Frederick County Commissioners Adopt English As Official Language

WASHINGTON -- A Maryland county about 45 miles northwest of the nation's capital has adopted English as its official language.

In a 4-1 vote on Tuesday night, Frederick County commissioners approved the English-only measure that would bar any foreign language from being used in government documents but would make exceptions in instances where there are public health and safety concerns and for tourism and trade.

The measure also does not obstruct any state or federal mandates that may require the use of a non-English language.

As WTOP reports, 19 people addressed the commissioners on the measure during the meeting, but only two spoke in favor of the English-only plan, which the board president, Blaine Young, said would deter illegal immigration.

The county attorney, John Mathias, told commissioners that the ordinance would not have a major impact on the county's operations, according to the Frederick News-Post.

"I'm really embarrassed that we have to go through this tonight," Nick Carrera, a resident of Urbana, told commissioners, according to the News-Post. "It's a measure that's nasty and small-minded. ... It would brand Frederick County as being unfriendly and xenophobic."

As the Gazette notes, the Frederick County measure was modeled on laws in other states and used information from ProEnglish, a Virginia-based group that advocates that English be used as an official language.

Related on HuffPost:

A Minnesota Town Passes An English-Only Ordinance

Comments

[maddog29]

10:05 AM on 02/24/2012

1. I'm not sure how life will change. I'm pretty sure it won’t change for those who are offended by bilingual options used on the telephone. When I buy a product, the instructions are still going to be in 3 or 4 languages – no matter what the ‘official language’ of the county or the country because it is cheaper to do it that way.
2. What is the intent of this bill? I’ve heard a lot of ‘English’ speakers that I couldn’t understand. There are all sorts of dialects across this country that can be hard to understand if you aren’t tuned to the dialect. What will this law do to address that? What would the law even look like to address what these people are trying to accomplish? (ie. ” I want people to talk like me so it’s easy for me to understand them and to easily understand what I’m trying to say AND I don’t want people around me to talk to someone else in a language I don’t understand.”)
3. What is "good enough" when speaking English? Some people speak broken english. When do they speak well enough? Leading to my 4th point.
4. There are people like George Bush that I could understand, but made no sense. (To wit: “Fool me once shame on …you, fool me ………….you can’t get fooled again.”; “Too many OB-GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across this country.”)

[JohnJudy]

08:53 AM on 02/24/2012

I'm pretty sure what they speak up in "Fredneck" barely qualifies as English. Great place to buy firewood though.

[jman7]

03:35 AM on 02/23/2012

My personal opinion is if english was meant to be the sole language of the United States the founders would have enacted this as part of our constitution years ago. Should everyone learn english of course it is the most ocmmon around the world, but I do not think we need to make it the official language

[libertytownlove]

08:43 PM on 02/22/2012

Born and raised in MD, and originally from Frederick County. The folks here from MoCo and HoCo commenting on how backwards Frederick county is really need to take a good look in the mirror at their own insecurities and snobbishness. I say this as a person who grew up as a minority in a fairly homogenous town in the county: Frederick represents some of the best of Maryland - nice people, strong communities, and beautiful environments.

It's maybe not as rich as its neighbors, but good manners and decency are worth more than that anyway. And just because the county is a little on the red side doesn't give you any excuse to trash people or their communities.

[thepill]

04:23 PM on 02/22/2012

I hope this is a wake-up to moderate Frederick County voters! The Tea Party has taken over since the last election and is running the place like it's their own personal Glenn Beck show.

[tin soldier]

03:41 PM on 02/22/2012

Do the posters here realize that Federick County alone in 2010 spent $56,587,264 on goods and services for illegal aliens.
And that the state of Maryland spent (All Counties) 1.4 billion dollars on illegal in 2010. Now ,really ,Don't you think that money would be better seved in education or infastrure?

[mrs young]

04:18 PM on 02/22/2012

And education.

Thanks for defending my home - f&f

[thepill]

06:17 PM on 02/22/2012

Mrs. Blaine Young? I feel really sorry for you.

[thepill]

06:17 PM on 02/22/2012

The source for your statistics is ....?

[tin soldier]

08:17 PM on 02/22/2012

jusy google State of mayalnd illegals cost it will give the cost each county pays for the services illegals receive

[tin soldier]

03:31 PM on 02/22/2012

If you really want a friendly Frederick County, open your doors,let the illegals live in your house ,eat your food take your goods and services from your home and you learn to speak Spanish. You take on the personal responsibility yourself as an individual instead of insisting that eveyone
participate. You set the example!!!

[thepill]

04:15 PM on 02/22/2012

Or let them mow your lawn, clean your house, and haul your trash because you don't want to have to pay much for those services... and then thank them by treating them with contempt.

[tin soldier]

04:31 PM on 02/22/2012

I don't let illegals do anything at my home and if I hire a contractor that has illegals I run the contractor off.the state of Maryland spends 1.4 billion dollars a year on illegals don't you think that money could be used better/

[maternatura]

11:37 PM on 02/22/2012

Thank you for your intelligent statement. F&F!

[RegisteredIndy]

03:18 PM on 02/22/2012

Once again, local governments are forced to do the work that the federal government should have done a long time ago.

Absence of an official language is costly and it creates problems for all parties. Hopefully this is the beginning of a nationwide movement.

[John Blendin]

03:04 PM on 02/22/2012

Yes, this is an excellent way to curb illegal immigration. Way to think this one through guys! For all of the people on the other side of our borders that can't find work to feed their families, their number one decision in coming here illegally was that government forms were available in other languages besides english, and everyone knows how much illegal immigrants love filling out government forms.

[Big Bud]

02:27 PM on 02/22/2012

Next, white will be made the official color

[Jennifer Kley]

02:48 PM on 02/22/2012

Haaaa Haaaaa Haaaaa!!!!!!!! You must have a hammer in your hand 'cause you just hit that nail on the HEAD.

[sammynorwich]

02:24 PM on 02/22/2012

I am embarrassed ... I live in Frederick County --- have for 15 years. Recently, it was co-opted by the hard right. This is not who we really are. Now, it's time to vote these people out of office. Dems, unite!

[dch58]

02:51 PM on 02/22/2012

I live in Frederick County too. It's an embarassment.

[maternatura]

03:05 PM on 02/22/2012

My own family is terribly divided politically. My sis and her family are Frederick County residents who have been in favor of English only and the whole GOP agenda. It is so hard to understand how these good Christians can be so judgemental and say the most hateful things about anyone who doesn't believe as they do or look like them. This is in my own family.

[amanda4]

02:00 PM on 02/22/2012

There's always a bright side - maybe the Commissioners are Really telling redneck Frederick residents that they will have to learn English after all.

[maternatura]

03:06 PM on 02/22/2012

Now that would be nice! ;)

[Nana Amani]

02:00 PM on 02/22/2012

"It would brand Frederick County as being unfriendly and xenophobic"

This is apt! I lived in Frederick before; while it is a quiet, peaceful and a beautiful place, it is definitely "redneck country".

[Tblack]

02:29 PM on 02/22/2012

I have lived in Montgomery County for 17 years and have managed to avoid Fredneck completely. The Klan however lame is still active there.

[Jetwash]

01:51 PM on 02/22/2012

Commissioners used this non-issue to get people out to vote for them. It's the same thing over and over again, unscrupulous politicians using fear, how many unauthorized immigrants are there in this county, to get out the votes. Shameful and transparent.

[thepill]

01:49 PM on 02/22/2012

Frederick County's Board of County Commissioners has been taken over by the Tea Party. They have the Board of Education in their sights now. Please DO NOT VOTE Cindy Rose or Carol Cuisamae for BOE if you live in Frederick County. They too have an "pro-English" agenda and we're not talking just the academic subject.