to be stupid about it.

 

[Avatar4321]

They should speak English if they don't. Not going to force them to. But they should.

But then I dont really have a problem if individual states did have languages other than English, as long as the national language is English.

 

[High_Gravity]

<threads merged>

Rick Santorum should fuck off to Saudi Arabia with his zealout backwards views.

He is almost as fanatical in his Christian beliefs as the Taliban are about Islam.

His views on porn are right in step with the Mullahs in Iran, Santorum could win an election in a Muslim country in a land slide.

 

[High_Gravity]

They should speak English if they don't. Not going to force them to. But they should.

But then I dont really have a problem if individual states did have languages other than English, as long as the national language is English.

I served with alot of Puerto Ricans in the Military and I work with quite a bit now, they do speak English.

 

[Peach]

Santorum said English would have to be the official language of the state, but seemed to suggest, incorrectly, that English was a federal requirement of statehood. "Like any other state, there has to be compliance with this and any other federal law,"
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Yankee? Southern? Midwest? or that odd Western twang? (US, Romney picked up delegates in American Samoa, but residents of neither can VOTE in the election unless they are US citizens. That is why Sancto & Mitt are campaigning.)