So, I just finished reading a report by Usatoday.com out of Havre, Montana wherein it’s stated that a United States Border Patrol agent detained two American citizens, refused to allow them to pay for their purchases and demanded their papers because- they were speaking Spanish in Montana.
The whole mess eventually involved another B.P. agent and their supervisor, after all the shootin’ and shoutin’ was over, the two women had to be let go because- There’s no legal basis for the detention or the demand for credentials.
Racism isn’t a legal basis for discrimination. The two women, both of them born in America, said they now feel uncomfortable speaking Spanish.
My extended family is now, heck, pentalingual I think. We have some of everything and there’s no telling what language you might hear at a family get together- those are becoming more polyglot as the years go by and the kids meet and marry. People love where they love and I think that’s a good thing!
But these people would try to arrest my wife, my sons and daughters wives and husbands- for being the wrong colors and or origins, for speaking a language not approved of by people who have no ability or desire to learn another language.
The tyranny of the small and incapable has begun and we are fools if we allow it to spread. There has never, ever been an official declaration of language in America. There have been several very important declarations of freedom and personal sovereignty made. Our nation supposedly lives by those- founding principles and all that.
Those people, citizens or not, visitors or tourists or not- they have a right to speak in any tongue they wish to use. The border patrol agent used their ability to communicate in more than one language as his excuse for detaining and embarrassing these fellow citizens. This is from the news report I read from USA Today.
“So can you tell us in the video please why you asked us for our IDs please,” one of the women can be heard asking in the video released by the ACLU.
“Ma’am, the reason I asked you for your IDs is because I came in here I saw that you guys were speaking Spanish which is very unheard of up here,” the agent answers politely and calmly in the video.
That’s not a good reason for the detention or molestation of two citizens going about their own, legal business and affairs.
No one can dictate to you what language you speak. My son may speak to his wife in English, then turn and speak to his son in Spanish or German- or English and if he’s GOOD, he’ll then take a seat and talk to his brother in law in French and his niece in Somali tribal or Arabic.
And all of that in Georgia, no less, if all of us ever end up in one place long enough to have a barbecue. It’s all part of that whole “His good right to do as he sees fit!” thing. His right, my right, your right. Our rights!
But they aren't trying to set precedent, no, they’re trying to silence people through intimidation because this is still a non starter in the courts. Good luck with that!
This is a diverse nation, it was always going to be. Just because some very, very fearful white people now decide they don’t like that idea and want to renege on promises America has made is no reason to give in to them. It is every reason to practice all the freedoms you have!
And that’s what they really want to take from you- just as fascists always do- your individual freedom to do as you wish to do within the law.
Don’t ever let them!
Happy Friday.
Kell
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