-=> Quoting Mike Angwin to Robert Craft <=-
 RC>You are then misinterpreting the First Amendment - the
 RC>decision of the government to function in a single language
 RC>in no way limits anyone's freedom of speech. 
 MA> 
 MA> I disagree.  If you are required, by government, to speak a
 MA> specific language you are not accustomed to speaking, in order to
 MA> communicate with the government that claims represent you, you are not
 MA> being represented and are being denied access to your own government.
 MA> It is not the master that ought meet the requirements of the servant,
 MA> but the servant that ought meet the needs of the master.
 Thus the requirement to show some sort of ability to function in
 English. Mike, we are(at least for now) a republic, and the majority of
 the people speak English as a first language, if the majority were to
 support the rendering of government services in a language other than
 English, then we ought to do it, until then, the constitution is silent
 on the issue. Your attempt to make bilingualism a constitutional issue,
 is the same sort of hocus pocus that the liberals are famous for.
 
 MA> Constitutional authority cannot be constitutionally
 MA> exercised by an unconstitutional act.
 
 RC>Huh? Translation please?
 MA> 
 MA> Each subsequent amendment to the constitution, where applicable,
 MA> negates any previous powers granted in the consitution.  If, for
 MA> instance, the consitution grants a power to raise an army int he body
 MA> of the Consitution, but in a later amendment prohibits involuntary
 MA> servitude except as punnishment for a crime, then the power to raise
 MA> an army ought be limited to volunteers since involuntary conscription
 MA> into military service is prohibited by that later amendment.
 MA> Unfortunately both social liberals and contemporary conservatives
 MA> have a tendency to circumvent consitutional barriers in order to
 MA> achieve desired ends.
 Interesting comment. I do know this, conscription was limited to time
 of war, until the end of WWII, as to the constitutionality(or moral
 rightness) of conscription, I would have to give it some thought.
 david.hartung@mcione.com
 Ilks of Metropolitan Walls/LENS
 Proud member of White House Enemies database
 
... "Every time I've built character, I've regretted it." - Calvin
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