FLORIDA FLAP
The State of Florida recently had a re-run of Election Day mishaps.
For some reason the problem did not come as a surprise to most people when the Democratic Primary voters met with all sort of difficulties in casting their votes. Recounts were demanded and some such
secondary counts were made with little change in the end results.
After two years and millions of dollars spent on new “Touch” voting machines voting and even then irregularities turned up in many areas. Some had to do with disagreements on voting hours and there were
others, but the most interesting one, to me, was the fact that much of the troubles has been reported as being the direct result of the inability of election officials at the polls to read and comprehend enough English to undertand
the printed instructions which came with every touch voting machine concerning its proper use and maintenance.
This opens at least two cans of potential “worms”.
How many newcomers to our shores were hired to be poll watchers and such? Was this hiring done because someone needed to be politicallfy correct for that area so as to assure a favorable Spanish vote? That’s
one area in which investigations could be made and a suggestion or two set forth that would require such job holders for the day to, at least, be able to read basic English, or urge that some training instructions be held in advance of
the election day concerning the proper care and feeding of newborn voting machine. And, by the way, are such “employees” required to be citizens?
I can readily understand that special attention must be given to balance at this time in our history. Studies show that in 1999 fourteen percent of Americans over five years of age spoke a labguage other than
English in their homes. That was an eleven per cent increases over figures for 1980. Now, in 2002 ,the total has grown even higher, I’m sure and it has become more important than ever that an attempt be made to fit polls personnel
hiring more in line with averages available. Bi-lingual help should be sought, as well to help solve recurrent problems.
Another can of potential “worms” has nothing to do specifically within Florida voting machines hassle but this whole thing is almost sure to bring some “Let’s make English our official language!” devotees out of the woodwork. It
has been a while since Congress undergone a drive to make English official for the nation.
Lawmakers in D.C. who have such a thing in mind should remember that just about all of us stem from people who did not speak English - certainly as we know it today.
There is s no need to legislate what our of choice of language must be. The English language is, on it’s own, making strong inroads on all other tongues around the world. English is now predominate in the aviation
industry and on the Internet worldwide. English is fast becoming the language of trade, commerce, industry and business of all types. It is now the language of more than one half of the world’s population. China is now the largest
English speaking nation on Earth. About the only place you see English losing out, is in the lyrics, so-called, of most rock and music of our day.
Ireland tried this national language kick years ago when it was renamed Eire and Gaelic was made the official speech. Do you, or anyone you know, say: “Please pass the Gaelic potatoes, stew or whiskey?” It is
about as useless as two-dollar bills or coins in the United States - authorized by Congress.
A.L.M. September 21, 2002 [c618wds]
