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Obama DOJ Threatened Oklahoma Over English-Only Vote

By Matthew Vadum on 8.2.09 @ 1:50AM

The Obama administration believes that an inability to speak English is a civil right. It is even more distressing that the administration, legally speaking, may be right.

In April President Obama's Department of Justice threatened to cut off federal funding to Oklahoma if that state's voters approve a state constitutional amendment making English Oklahoma's official language, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) revealed.

The threat came in the form of a letter (PDF) from Acting Assistant Attorney General Loretta King to Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson. King wrote that "implementation of this amendment may conflict with Oklahoma's obligations to protect the civil rights of limited English proficient (LEP) persons."

This would mean that such people, LEPs, have not only a federal right not to learn English but a right to have government services provided to them in languages other than English.

The Tulsa World reports that the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment has been changed since King's letter to Edmondson and that as a consequence of the change the Department of Justice no longer considers it to violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

View all comments (22) | Leave a comment

Jeremiah| 8.2.09 @ 3:51AM

Well, hells bells, Matt; why would Obama object to voters unable to speak our language when he's not even a citizen? Seems logical to me. Just sayin'.

Marc Jeric| 8.2.09 @ 4:13AM

It is the necessary pre-condition to know English when becoming a citizen - or is it any more? With that terrorist lawyer as our AG (he pardoned those Puertorican terrorist and was Castro's lawyer in the Elian Gonzalez case) what did you expect?

Bobbo| 8.2.09 @ 4:26AM

Gotta love us left coasters, we put the easterners to bed. Ha!

Nobama| 8.2.09 @ 4:30AM

We won't speak up or object to this travesty: We're just a bunch of cowards in this country, remember?

Don L| 8.2.09 @ 5:00AM

Tell them where to shove their money and the evil strings that are attached to it. Then declare independence. Who would be stupid enough to fire the first shot? Not the feds -they would fear a total rebellion and the domino effect.

ThatJoeGuy| 8.2.09 @ 7:19AM

I'm wondering, was the letter only in english or was it printed in several different languages?

Hmmm.

John M| 8.2.09 @ 7:46AM

Few seem realize when the idea of revenue sharing was first proposed where the Federal government would take in more revuene than it needed so that it could give some back to the states for things the Federal government wanted the states to do, that this was simply a way of controlling the states using a carrot and stick approach. Time and again the Feds threaten to withhold funds for some such reason, and usually states are expected to buckle under the pressure because they are perennially short of cash. It becomes a little too much when the withholding of funds is used to enforce some kookie leftist ideology. After all, why shouldn't English be the official language? Why should this even be an issue? I am glad to see that the states are getting tired of being bullied by the Feds and pushing the state sovereignty issue.

austinsoonergirl| 8.2.09 @ 9:18AM

Is this administration MANDATING that LA provide interpretation for French speaking residences ? How many generations of children have translated North American to their parents in the last 200+ yrs. ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY. EVERY language. I can think of 1000s of places that money is better spent. Our local hospital provides translation in 33 languages... as a courtesy service, for potential services profit...is that in their thrown together - hope it sticks Healthcare Plan ? Hmmmm if if ain't broke don't fix it ! When this Administration's Fed Gov requirements follow you all the way into you bed at night and steal your covers, at what point will you STAND up and scream ENOUGH ? A sovereign state is not such a far fetched idea... we don't have to adjust our state laws to the whims of Fed Gov. If you pulled the EXPENSE to the state for Fed Gov programs, and put that back into your state's budget... I am pretty sure WE could make it work. Of course that might have us huddling with our neighbors, guns, and religion ! DOWN and over hear we don't think that is such a bad thing. Think about it, if your representative votes for anything you wouldn't DON'T VOTE FOR THEM, get people that THINK like their districts. It was the original idea anyway.

DrTomVoter| 8.2.09 @ 10:03AM

Back in April, when our AG Drew Edmondson (D) recieved the letter, the good citizens of Oklahoma heard nothing about it. Once Inhofe turned this rock over, the DOJ suddenly said that all is good. I am sure that the fact that Edmondson is running for governor had nothing to do with DOJ's very prompt backtracking.

BTW, Inhofe's letter to DOJ also includes supportive comments from our only Democrat congressman, Dan Boren, who, despite voting for Obama legislation 81% of the time, is running from Obama like a vampire from a cross.

NewOrleansPuma| 8.2.09 @ 10:11AM

This move is one more of very many reasons why everyone here should as well visit often and support the actions of TheTenthAmendmentCenter

Check it out before every right you ever thought you had and this country assured that you did is forever usurped and gone!

NewOrleansPuma| 8.2.09 @ 10:13AM

That's

www.tenthamendmentcenter.com

G. A. Kevis| 8.2.09 @ 10:30AM

When Senator Hatchs' eyebrows become
raised - then know that BHOs' flunkie
appointments are in Constitutional mischief.

Joe Carozza| 8.2.09 @ 11:15AM

The Feds were scared that illegals would not be able to get their Federal welfare payments and would blame Obama for it. The Earned Income Tax Credit is second only to Motor Voter as a vehicle to increase Democrat voter turnout.

n0_ illegals| 8.2.09 @ 12:25PM

I, too, thought command of the English language was a requirement for becoming a legal citizen of this country. I guess anchor babies aren't required to speak English...maybe that's the problem.

I am fed up with the Feds! The citizens of this nation need to stand up for themselves and fast!

BTW - Check out these links:

http://www.thesocialcontract.com./docs/tsc_earned_income_tax_credit_2009apr09.pdf

Report Says IRS Let Foreigners Take Improper Tax Credits
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-153337-irs.html

Some IAs paying taxes; claim dependents in Mexico???
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-153384-irs.html

Immigration Tax-Credit Scandal
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-153210-eitc.html

Millions of Tax Returns Will be Filed Fraudulently
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-153095-eitc.html

GET MAD!!!!! GET VOCAL!!!!!

Phase3| 8.2.09 @ 12:34PM

If only one state would secceed from this unconstitutional union. The united states government has been bashing the civil rights of people domestically and the sovereign rights of people world wide for decades. Where the hell is the department of justice when it comes to the nations ex president invading and murdering citizens in sovereign nations (Iraq)? What a bunch of hypocrits our leaders are.
Oklahoma, tell the federal government to stuff their money where the sun doesn't shine. Too many strings attached by the most criminal government the world has ever assembled. Stop selling your souls to this socialist entity.

phase3| 8.2.09 @ 7:25PM

old texican ya big F@g. Everyone is entitled to their personal opinal opinions, even $H1theads like you.
You might not like my opinion but I like it so eat $h1t texiturd.