Why I won't do Spanish Debate by Tom Tancredo

URL Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/851/story/333894.html
Published: Dec 6, 2007
Author: U.S.Rep.TOM TANCREDO-Repub.Pres.Candidate

I declined the invitation to participate in the SPANISH-LANGUAGE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE on Sunday because I do not want to endorse the further Balkanization of American political life.

The debate is being sponsored by Univisión, the country's largest Spanish-language network, and the candidates' answers will be translated into Spanish. Spanish-language news broadcasts and public-affairs programming is an expression of our First Amendment freedoms. I have given many interviews to Univisión as well as local Spanish-language stations. However, a Spanish-language presidential debate is a different animal altogether.

The question of bilingualism is not new to American politics. A former Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, once spoke about the importance of new immigrants giving up their old languages and allegiances in order to become equal partners in American democracy:

``We freely extend the hand of welcome and of good fellowship to every man, no matter what his creed or birthplace, who comes here honestly intent on becoming a good United States citizen like the rest of us. . . . Americanism is a question of spirit, conviction and purpose, not of creed or birthplace.

The politician who bids for the Irish or German vote, or the Irishman or German who votes as an Irishman or German, is despicable, for all citizens of this commonwealth should vote solely as Americans.''

Can anyone imagine Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft having a Republican primary debate in German or Italian in 1912? Of course not. Indeed, I believe Teddy Roosevelt's admonition applies today. I do not believe it is proper to appeal to the ‘‘Hispanic vote'' or the "Asian vote'' or the "Black vote." I believe we must appeal only for American votes.

Any political debate is aimed at citizens. It is about issues of concern to the entire community, not a segment of the community. It is vital that all political debates and discussions take place in the public square, not in separate enclaves. Our democracy does not need different messages broadcast to different audiences in different languages that are not heard or understood by other groups.

Our children learn in school that all registered voters are either native-born citizens or naturalized citizens, and all applicants for citizenship must pass an English-proficiency test. This test is included in the naturalization exam for a good reason.

Conducting political debates in any language other than English, whether Korean, French, Farsi or Spanish, is telling new immigrants that they need not take that particular requirement for naturalization seriously. The United States has a special need to have a common language because of the very diversity of its immigrants. Our parents and ancestors who were immigrants spoke many different languages on arrival. But they came here to become Americans, and as Americans, we conduct our political affairs in English.

Is it not a little bit insulting to our new citizens who were born in Cuba or Mexico or Peru to suggest that political debates need to be translated into Spanish for them to understand what is going on? Is it smart for the Republican Party to implicitly endorse the notion that newly naturalized citizens are not able -- or do not desire -- to understand speeches and debates spoken in English? If this is so, should we go to Westminster, Calif., and have a debate broadcast in Vietnamese and to the Russian Orthodox community in West Sacramento and have a debate broadcast in Russian?

The graduation exercises at the University of Miami, the site of Sunday's Republican debate, are conducted in English. The business of the Florida Legislature is conducted in English and the oath of office for a new president of the United States will be administered in English. It is not a good idea to encourage people to think that they can participate in American politics without knowing how to understand and speak English. Doing so offends not only citizens old and new; it offends the spirit of democracy and especially our heritage of equal justice under law.

U.S. Rep. TOM TANCREDO, R.Colo., is a candidate for his party's presidential nomination.

thats my man Tom T . makes perfect sense to me . he's real big on be American if you live in America . he's also a good example of the CFR run MSM . Tom Tancredo hardly ever gets air time . It's up to his base to support and lift him up to be heard .

want'a see the left take valium ? vote Tom T into office . commies will run for cover

 100% American  100% Non - CFR

It should be required reading for every American citizen.  In fact, I went to the Miami Herald page that the article is on and emailed it to people on my list.  Maybe it will get forwarded enough to spread the word more.  I hope so, anyway.

It's looking like Tom will be the guy I vote for. 

FireWing said: I think this is a totally silly position for Tom to take.  Many Hispanic citizens watch univision and this is the perfect time to get his message out.  This is a huge missed opportunity for him, imo.  He will get no benefit from this boycott.

What message?

The one that says: "I will pander to you for votes even though you spit on the privilege of being a citizen of this country by embracing a corrupt third world culture over the one that you choose to live in?"

Well if he misses an opportunity with the Mexamicans (just made that up) so what? They do not want what he is selling if they expect anything in this country in Spanish!

I know that  by voting for Tom T. I likely will enable Her Thighness  to capture the White House. If the rest of the candidates are going to do this  then I do not have much choice.  What  a world!

If you have not done so, follow the link to the newspaper article and read the comments that have been posted.  Praise for Tom is about 5-1 over his critics.  I read as least 3 written by legal immigrants who are in total support of Tom.  The critics do not seem to be immigrants of any kind, but apologists and sympathesizers likely to be benefiting from the illegals being here.

Boycotting the debate is exactly what Tom should do to be consistent.  He will get a lot more respect for it than Thompson and Huckabee who have hijacked Tom's platform and are going to kissy kissy in a foreign language.

Gooooo Toooooom  

ConcernedMom said:

It should be required reading for every American citizen.  In fact, I went to the Miami Herald page that the article is on and emailed it to people on my list.  Maybe it will get forwarded enough to spread the word more.  I hope so, anyway.

It's looking like Tom will be the guy I vote for. 

Let me convince you CM:

http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=18870783&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=6 

http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=18864067&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=6  

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Interview_with_U.S._Republican_Presidential_candidate_Tom_Tancredo

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/index.php?id=1197823

I guess this is the last straw for me!

I just sent this to the candidates who ARE participating in this abomination:

"I am an undecided registered republican voter. I am disappointed to hear that you are pandering to people who choose to not be part of the melting pot that made America what it is today. By participating in the upcoming “Spanish Language” debate you will ensure that I will never vote for you for any office including the Presidency of this great country."

Maybe if they think they will loose more votes than they gain it will knock some sense in to their heads. 

It is encouraging to see Rep Tom Tancredo stick with his position unlike many of the other candidates do. 

Depending on how much coverage of the Univision Debate emerges in ENGLISH perhaps we will learn what the real/other positions various candidates have on illegal immigration, sovereignty issues etc. This will help more people narrow their choices down further and in some cases force them to give up on others once the truth about them is known. 

I am looking for at least one major surprise to come out of this debate.  Someone will either get caught up BIG TIME in the pandering or someone will be shrewd and stand stronger than ever for enforcing immigration law and thus emerge more capable of easing the fears of anti-illegal immigration voters by having stood in front of the enemy and told them to expect to lose the battle.  

Gov. Romney has been presenting himself very peculiar on the issue lately.  1st of all he keeps saying he is against illegal immigration but then follows up with the need for a legal immigration system that meets the need for additional workers.   He is an extremely capable businessman and knows that we have at least a surplus of 7.5m workers in the United States right now.  He knows the silicon valley and professional services industries do not have a shortage of engineers, computer scientists, scientists of various disciplines etc.  He knows our trade agreements, foreign policy and entitlement driven futrure deficit crisis have us himmed into a declining standard of living race for for all but the wealthy.

When I saw him on the news with the Champion of the New World Order movement, the former President Bush, I got a knot in my stomach.  Why did he chose to give his speech in that setting?  

I am increasingly thinking that it does not matter what Gov. Romney is saying, it is what he is not that does.

With regards to what Rep Tancredo has to say, it is straightforward, he has a track record that supports his positions and it is in ENGLISH. 

Not participating in the univision "Panderfest 08" is another good reason to support Rep Tancredo. 

Rep. Tancredo is seeking the vote of Americans like great Presidents before him did....

SovereignMan

SovereignMan said:

 

Gov. Romney has been presenting himself very peculiar on the issue lately.  1st of all he keeps saying he is against illegal immigration but then follows up with the need for a legal immigration system that meets the need for additional workers.   He is a extremely capable businessman and knows that we have at least a surplus of 7.5m workers in the United States right now.  He knows the silicon valley and professional services industries do not have a shortage of engineers, computer scientists, scientists of various disciplines etc.  He knows our trade agreements, foreign policy and entitlement driven futrure deficit crisis have us himmed into a declining standard of living race for for all but the wealthy.

 

SovereignMan

Here is you answer, SM, but you reallly have to read the whole article: 

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_2235.shtml

FireWing said: I think this is a totally silly position for Tom to take. Many Hispanic citizens watch univision and this is the perfect time to get his message out. This is a huge missed opportunity for him, imo. He will get no benefit from this boycott.

you did or didn't read the article ?

tancredo stands on his American principles . he explained it fully . why should he show up and explain what they already know ? next couple of elections they intend to vote straight on a mexican canidate like the mayor (chucks flying) of LA .

But FireWing i think it's speaks volumes that you don't understand Principles . Silly ,yeah it'll be silly when a CFR gets office and breaks all his/her promises like Slick Willy did . No new Taxes . First thing he did was - - - - - - -.

I satule Him

If they want to have a Spanish debate I say go for it. It should be in Spanish only and the candidates should speak Spanish. That should make for a short debate. I think the debate will sound something like this.

I have translated it into English for everyone here at the FS.

"Hello"

"What is your name"

"How are you"

" I am Fine"

"What time is it?"

"Hello"

"Hello"

"What time is it"

"How are you"

txguy1 said: Tom Tancredo is the man of the century.

He really is the man of the century , NO JOKE  !  the only canidate with guts and principles

plus a  A+ from NumbersUSA on immagration . he talks it , he walks it .