85% Support English as Official Language Of U.S.

[Jaguar]

This is silly and politically charged, but there's nothing wrong with it intrinsically. We have to use at least one language in our government, and English is the obvious choice.

It's also obvious that we can't translate all official government documents into every one of the 6500 Indonesian dialects. So it's a matter of having all government operations done in English, and providing translation in some cases where it may prove useful. (For example, the State Department's communiques with France would be well-served to have French translations.)

The problem with this measure is that it's not about the government logistics, which are fairly simple. It's about political grandstanding.

[duke o' york]

So what? I mean, English is hardly threatened as the major language of America, and the entire school system is controlled by English speakers so it's highly unlikely to change in the near future.
I fail to see the value in this story at all. Unless you want to wonder at the other 14%.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by JimmyCracksCorn
Let the market decide. If English truly is necessary to get by, then people will be forced to learn it. If not, then the market has spoken and English has lost - time to move on.

[Zkribbler]

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D) was upset by the measure that passed the Senate and declared it “racist.”

It is racist because it's sheer immigrant bashing.

It's also pandering. When you have immigrants to bash, there's no need to deal with the deficit, with lack of affordable health care, with a bogged-down war in Iraq, with a nuclear-armed Iran and North Korea, with global warming, with a widening wealth gap between the rich and poor, with high energy costs, with the re-emergence of inflaction, with a crumbling public education system, with unsecured seaports, etc., etc. etc.

Look....immigrants come here (a) so that they can succeed and/or (b) so that there kids can succeed. They know that to succeed in America, a person needa to speak English. So, most of them learn English without being forced to, and those that don't make darn sure their kids do.

I can hardly wait until Congress figures out that breathing air has health benefits and begins to expend its efforts to require everyone in America to breathe.

[Vesayen]

I'd like to see the polling methods.... however, I would believe it(and support it).



Edit: I am perfectly willing to bash illegal immigrants. Legal immigrants should integrate themselves into our society, if not, we are under no special obligation to cater to them. If they become U.S. citizens, thats different.

[Fake Boris]

Re: An important distinction

Originally posted by VJ

America is not exporting it's culture. Americans are.

This matters since governments like France have been actually spending billions every year for a long time now into actively increasing the influence of their language and culture. United States hasn't, unless we count the Voice of America.

They use subtler techniques. Like diplomacy, to "open up" markets.

[Vesayen]

American culture spreads because it has aspects to it which make it attractive and desirable.

[Fake Boris]

yes

[Zkribbler]

There are three kinds of "shoulds" that I can think of, right off the top of my head.

There's the moral "should:" You should be trustworthhy, loyal, helpfu, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."

There's the legal "should:" You should pay your taxes.

There's the wisdom "should:" When running through a wooded area, you should look where you're going.


It would be wise for immigrants in America to learn English. So in that sense, they should learn it.

It really doesn't have anything to do with morality.

But what I see happening here is that some people want to make it a "legal should." Learn English or else.


My grandpappy used to say: "Your rights end where my nose begins."

Although I think it wise if immigrants learn English, it's no skin off my nose or of anyone else's nose if they don't. This is not a legal problem!

America is the land of liberty. And the number one liberty is the right to be left alone, to not have other people use laws to cram their subjective values down your throat.

[mactbone]

I can't wait to go to Taco Bell and eat Freedom Wraps. Then I can go to Hellenopolis and eat a Freedom Wrap with Greek Food.

Does anyone else understand that American English has probably incorporated more bits and pieces of other languages than any other? I don't see any point in messing with anything. The government doesn't print out billions of different pamphlets in different languages and it won't for the forseeable future, official language or not. There is no threat to the english language and there are no major costs associated with how language is treated in this country today.

I wonder how the Governator feels about this. "Good-bye, baby!"

[Whoha]

this is clumsy, it is ineffective, but calling a language racist is absurd.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by Vesayen

Legal immigrants should integrate themselves into our society, if not, we are under no special obligation to cater to them.

Did you ever stop to think that maybe they are under no obligation to cater to you as well? As much as you might be willing to believe, its not your country - nor should you want it to be as long as you live in a free and open society.

If they become U.S. citizens, thats different.

What?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Whoha
this is clumsy, it is ineffective, but calling a language racist is absurd.

No one's calling a language racist.

What's being called racist is the arrogant attempt to force our language upon others for no reasons other than xenophobia and/or jingoism

[Whoha]

we forced them to come to the US?

[loinburger]

I support this, because I utterly failed at learning French back in high school, and I would no doubt utterly fail at learning Spanish if push came to shove.

Also, I'm racist against immigrants. Because immigrants are a race.