# Georgia Bill requires "English Only" Driver's Tests: Thoughts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 1, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653 "2010-04-01T22:05:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/41 "2010-04-02T17:52:17Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Cost? It’s getting to the point that many jobs require you to speak Spanish and English. Hey, sorry about you white, black, and Asian poor folks. It’s not just good enough to just speak English, you also have to know another language to get a job in your own damned country. Not to squash your RO, but the only companies that require proficiency in Spanish are those that either have a Spanish speaking client base, or have clients that themselves have a Spanish speaking client base. Spanish language proficiency requirements by employers is not arbitrary, or some multiculturalist plot, as you seem to be implying. It’s just smart business. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/42 "2010-04-02T17:54:17Z")
This seems like an empty political gesture that doesn’t solve any real problems. As I understand it, it only targets permanent residents, and not visitors. So foreign-language exams will still be created and maintained. There’s no cost savings. Also consider, most permanent residents first move to the US on a temporary visa and immediately get a driver’s license. Presumably people can still do that, and then keep renewing the license even after they become permanent residents? So who exactly is affected by this bill? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/43 "2010-04-02T18:03:20Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > As far as I know, there are not “readers” on hand at DMVs to give the test verbally to those who can’t read. 😕 > > And the justification that the cost to print up materials (handbooks, tests) in multiple languages is a waste of taxpayer money is a valid one. Millions of dollars states can ill afford. As was pointed out in a post below yours, neither of these points are correct. Does this change your opinion on the purpose and usefulness of this proposed change? No one is saying that there is no onus on residents of a region or nation to learn the local language. But the fact remains that we allow deaf people to drive, we allow illiterate people to drive cars, and even after this change we will allow non-English-speaking students to drive cars. The only reason there is a push to change it in this one respect is because the majority in Georgia doesn’t like the large numbers of foreigners moving to their state and they believe this is a way to discourage and frustrate them. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/44 "2010-04-02T18:04:18Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > Legally operating a vehicle is not a right, it’s a privilege that carry qualifying requirements. There are more signs on the roadways than your standard stop and yield. The requirements were already in place. Has anyone shown cause prompting a change in policy? Has there been a rise in traffic incidents involving native Spanish speaking residents? This was a political gesture to play to the anti-Hispanic immigration crowd, nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/45 "2010-04-02T18:10:03Z")
I’ve got no problems with a country requiring people to learn a language in other to get some stuff. However, driving is not what you would call a language-intensive acrivity, it’s not like you’re signign a contract to store yellowcake uranium. Also, driving test themselves are not paramounts of reading comprehension. If you’ve got sizeable immigrant communities it should be easy to get translators. However, if the guy only speaks Tocharian or Muchik it’s his responsibility to either find a translator OR take the test in English. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/46 "2010-04-02T18:21:06Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > The only reason ..is because the majority in Georgia doesn’t like the large numbers of foreigners moving to their state and they believe this is a way to discourage and frustrate them. or maybe the majority in Georgia doesn’t like large numbers of foreigners **who can’t speak English**. Maybe they want to “discourage and frustrate them” , just enough that they learn a basic lesson: that when you want to be accepted by the new country you’ve chosen to live in, you obligate yourself to learn its language and adapt to its culture, not vice-versa. (full disclosure: I’ve only lived on 3 continents; and in each case, I learned to speak the local language and behave in public according to local dress and cultural norms. To me it seems like a pretty obvious obligation; but if you say it out loud in America, you get labelled as a racist.) ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/47 "2010-04-02T18:29:27Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > or maybe the majority in Georgia doesn’t like large numbers of foreigners **who can’t speak English**. > Maybe they want to “discourage and frustrate them” , just enough that they learn a basic lesson: that when you want to be accepted by the new country you’ve chosen to live in, you obligate yourself to learn its language and adapt to its culture, not vice-versa. > > (full disclosure: I’ve only lived on 3 continents; and in each case, I learned to speak the local language and behave in public according to local dress and cultural norms. To me it seems like a pretty obvious obligation; but if you say it out loud in America, you get labelled as a racist.) You snipped out the part of my post that said “No one is saying that there is no onus on residents of a region or nation to learn the local language.” All I was pointing out was that the impetus for this bill was pretty clearly animus towards Spanish-speaking populations. Does this animus exist in other countries? No doubt. Does it behoove immigrant populations to learn the local language? Absolutely. I have never contended otherwise. And I haven’t called anyone who thinks so a racist (unless you contend I’m calling myself a racist). But none of that changes the fact that this bill (a) will not reduce costs significantly, (b) will not improve public safety, and will likely make it worse (more un-tested and un-licensed drivers), and therefore (c) is likely not motivated by either of those. If one wants to “teach a lesson” to immigrant populations that refuse to adapt to local norms I have to think there are better ways to do it than refusing them drivers licenses, but YMMV. And if one does think that this is the best way to do it, then let them say so rather than dress it up as a public-safety and cost-saving measure. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/48 "2010-04-02T18:44:40Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > If one wants to “teach a lesson” to immigrant populations that refuse to adapt to local norms I have to think there are better ways to do it than refusing them drivers licenses, but YMMV. And if one does think that this is the best way to do it, then let them say so rather than dress it up as a public-safety and cost-saving measure. And let’s not forget that the Georgia Republican state legislature doesn’t have the responsibility, nor the right, to single out a group to “teach a lesson” to. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/49 "2010-04-02T19:01:12Z")
I would support a law making English the official language and requiring it to be used on all state & federal documents. I would also support a law making Spanish our official language. Or French. Or Latin. Whatever. I think for a nation as big as ours, having a common language is important. In order to facilitate this, I would support government-sponsored language arts classes, paid for by a tax on any corporation with its headquarters offshore. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/50 "2010-04-02T19:02:46Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > I don’t like the idea of have a de jure official language… Well, alright, then let’s avoid laws that enshrine one particular language to the exclusion others which, as a practical matter, we have already found it useful to give some accommodation to as well. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/51 "2010-04-02T19:04:20Z")
> [@Terraplane](#): > > They already have a Spanish version of the test, is it causing a problem? Is there really an actual issue created by having the test in two languages? If not (and I suspect not), then the only real point of the bill is to pander to racists and xenophobes. Bingo. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/52 "2010-04-02T19:36:32Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Cost? It’s getting to the point that many jobs require you to speak Spanish and English. Hey, sorry about you white, black, and Asian poor folks. It’s not just good enough to just speak English, you also have to know another language to get a job in your own damned country. They already have the tests made up. Some print shop has the files on hand and ready to go. At this point printing 100,000 English language tests and 10,000 Spanish tests isn’t going to cost appreciably more than printing up 110,000 English ones, it’s a drop in the bucket. > [@DanBlather](#): > > Yup, that describes me, a racist and xenophobe. I’ve just travel to over two dozen countries and have learned enough Spanish, French, Japanese, and Chinese to at least greet people, order food, and shop. I even try to speak French in Quebec. > > I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to recognize the characters for Tiananmen square and realize that it was Tian (heaven) An (peace) and Men (gate). > > I don’t like the idea of have a de jure official language, but we do have a de facto language and it’s in everyones interest to learn it as quickly as possible. I got pulled over for a traffic violation in Italy and I did not expect the officer to speak to me in English. It was my fault I did not know Italian. If I decided to live there I’d make it my priority to learn enough Italian to get by. Congratulations on your multilingual cosmopolitan lifestyle. How many Georgian constituents in favor of this law would you guess spend as much time enjoying the diversity of other cultures as you do? ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/53 "2010-04-02T20:05:46Z")
Like **CCL** , I have to question the provision for people in GA on a student visa. Is it not as important for them to be able to pass the test in English? Or is it cultural elitism? (Students = more educated = more desirable). IME, here in the midsouth, our biggest issue with regards to illegal immigrants on the roadways, has to do with insurance. Without a valid driver’s license, insurance is difficult or impossible to get. Without having gone through the procedure, some drivers aren’t even aware that it is required. This leads to increased hit and run, as well as other accidents involving uninsured motorists. Not a good thing for the average driver. Allow drivers to take their exam in their native language, with the signage portion in English and some (but likely not all) of the uninsured motorist problems can be alleviated. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/54 "2010-04-02T20:48:14Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > Well, alright, then let’s avoid laws that enshrine one particular language to the exclusion others Well you already support that, don’t you? Or are you suggesting that we have tests in Estonian, Urdu, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Finnish, Basque (big Basque community in Eastern Oregon), Hindi, Arabic, Hebrew, Navajo, Lao, and all the rest of the languages in the world? Or, we could require people who want to have the privileges associated with living in America learn English. That way we could all understand each other. The fact that a bunch of red necks support something doesn’t mean the idea is flawed. That’s the sort of logic the Tea Baggers use: Obama is for it so I’m agin it. I kinda like the idea of thinking for one’s self. If you are living in this country and can’t speak English, and/or are here illegally, you are opening up yourself to being exploited by employers and driving down the wages of people who are here legally. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/55 "2010-04-02T21:04:43Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > If you are living in this country and can’t speak English, and/or are here illegally, you are opening up yourself to being exploited by employers and driving down the wages of people who are here legally. And this bill helps to remedy this situation? If not, what was your point? ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/56 "2010-04-02T21:15:36Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Well you already support that, don’t you? Or are you suggesting that we have tests in Estonian, Urdu, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Finnish, Basque (big Basque community in Eastern Oregon), Hindi, Arabic, Hebrew, Navajo, Lao, and all the rest of the languages in the world? As I said, if, as a practical matter, we have already found it useful to have accommodations in some particular languages, why remove it by legislative fiat simply to move privilege towards a particular language? ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/57 "2010-04-02T21:20:18Z")
In general, I don’t buy into the idea of “Life is hard for people who don’t know English, so it’s only for their benefit that we make it even harder for them, so that they have greater motivation to learn it.” That’s silly; what’s accomplished by it? It seems to me the same kind of idea as “Sex is dangerous for teenagers, so it’s only for their benefit that we make it even more dangerous for them, so that they have great motivation to avoid it”. Tipping the scales to get people to say “Boy, I don’t much care for these tipped scales” seems like so much wasted effort to me. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/58 "2010-04-02T22:01:17Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Heaven forbid you get pulled over, can’t produce a license, get arrested, and they find out you broke the law by entering the US illegally. After all, we don’t want to enforce _all_ the laws, just the ones we agree with. Heaven forbid I should get into a collision with an illegal alien, and his insurance should pay for the damage and my injuries except that he’s got none, because he’s got no driver’s license, because he was afraid applying for one would get him deported. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/59 "2010-04-02T22:06:08Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > It seems to me the same kind of idea as “Sex is dangerous for teenagers, so it’s only for their benefit that we make it even more dangerous for them, so that they have great motivation to avoid it”. Of course, a lot of people actually **do** seem to think that way. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653/60 "2010-04-03T04:13:24Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Heaven forbid I should get into a collision with an illegal alien, and his insurance should pay for the damage and my injuries except that he’s got none, because he’s got no driver’s license, because he was afraid applying for one would get him deported. All the better reason to enforce our immigration laws. We can start with larger fines for employers who hire illegal aliens. Maybe the fines can be set aside to pay for accidents caused by illegal aliens. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/georgia-bill-requires-english-only-drivers-tests-thoughts/534653.md?page=4)