Court says woman with limited English can be kept off ballot

[amandabeech]

55. Thanks for bringing up the Canadian situation.

Most people here don't know that Canada is officially bilingual. It is also bicultural, and that the last secession vote in Quebec a few years ago very nearly succeeded.

I used to live with someone who was English speaking and from Ontario. Instead of choosing French as her second language, she chose Spanish. When she wanted to become employed with a Canadian NGO or the Canadian federal government, she couldn't get a decent job because she had no French.

She had done sciences graduate school here in the U.S., so she managed to get a job here under a NAFTA visa that was meant for skilled building tradesmen. She then won the H1-B lottery and will be here for a long time.

She chose the U.S. because she doesn't need a second language in her position, and because there's more money here.

She now advises U.S. public institutions on science and education policy.

I usually feel like I have quite a bit in common with English-speaking Canadians, but I noticed with her that she really didn't understand freedom of speech and the first amendment. It was impossible for me to get her to understand why
our government can't ban conservatives from talking on TV. Free speech was a totally alien concept to her. I know that Canada does differ from the U.S., but I was really surprised at this.