By Staff
placed on notice
If there were any lingering questions over just how far Beaufort County can go when it comes to limiting Spanish-language services, they were cleared up last month in a letter.
An attorney for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services didn’t mince words. If the county is going to continue to receive federal funds, the county is going to have to abide by federal laws and federal laws require that those who can’t speak English have access to certain services.
Some members of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners have made the language issue a staple at every meeting. They have used the bully pulpit of televised meetings to mount efforts to curry favor with voters who seem not to want any non-English speaking people in Beaufort County.
A country in which everybody speaks the same language — English — would be a great thing, but the reality is that Beaufort County officials don’t set national policy and some legal residents do not speak English.
Still, the Beaufort County Health Department removed the Spanish language option from its automated phone system at the urging of the county board. The response from DHHS was swift and clear. The option has since been returned to the phone system.
Hodges went on to say that he was instructed to contact the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate other Beaufort County agencies who may think they can ignore the federal law.
If the U.S. is going to limit or eliminate the use of languages other than English, it needs to be done on a national level. That’s what Sen. Elizabeth Dole is trying to do.
Dole presents strong points. If her legislation passes and becomes law and stands the legal challenges that are certain to follow, Beaufort County would be free to limit services to those who don’t speak English. But her bill hasn’t passed and Beaufort County officials should follow the law of the land, not set their own agenda that is doomed to result in an expensive court battle.