Kudos to Senator Harris for refusing to put up with a deliberate provocation by a witness speaking in Spanish.
In the following report, Richard Connelly clearly shows his left-wing credentials. You can bet that after living in this country for 23 years, Antolin Aguirre of the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition speaks fluent English. Addressing the panel in Spanish was a deliberate calculated act of baiting the senators.
SPEAK ENGLISH, STATE SENATOR CHRIS HARRIS TELLS WITNESS
By Richard Connelly
Houston Press Hair Balls
June 17, 2011
Republican Chris Harris, from Arlington, was highly insulted when a man testifying against the "sanctuary cities" bill had the gall to make his viewpoint known to elected officials in his native language.
Antolin Aguirre of the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition, who's been in the U.S. since 1988, spoke in Spanish because, his interpreter told Harris, it was his first time testifying before the Senate.
It started about two minutes into the testimony, when Harris's no doubt great depths of patience, sympathy and empathy with immigrants had, by then, been sorely tested.
"Did I understand him correctly that he has been here since 1988?" Harris asked. "Why aren't you speaking in English then?"
He got the explanation about Aguirre being nervous.
"It is insulting to us," Harris responded. ""It is very insulting. And if he knows English, he needs to be speaking in English."
Somehow, we're guessing Harris is one of those Americans who -- if he ever does travel abroad -- gets highly annoyed at the different money and the fact that the people in Paris don't speak damn English like they should.
Way to rep, Rep.
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