Ninth Circuit Wonders or Blunders

A recent ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court (Padilla vs. Lever) states that political material in a political jurisdiction must be in all applicable languages of that jurisdiction, not just English.  The Ninth Circuit Court covers the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

Let's consider the applicable languages in the nine States that the Ninth Circuit Court covers.  They are: Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Italian, Korean, Russian, Hindi, Persian, Urdu, Gujarati, Serbo-Croatian, Finnish, Armenian, Hebrew, Mon Khmer, Navaho, Yiddish, Hmong, Lao, Thai, Hungarian, Achumawi, Ahtena, Alelut, Apache, Assiniboine, Atsugewi, Blackfoot, Cahuilla, Chehalis, Chetco, Cheyenne, Chinook Wawa, Clallam, Cocopa, Coeur D'Alene, Columbia-Wenatchi, Coos, Cowlitz, Cree, Crow, Cupeno, Degexit'an, Ekyak, Gros Ventre, Gwidh'in, Haida, Han, Havasupai-Walapai-Yavapi, Hawaiian, Holikachuk, Hopi, Hupa, Inuktitut, Kalapuya, Kalispel-Pen Dórreille, Karok, Kashaya, Kato, Kawaiisu, Klamath-Modoc, Koyukon, Kumiai, Kuskokwim, Kutenai, Luiseno, Lushootseed, Maidu, Makah, Maricopa, Miwok, Mohave, Mono, Nez Perce, Nisenan, Okangan, Paiute, Panamint, Papago-Pima, Pomo, Quechan, Quinault, Salish, Serrano, Shasta, Skagit, Snohomish, Spokane, Tanacross, Tanaina, Tenino, Tewa, Tlingit. Tolowa, Tsimshian, Tubatulabal, Tututni, Umatilla, Ute, Walla Walla, Wasco-Wishram, Washo, Wintu Yakima, Yakui, Yokuts, Yuki, Yupik, and Yurok.  I've probably missed several and please forgive me if I have.

The United States' language is American English referred to as English.  It is used for legislation, regulations, executive orders, treaties, federal court rulings, and all other offical pronouncements.  Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have adopted English as their official language.  Only Hawaii is officially bilingual speaking Hawaiian English and Hawaiian.

Our forefathers had the vision to simplify language in the United States.  In order to become a citizen of the United States, an applicant must be able to read, write, speak and understand words in ordinary usage in the English language.  The applicant had to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history and of the principles and form of government of the United States.  The questions on the Naturalization Test proved the applicant had a knowledge and understanding of the English language.

Since a person must be a citizen of the United States to vote, why are people in this day and age crying for material to be multilingual?  The only exceptions in naturalization where a person would not have an understanding of the English language would be those having a medically determinable physical or mental impairment, where the impairment affects the person's ability to learn U.S. History and Government.  Surely, not all citizens of the United States who speak another language are physically or mentally impaired.  Where's the need for multilingual material.  If you're a citizen of the United States, act like one.  You're suppose to have an ordinary usage in the English language.

Yanga