Texas Senator Chris Harris: Hero
By Wyatt Earp | June 19, 2011
Well, he’s a hero to me, anyway.
Harris was present during testimony on Senate Bill 9, which would crack down on illegal immigration, and he to Antolin Aguirre. Aguirre, an uppity activist, has a problem with the English language.
Antolin Aguirre of the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition was testifying against Senate Bill 9 that would help crack down on illegal immigrants in Texas. Aguirre spoke through an interpreter even though he had been in the U.S. since 1988. Two minutes into Antolin Aguirre’s testimony, Sen. Chris Harris, a Republican from Arlington, interrupted asking Aguirre’s interrupter, “Did I understand him correctly that he has been here since 1988?” Harris asked. “Why aren’t you speaking in English then?”
Through his interpreter, Aguirre said Spanish is his “first language and since it is his first time giving testimony he would rather do it in Spanish.”
“It is insulting to us,” Sen. Harris fired back. “It is very insulting. And if he knows English, he needs to be speaking in English.”
Senator Harris is right on both counts. If Aguirre has been in America since 1988, he should be speaking English; and if he refuses, it is insulting. Not that Aguirre cares.
Topics: Illegal Immigration | 19 Comments »
June 19th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
Howdy Wyatt – Well I agree that Mr. Aguirre should be speaking English. Having said that, though, its certainly possible that testifying before the Senate (Texas, that is) he didn’t want to take the chance of saying something incorrectly or of using his English language skills incorrectly.
Of course, in that case, he should have said that and then testified in English, with his interpreter there to correct any confusion.
But if he’s been here for 22 years or so, I don’t understand why he COULDN’T HAVE TRIED to testify in English, other than he’s never bothered to learn it in the first place.
June 19th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Real – Just another example of someone coming to this country and expecting us to cater to him. This has to stop.
June 19th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Wyatt – yep, and lets start with no more of this bilingual education crap.
And btw, y’all have mail!!
June 19th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
A volunteer group came to my kid’s school offering free English lessons to the Spanish speaking community last year. Do you know how many signed up? NONE!
June 19th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
they aren’t immigrants. they’re something else.
June 19th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
I’ve never been in a foreign country, or even a foreign community without picking up pieces of the language. This asshole can’t even bother?
English, it’s not just a good idea, it’s the law! I’d vote for that.
June 19th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Real – Got it, thanks!
Mrs. Crankipants – Because why should they? We as a country keep obliging them, so why should they bother?
Orchid – Infiltrators?
Richard – No! Bad idea! If English is the official language, it can be changed at a later date. I’d rather not have Spanish as the official language, thank you very much.
June 19th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
While on a job in Indonesia, I took it upon myself to by a couple of English/Indonesian dictionaries and a book written in Bahasa Indonesian. Over several weeks, I translated the book into English. As a rsult, I speak a bit of that language. It may not work for everyone, but it seemed to help me. For someone living in a foreign country, it is wise to learn some of the local vernacular.
The real deal is, those that enter a country, legally or illegally, and do not try to assimilate, are there to take over. At least that is the impression I get.
June 19th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
I never ascribe to malicious intent what can easily be explained by laziness/inertia . . . but anyway your “immigrant” wants to be a part of a new country, wants to change . . . typically they would go thru a stringent legal process and have to learn a whole bunch of stuff . . . when we made it WAY easier for certain nearby nationals to become “Americans” like our gov’t has done . . . this is what happens.
But to call this gentleman an “immigrant” is simply not accurate.
And the scenario of, an existing country is swamped and changed by a large influx of neighbors? that has happened plenty of times in history and will happen again. It’s not nefarious, it’s just nature at work.
June 19th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
No kidding, if I am in Mexico for a week, I try to learn and speak as much Spanish as I can. Twenty-two years, he should be fluent by now.
June 19th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Thank you Sentor Harris. Now Pass English Only Legislation and do away with ESL in Texas classrooms and you’ll probably be reelected into perpetuity.
June 19th, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Wyatt:
What amazes me is that through every generation in decades past, families (or individuals) that DID come here (LEGALLY, I lmght add) did everything they could to make sure they ADAPTED TO AMERICA…and NOT make it the OTHER WAY AROUND.
And they made sure the CHILDREN learned ENGLISH (even if they spoke Italian, Spanish, or German, or Japanese) at home.
When the hell did we wake up on Bizarro World anyway?
This used to be an America I recognized.
And congrats to the TX senator for telling it LIKE IT IS (or really should be)
Good post.
Roll safe
June 19th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Any bets he gets spanked for being so insensitive?
June 19th, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Wyatt – just found this blog, Lovely Atmosphere. I saw this video yesterday – Kudos to Senator Harris.
June 19th, 2011 at 11:19 pm
My son did several years’ worth of traveling to foreign countries in his job with Disney On Ice. In Mexico he learned that all children are taught English in school. Guess why? (Hint: English is spoken all over the globe, to one degree or another.)
June 20th, 2011 at 12:07 am
Aguirre speaks English. He was showing off for illegals.
June 20th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
The problem with people like him is that they do not want to move here and become Americans; they want to move here and be Mexicans living in America, but with all the rights of a citizen.
June 20th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Thank you, Senator Harris
June 23rd, 2011 at 4:46 am
It was GREAT to hear someone with balls say what 10s of millions are delighted to have seen and heard Sen. Harris extoll. Thank you, Sen. Harris, for not backing down one iota!