Is establishing English as a official language racist or common sense?

[-..__...]

Not that it would really change anything or have any effect, but is there any valid excuse for not having English as an official language?

[pinto]

1. It's a strawman issue. n/t

[neoblues]

4. To be expected...

it seems.

[bluerum]

17. I agree. And people who get angry when they hear someone

speaking another language are seething about something else.

Language is an art. Having varied multiple languages spoken in a home can only serve to enrich ones appreciation of it. I wish my parents had used Italian (their parents first languages) around the home more.

[neoblues]

2. Chinese might be the smartest...

economically (future) speaking. Ouch.

[marmar]

3. Pointless....

It's already the de-facto official language...so I don't understand why it needs to be written into the law. What immigrant doesn't know he or she needs to learn English to prosper in this country? I don't see the need for creating an official language.

[-..__...]

16. For one thing....

English as an official language would mean that any communication that involves government/state interaction would be in English only. Be it a drivers license test, tax forms, voter registration, etc.

It would also mean that speaking (or being fluent), in any language other than English would not be a hiring requirement for government jobs or have preferential treatment in hiring.

If private business' want to opt out that's their concern (I wouldn't take it to the extreme like the Quebec Canadian folks would like to).

[Solon]

5. Its a pointless divisive issue...

If we are going to have any official language, wait another generation and make it Spanglish, English is always changing, so just let things go as they may.

[eallen]

6. What does it mean to make a language "official"?

What barriers would that impose on those who don't speak the official language? Or who choose to speak and do business in a different language? The first amendment protects freedom of speech, and whatever its scope, that has to include choice of language. That includes, for example, politicians on the campaign trail and discussing legislation. Other parts of the Bill of Rights also imply that the government make some allowance for multiple languages. The accused has the right to confront the witnesses against him. What if they don't speak the same tongue? Does an official language mandate it as what the states choose, to conduct do their business? Well, yeah, the problem with that is federalism -- no where is the federal government authorized to make such a decision.

Of course, Congress could pass a law requiring its own bills be written in English. But since they already are, that seems superfluous.

The proposal to have an official language isn't really racist, since language and racial boundaries don't coincide. Rather, it's a fear of different culture. It's a fear by the monolingual majority that they might confront other languages in their daily lives. To which the right response is: Berlitz.

:hippie:

[cboy4]

7. Isn't it already assumed that English is the official language

of the United States?

Who thinks it's anything but English? :eyes:

[Dogmudgeon]

8. You forgot one

It's not constitutional.

Freedom of Speech is freedom of language. This was even debated by the Founding Fathers in various essays, debates, and other forums.

In fact, there were proposals to abandon English and use another language; German, French, Latin, classical Greek, and Hebrew were each advanced as the American language.

--p!

[AndyTiedye]

9. Only Reason For Doing So Is To Hurt Immigrants

[treestar]

10. Don't see why it has to be officialized

Just plain not necessary, a waste of time.

Those who want to do that may be racist, but I think they are more like over-organized, you know, those people who have to have rules for everything? Have to have everything in black and white? Don't want there to be room for anyone to exercise their own judgment, or God forbid, their secure little cocoon will fall apart?

[Selatius]

11. Super-patriots once argued to change the English language

Anti-British sentiment was so strong some pushed to have the country adopt another language besides English. Some argued for Greek. Others argued for French as many philosophers, especially several during the Enlightenment Era were active in France. Still more languages were suggested.

[last1standing]

12. Is there any "valid excuse" for making English the official language?

You're question forces a presumption that those who reject the idea of an official language are wrong but trying to come up with "excuses" to keep it from happening. That's either lazy or malicious. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and believe it was just lazy.

I, as an English speaking person, get around just fine in this country. I have no problems when I go into a store, read my mail, or speak with government officials. I don't need a law debated and enacted that will provide absolutely no benefit to a single human being other than providing false pride and and a sense of vengence to those who feel the need to "get back at them damned Mexicans".

[Old and In the Way]

13. It's a distraction

promoted by people who have a political agenda that has little to do with English, but a lot to do with political power.

[stevietheman]

14. Other: It serves no purpose, and what's wrong with Spanish?

I always thought that what holds Americans together is our mutual commitment to the ideal of freedom. And freedom can be expressed in many languages.

[-..__...]

20. I agree (at least with the mutual commitment part).

But, what is wrong about realizing that we are one nation and should recognize one language?

[stevietheman]

23. What's wrong is that it's no longer practicable.

In other words, it's too late to establish a one-language nation. It could have been done a generation ago, but now there's so many Spanish-speaking people that it makes a lot more sense for the U.S. to become an official bilingual country, English and Spanish.

[longship]

15. Race != Language

In spite of the fact that she was born in this country, my mother learned English from her brothers and from school because her parents never spoke English at home. My mother's native language was Finnish.

I don't see the official language issue as racial, however many Mexicans might. This whole thing sprang out of California's attempts decades ago to deal with their large non-native-speaking immigrant population. Those issues continue to plague border states today.

I find an "official language" as an abhorrant idea. I think it's just another attempt to separate us.

This country's heritage is one of a melting pot, where immigrants from all walks of life, all cultures, and all languages can be united as one people. That's the American dream. It's why my grandparents risked the trip across an ocean to settle here. None of them spoke English when the arrived. My grandmother on my mother's side lived here forty years without learning English. In Michigan you can still go to small towns in the north where Finns still speak the language of the old country. I do not see anything wrong with that. It enriches our national culture and makes us better people.

[Captain Hilts]

18. One language specifically because we are so diverse. nt

[TreasonousBastard]

19. It is racist in the context of current events...

because it's simply another way to rouse the rabble.

Having an "official" language may or may not be a big deal, depending on what "official" means, but English is the lingua franca here, and any legislation would simply confuse things. And probably make them worse.

It is usually forgotten that Puerto Ricans are born as citizens, but all speak Spanich, and many only Spanish. Would we grant an exception there?

If English were "official" would we forbid Chinese signs in Chinatown?

Would we require every tourist, visiting businessperson, diplomat or UN employee to speak and read English so we wouldn't have to translate common forms and brochures? The expense of literature governments publish in foreign languages is one excuse often given for having one "official" language.

Two things would be far better--

More requirements for foreign languages by US students, just as the test of the world is doing.

Increased EFL classes, since demand is enormous and immigrants often have to wait years to get into them now.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

21. Common Sense All The Way

Cultural diversity is a wonderful thing and people have the right to speak whatever language they want. But at the end of the day there needs to be one we all have in common for sake of effective communication. I don't think that's racist at all, though undoubtedly there are some racist fucks who would agree with my sentiment, but for their twisted racist reasons. But I think for common sense reasons citizens should be encouraged to have at least some degree of competency in the english language.

[genie_weenie]

22. How Could it be racist?

It's an official langauge of India (along with Hindi, although another 16 dialects are recognized) of course one could claim it was only racism that brought English to India, although one could claim it was Norman racism that turned Welsh and Saxon into Middle English and one could claim it was racism by PROTO INDO-EUROPEANS which caused the destruction of all Original langauges in Europe leaving behind only Finno-Urgic and Basque (Magyar came later from a racist invasion by the Huns)... And of course Indo-European was a racist invention of the Aryans who racistly assimilated and conquered the Dravidians back 7000 years ago...

[Ms. Clio]

24. Completely unnecessary

Because by the third generation, the offspring of all immigrants speak only English, anyway.