Make English Offical Language of USA?

[LaNdReW]

What does everyone here think of making english the official language of the USA??
http://www.us-english.org/inc/

One thing that irks me about the language thing is the fact that we PAY people to speak different languages so people can collect public assistance...

My ancestors did not speak english, they learned it...and when they had interaction with gov't officials, they brought along a friend who helped. Be it Polish, German, or Italian, they made it here without gov't translator's or welfare for that matter.
We assimilated. Why can't the newly immigrated?

(I have this overwelming urge to say Resistance is Futile)

Bilingual education of nonenglish speaking children is a whole other topic.

What do you think?

[WNYresident]

One nation one language. English.

[LaNdReW]

http://www.us-english.org/inc/news/preleases/

November 10, 2005 Florida Bill to Require Spanish Instruction for all K-2 Students

November 7, 2005 83 Percent of Maryland Residents Favor Making English Official Language of State

October 26, 2005 Common Language Debate Heats Up as Weather Cools

October 20, 2005 Census Data Reveals That 1-in-12 New Mothers Speak Little or No English

September 29, 2005 Los Angeles Daily News Highlights Growth of ‘English-Optional’ Communities

August 26, 2005 Dallas County requires school administrators to learn Spanish – or else

August 9, 2005 U.S. Military English Language Requirement Under Fire

August 3, 2005 Spanish Set to Become Official Language of Seven Denver Public Library Branches

July 19, 2005 English Language Unity Act co-sponsor list climbs past 125 members

June 29, 2005 New Poll Finds That 79 Percent of Americans Favor Making English Official

June 9, 2005 Crane Operator Sues California, Demanding Safety Test in Spanish

June 2, 2005 New Hampshire Legislature Tells Congress, “Pass Official English”

May 11, 2005 English Language Unity Act of 2005 Soars Past 100 co-sponsors

May 10, 2005 Arizona Governor Vetoes Official English Bill

May 5, 2005 Arizona Legislature Sends Official English Bill to Governor’s Desk

April 22, 2005 Arizona Official English Bill Awaits Senate Approval

April 19, 2005 Statement on West Virginia legislation by U.S. English, Inc. Chairman Mauro E. Mujica

April 11, 2005 West Virginia Poised to Become 28th State with Official English

March 31, 2005 Official English Legislation Passes West Virginia Senate, 30-4

March 29, 2005 Official English Legislation Passes Arizona House
March 9, 2005 U.S.English Chairman Testifies in Annapolis for Official English Legislation

March 8, 2005 Linguistic Diversity Underscores Importance of a Common Language

March 2, 2005 U.S. English, Inc. Supports Introduction of H.R. 997, the English Unity Act of 2005

March 1, 2005 California candidate would be nation’s only elected official who speaks no English

February 17, 2005 U.S. English, Inc., Supports Judge's Decision to Use English Classes as an Alternative to Typical Sentences

February 9, 2005 English Immersion Delivers Shining Results in California

February 3, 2005 U.S. English, Inc. Chairman Denounces the Use of Spanish on Senate Floor

January 18, 2005 Rejection of California Nominee Hurts English Language Learners

January 13, 2005 U.S. English Inc. Applauds Introduction of Official English Bill in Arizona

[LaNdReW]

Kinda like what is behind what is happening in France...


http://www.us-english.org/inc/news/preleases/viewRelease.asp?ID=170


Los Angeles Daily News Highlights Growth of ‘English-Optional’ Communities
“All that you need in California is Spanish,” says one resident
A recent article in the Los Angeles Daily News reveals that many immigrants are consciously forgoing learning English, deeming the language ‘less important’ than others. Focusing on the city’s Koreatown, journalist Rachel Uranga touched on the disturbing trend created by government multilingualism — people and communities removed from the English speaking mainstream. Yoon Seong, a 60-year old living in West Hills area of Los Angeles sums it up this way “I don’t need English here. All that you need in California is Spanish.” Martin Paik, a Korean immigrant who came to the United States via Argentina says plainly, “I haven’t found any inconvenience because I don’t speak English… If you can speak Spanish, you can drive, employers can have clients, you can order in restaurants, you can do anything.”

“The development of ‘English-optional’ communities in the United States is a problem that we as a nation ignore at our peril,” noted Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of the Board of U.S. English, Inc. “Recent tragedies have revealed the extreme hardships we face in getting out urgent communication in our common language. Now imagine the difficulties we will face getting any message — educational, business, emergency — through the wall of the language barrier in these neighborhoods.”

After dwindling since the World War I era, the number of households isolated by the language barrier has skyrocketed since 1980. According to the U.S. Census, the number of “linguistically isolated” households, homes where no one over the age of 14 speaks English at home or speaks another language and speaks English very well, has surged from 2.9 million in 1990 to 4.4 million in 2000. More than 1-in-25 households in the United States now fall into this category, including nearly 1-in-10 in California and 1-in-13 in New York.

“American homes and neighborhoods have always had their unique languages, but they have always been tied to the rest of the nation through their knowledge of English,” continued Mujica. “The growth of multilingual forms, ballots and instructions has loosened that tie. With items such as Social Security documents in 16 languages and 45 states offering driver’s license exams in languages other than English, we have made it entirely possible for adult immigrants to go about their lives without ever having to learn our common language. This is a sad development for a proud nation and one we should immediately address.”

U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S. English, Inc. (www.usenglish.org) now has more than 1.8 million members.

[Night Owl]

One nation one language. English.

Oh, you mean the language of England?

One nation under god, with librety and justice FOR ALL.

:confused:

[WNYresident]

PEople can know as many languages as they would like.

[therising]

I care about things in the world that effect me.

I'm pretty sure that my life will not be effected by whether or not English becomes the offical language of the US.

I'd be curious to know why anyone feels so passionately about it.

[WNYresident]

I'm not passionate about it but think about it. One day we'll have some special interest group in NYS that will want all street signs in 2 or 3 languages. Some idiot in government will say "CHANGE ALL THE SIGNS" Guess who pays for it.. you and I.

[Night Owl]

I'm not passionate about it but think about it. One day we'll have some special interest group in NYS that will want all street signs in 2 or 3 languages. Some idiot in government will say "CHANGE ALL THE SIGNS" Guess who pays for it.. you and I.

"They" will pay for it as well, if they are a special interest group - they will be of the taxpaying citizens as well, which means they will be paying taxes just the same as everyone else... in this, the land of the FREE and home of the brave.

There was a different thread about "others in America"

[WNYresident]

You have to make things about race don't you.

[Night Owl]

You have to make things about race don't you.

Nope, you mentioned changing street signs to different languages.

IE-
One day we'll have some special interest group in NYS that will want all street signs in 2 or 3 languages.

Actually, I don't think I mentioned anything about "races" in this, I went back to check and don't see it. Quote me of something I am missing?

[Ragin]

Let's see if I got this right ...

Laws mandating English speaking citizens to learn Spanish ... hmmm ... why not mandate spanish speaking citizens to learn English as well?

It goes both ways.

[300miles]

My take...

A common language unites people. It gives nations a more common ground for understanding and communication. Look at what the French/English issues has done to Canada.

Likewise, look how a common language even between countries like US, Canada, UK, Australia give us a sense of common ground. While the divisions of language in the European Union will always be a stumbling block.

Americans should always be free to speak whatever language they choose, BUT ALL AMERICANS should be taught English to fluency. That includes children of Spanish speaking parents. We should never allow Spanish-Only schools (or any other language).

Speak whatever you like, but you must be able to read/write/speak English fluently as an nationwide education requirement for ALL children.

[steven]

Originally posted by therising
I'm pretty sure that my life will not be effected by whether or not English becomes the offical language of the US.

I'd be curious to know why anyone feels so passionately about it.

Your life is already effected by it. There is literraly millions of tax dollars spent every year to produce government forms in different languages.

[therising]

Originally posted by steven
Your life is already effected by it. There is literraly millions of tax dollars spent every year to produce government forms in different languages.


And that effects me how? Are you saying that my taxes are higher becuase of those millions of dollars that are spent on the bilingual forms?

I mean, is it really that much of an issue?

[Riven37]

make English our National Language it surely be Spanish years from now. When that happens its time to leave America !

[biker]

We need only look to the North to see what double standards (and I mean that in alll senses of the term) leads to.

The language you speak and write in reflects your culture.

The Parti Quebecois made French-only the language of Quebec.

To appease Quebeckers, the rest of Canada in the sixties and seventies went for bilingual signage and usage everywhere.

The Parti Quebecois made French only the law in Quebec. French may only be taught in schools, used in business forms and in signage.

The result is, you have French-English in all of Canada, except in Quebec, where only French is allowed.

With the vast numbers of immigrants we admit (and I hope legal immigration continues at high levels), we could end up having ten to twenty "xxxxxxx-only" enclaves in America.

Not good.

[LHardy]

Balkanization:
Read about what and why and you may begin to understand the need for an individual common language for the United States.

[atotaltotalfan2001]

Sounds like a GOP-generated wedge issue to me. My advice to all Dems, and Republicans with a conscience: Don't go there. It's a waste of a discussion and one meant to divide and distract the citizenry from stuff that is important.

How about we talk this coming election season about something that truly matters, like health care and retirement?

[biker]

nope, this matters.

[speaker]

I want English to be everyone's primary language in the USA and all who go to school in America taught in English only. That's my vote.
What people speak in their own homes is their choice.

[WestSideJohn]

Originally posted by atotaltotalfan2001
Sounds like a GOP-generated wedge issue to me.Bingo, just like the "Christmas Under Attack!" nonsense.

Say, where's Osama bin Laden?

[atotaltotalfan2001]

Originally posted by biker
nope, this matters.

Why? Will it help our economy in a significant way? Will it create jobs? Will it help with the soaring cost of health care, and the increasing refusal of businesses to help pay the bill?

Will it help see us to retirement?

We were embroiled in the exact same debate in California maybe two decades ago. It was a backlash against the swelling number of immigrants, both legal and illegal.

I think the measure eventually failed. Truth to tell, employers didn't much care. If you spoke English, you got the job. If you didn't, you got a job that paid so little no one else would do it, like cleaning houses, being very inexpensive nannies (weird, I know), doing day labor jobs etc.

For employers, it was all good. They got what they wanted. But making English the official language would have been bad business for them. No more cheap under-the-table labor by immigrants couldn't get jobs elsewhere because they didn't speak the language.

Making English the official language, of course, wouldn't force anyone to learn English. But lots of segments of the California population that rely on cheap immigrant labor figured why take chances?

In the end, the whole debate just turned into a chance to bash illegal and legal aliens.

[biker]

No I know that English-only is the right way to go.

Both Total and WSJ are both hopping on this.

I gotta go start a border-security thread.

Come on, you weak-kneed liberal panytwaists, follow me!

[Stevenco]

Someone please tell us the significance of The Tower of Babel.

[biker]

Oh man Stevenco.

Now you're going to really stir them up.

You've gone and mentioned a story from the Bible.

Oops, I've made it worse; I said the "B" word.

Next thing you know, someone will mention "G" or "JC".

[WNYresident]

Originally posted by Night Owl
"They" will pay for it as well, if they are a special interest group - they will be of the taxpaying citizens as well, which means they will be paying taxes just the same as everyone else... in this, the land of the FREE and home of the brave.

There was a different thread about "others in America"

Do you think it's ok for the majority of tax payers to cover the cost of a minority group on every issue?

[WestSideJohn]

Both Total and WSJ are both hopping on this. - BikerWrong again, chief. I view this as a complete non-issue; a red-herring wedge meant to divert attention from the real issues facing our nation.

[atotaltotalfan2001]

Originally posted by biker
No I know that English-only is the right way to go.

Both Total and WSJ are both hopping on this.

I gotta go start a border-security thread.

Come on, you weak-kneed liberal panytwaists, follow me!

No way Jose.

For one thing, the English-only issue doesn't just involve illegals. There were a lot of legal immigrants who have trouble with the language as well.

Really, this issue -- to me anyway -- is a no brainer. English is the language spoken (more or less) in the U.S. If an immigrant wants to get ahead, he or she will learn the language.

Trying to make it into a hot topic now, as we gear up for the 2006 elections, is just a way of diverting our attention from pressing issues. Anyone who doesn't support some kind of national legislation or whatever making English the official language will be tagged anti-American, "weak-kneed liberal pantywaists". It be used to divide the nation, once again, over an issue that really has little or no meaning.

Perhaps it will even divert attention from Iraq. Wouldn't that be nice for all those nervous Republicans facing re-election in 2006....

[Stevenco]

There is good reason for this structure.

[steven]

Originally posted by therising
And that effects me how? Are you saying that my taxes are higher becuase of those millions of dollars that are spent on the bilingual forms?

I mean, is it really that much of an issue?

What do you mean by "that much of an issue?" the question that started the thread was "should English be the official language of the USA". I think it should and yes I think if one dime is spent to make government forms bilingual it should stop immediately. I'm not taking to the streets on the issue though.

However with the recent delve into "Ebonics" I am starting to consider this a major issue. What next? street slang taught in schools? Pig Latin? I have a Lithuanian aunt should I petition the govt to make all forms in Lithuanian? Should your tax dollars pay for it? What about German, Cantonese, Greek, *****ian? or any other of the 5 zillion languages in the world? If one group of immigrants gets to have there cake and eat it to buy coming to America and getting all there info in there native tongue shouldn't all of them?

[WNYresident]

Originally posted by steven
What do you mean by "that much of an issue?" the question that started the thread was "should English be the official language of the USA". I think it should and yes I think if one dime is spent to make government forms bilingual it should stop immediately. I'm not taking to the streets on the issue though.

However with the recent delve into "Ebonics" I am starting to consider this a major issue. What next? street slang taught in schools? Pig Latin? I have a Lithuanian aunt should I petition the govt to make all forms in Lithuanian? Should your tax dollars pay for it? What about German, Cantonese, Greek, *****ian? or any other of the 5 zillion languages in the world? If one group of immigrants gets to have there cake and eat it to buy coming to America and getting all there info in there native tongue shouldn't all of them?

But according to Nightowl they are all tax payers too! You get to the point where the needs of the few don't outwieght the cost to the many. Time for a new thread

[Stevenco]

Originally posted by steven
I think it should and yes I think if one dime is spent to make government forms bilingual it should stop immediately.

Why so the Hispanics can't fill them out?

[LHardy]

Why so the Hispanics can't fill them out?
It wouldn't matter if the hispanics or anyone else could not read them. At present the government is required to provide help those who either by language barrior or inability to read fill out the forms.
We have interpreters ready for nearly every language we can think of.

[Stevenco]

Originally posted by LHardy
Why so the Hispanics can't fill them out?
It wouldn't matter if the hispanics or anyone else could not read them. At present the government is required to provide help those who either by language barrior or inability to read fill out the forms.
We have interpreters ready for nearly every language we can think of.

..and I suppose it's less expensive to assign a personal interpreter to each case rather than just print forms en Espanol.

[therising]

Those damn Poles, Irish, Italians and Germans started this years ago, bringing their European asses over here. If they hadn't come, the Hispanics wouldn't be here either!

Damn Europeans, ruined a good thing for us Native Americans!!

(I wonder if the Indians spoke English with the Pilgrims?)

[Stevenco]

Originally posted by therising
Those damn Poles, Irish, Italians and Germans started this years ago, bringing their European asses over here. If they hadn't come, the Hispanics wouldn't be here either!

Damn Europeans, ruined a good thing for us Native Americans!!

(I wonder if the Indians spoke English with the Pilgrims?)

NEWSFLASH: The Spanish came BEFORE the old and new immigrants.

[therising]

Originally posted by Stevenco
NEWSFLASH: The Spanish came BEFORE the old and new immigrants.

Yeah, but you mean Spaniards, right? They're Ok, they're European, practically like us regular folks.

[Stevenco]

Originally posted by therising
Yeah, but you mean Spaniards, right? They're Ok, they're European, practically like us regular folks.

I should've known right away that you were just mocking people that actually think like that. We are surrounded by them. Then everyone wonders what's wrong.

[steven]

Originally posted by therising
Those damn Poles, Irish, Italians and Germans started this years ago, bringing their European asses over here. If they hadn't come, the Hispanics wouldn't be here either!


I dont think I have ever seen a government form printed in either Italian or German nor have I ever used my atm card in a machine that asked me if I wanted my instructions in english or polish.

Never saw forms in Lithuanian at the dmv either. Makes you wonder How did they ever make it here?
:rolleyes:

[Stevenco]

Originally posted by steven
I dont think I have ever seen a government form printed in either Italian or German nor have I ever used my atm card in a machine that asked me if I wanted my instructions in english or polish.

Never saw forms in Lithuanian at the dmv either. Makes you wonder How did they ever make it here?
:rolleyes:

That's because there is a high concentration of Hispanics new to this country who don't know the language. Buffalo has considerable PuertoRican and Dominican population. Places like San Antonio and NYC et al... as well.
The majority of this country's Poles (like me) already know the language as do the Italians(like WNYR) because we have been here a while. We don't have mass immigration coming from Poland now and if there was, they would adjust the government forms accordingly. Your argument is ignorant. You know why ATMs offer instructions in Spanish. You also know why they don't offer them in Lithuanian. Because that would be stupid. Being a moderator causes brain damage. Look how smart the NightOwl got all of a sudden, since she dropped her title.:)

[steven]

Originally posted by Stevenco
The majority of this country's Poles (like me) already know the language as do the Italians(like WNYR) because we have been here a while. We don't have mass immigration coming from Poland now and if there was, they would adjust the government forms accordingly. Your argument is ignorant.

Being a moderator causes brain damage. Look how smart the NightOwl got all of a sudden, since she dropped her title.:)

Well we have a different ideal on what ignorance is, to me ignorant is comparing a third or fourth generation immigrant to a newly arrived immigrant. I doubt those forms where in polish when your great great came over. Maybe I am wrong, maybe throughout history the US government has changed its forms so that whoever is immigrating in the most gets there forms in there language......... Ya its probably always been that way.
:rolleyes:

I made a comment on the board, it has nothing to do with me being a moderator therefore you trying to bring that into the discussion is ignorant. I am also a veteran does that somehow come into play? I am 5:10 tall perhaps that is behind my reasoning? Please astound us all with your wisdom since you feel so free to call other peoples thoughts ignorant. You must be a real genius, a legend in your own mind I am sure.

I can see whats coming by the buzz words coming out "ignorant" "people think that way". etc

Dont even try that on me it wont work.

[biker]

Originally posted by therising

(I wonder if the Indians spoke English with the Pilgrims?)

Yeah, the first guy did!

Shocked the hell out of the Puritains.

(But then, that's why they came here)

[Stevenco]

Originally posted by steven
, to me ignorant is comparing a third or fourth generation immigrant to a newly arrived immigrant.

Which is precisely what you are doing.

My grandparents didn't need Polish forms so why should we have them in Spanish, now. That's what YOU are saying. Not me.

[Stevenco]

Originally posted by steven
I made a comment on the board, it has nothing to do with me being a moderator therefore you trying to bring that into the discussion is ignorant.

...and for you to take that part seriously is sad.

[WNYresident]

Originally posted by Stevenco
Which is precisely what you are doing.

My grandparents didn't need Polish forms so why should we have them in Spanish, now. That's what YOU are saying. Not me.


Well there you go. My grandmother learned english once she got here from Italy. They wanted to because they wanted to be here. They didn't stand and ask for italian forms. They weren't in italy anymore.

[LaNdReW]

One reason I started this thread was because of something that happened to me in Tampa 2 years ago.

I needed a part for a car, so I head into autozone. The advertising over the pa was in Spanish. I went to the back counter, and, get this, the guy I talked to had to get me an english speaking counter guy. He could not understand me....Now I know I type phonetically, and say things like fridgerator, and even let an "over dare" escape once and an while but wow...I do speak english. It was an eye opener. I thought they would ask me to pay in pesos or something.

What I am afraid of happening is small enclaves of people speaking only one language and keeping themselves separate from everyone else. Interesting articles here about gated communities.. http://www.gated-communities.de/

(yes, I know the east side was polish, the west side italian, but if you dealt with the gov't you spoke english, or had someone with you who did)

Yes it does cost us money, it fragments our society, and I believe it is not good for the USA.

Is it a wedge issue? Hell yea. Intentional, I dunno.

The group I posted has been around since 1983.
http://www.us-english.org/inc/
I don't think this is some BS ploy like swift boat or the
constant attack on Hillary.

Is it important, I think so.

As far as I know, my ancestors did not drive around with polish flags on their mirrors. (ok, they did not have a car) They came here for a better life, and did not try to make this country the old country. Sure they had their customs, but they assimilated, and first and formost they were americans.

[WNYresident]

why do some people expect a better life handed to them :) ?

[steven]

Originally posted by Stevenco
My grandparents didn't need Polish forms so why should we have them in Spanish, now. That's what YOU are saying. Not me.

Are you even following the thread?

Originally posted by Steven
What do you mean by "that much of an issue?" the question that started the thread was "should English be the official language of the USA". I think it should and yes I think if one dime is spent to make government forms bilingual it should stop immediately.

[therising]

Here's the bottom like folks, then we'll close this thread:

- You want to make English the official language, that's fine - go ahead and do it if helps put you at ease. Truthfully, I have no problem with that.

But will it really prevent any of that hideous stuff that Landrew posted (3rd posting on this thread) from happening?? I doubt it.

Regardless, we'd all be able to watch the O'Riley Factor every nite, knowing that we're safe in our homes.

Majority rules in this country - F' you if you don't like having a manger in the public square, this is a god damn christian country, and F' you if you don't speak English!

[WestSideJohn]

Donde esta Osama bin Laden?

[LHardy]

Official language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. It is typically the language used in a nation's legislative bodies, though the law in many nations requires that government documents be produced in other languages as well.

Officially recognized minority languages are often mistaken for official languages. However, a language officially recognized by a state, taught in schools, and used in official communication is not necessarily an official language. For example, Ladin and Sardinian in Italy and Mirandese in Portugal are only officially recognized minority languages, not official languages in the strict sense.

Official languages are sometimes not the same as the medium of instruction and so, the two are not interchangeable.

Half of the countries in the world have official languages. Some have only one official language, such as Albania, France, or Lithuania, despite the fact that in all these countries there are other native languages spoken as well. Some have more than one official language, such as Afghanistan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Eritrea, Finland, India, Paraguay, South Africa, and Switzerland.

In some countries, such as Iraq, Italy, Palau, Philippines, Russia and Spain, there is an official language for the country, but other languages are co-official in some important regions. Some countries, such as Sweden, Tuvalu, and the United States have no official languages.

The official languages of some former colonies, typically French or English, are not the national languages or the most widely spoken language.

In contrast, Irish is the national language of the Republic of Ireland and its first official language, although it is spoken by perhaps less than a third of its people. English, which is spoken by nearly everyone, is described as the second official language by Article 8 of the Constitution of Ireland. Irish is an official (treaty) language of the European Union and will become a full working language on 1 January 2007.

In some countries, the issue of which language is to be used in what context is a major political issue; see List of countries where language is a political issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_language

[atotaltotalfan2001]

Originally posted by LHardy
Official language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. It is typically the language used in a nation's legislative bodies, though the law in many nations requires that government documents be produced in other languages as well.

Officially recognized minority languages are often mistaken for official languages. However, a language officially recognized by a state, taught in schools, and used in official communication is not necessarily an official language. For example, Ladin and Sardinian in Italy and Mirandese in Portugal are only officially recognized minority languages, not official languages in the strict sense.

Official languages are sometimes not the same as the medium of instruction and so, the two are not interchangeable.

Half of the countries in the world have official languages. Some have only one official language, such as Albania, France, or Lithuania, despite the fact that in all these countries there are other native languages spoken as well. Some have more than one official language, such as Afghanistan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Eritrea, Finland, India, Paraguay, South Africa, and Switzerland.

In some countries, such as Iraq, Italy, Palau, Philippines, Russia and Spain, there is an official language for the country, but other languages are co-official in some important regions. Some countries, such as Sweden, Tuvalu, and the United States have no official languages.

The official languages of some former colonies, typically French or English, are not the national languages or the most widely spoken language.

In contrast, Irish is the national language of the Republic of Ireland and its first official language, although it is spoken by perhaps less than a third of its people. English, which is spoken by nearly everyone, is described as the second official language by Article 8 of the Constitution of Ireland. Irish is an official (treaty) language of the European Union and will become a full working language on 1 January 2007.

In some countries, the issue of which language is to be used in what context is a major political issue; see List of countries where language is a political issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_language


Wedge issue, wedge issue, wedge issue. Why this is being brought up now can only be for political purposes. I guess Bush-ites need something besides same sex marriages to bash around....

[WestSideJohn]

The problem (Osama bin Laden) with wedge issues (over 2000 American soldiers dead) is that they only (hundreds of billions of dollars spent) work if people forget (record-setting deficits) the <i>real</i> issues at hand. I think (corruption in Congress) there are simply too many (treasonous outing of a covert CIA operative) of these <i>real</i> issues for them (did I mention Osama bin Laden?) to be swept (lack of preparedness for disaster, natural or otherwise) away and forgotten by the usual suspects like flag burning amendments or this "official language" nonsense.

Say, where's Osama bin Laden?

[speaker]

Iraq won't be forgotten. How could it be?
It's absolutely top issue, and all the others come after it, including the cost of fuel, property taxes, illegal immigrants (a very hot button here in Arizona), et cetera.
We can turn our minds to several issues at the same time. And the language one is way down on the list. But there is a stand to be taken there.

[LaNdReW]

Originally posted by WestSideJohn
Donde esta Osama bin Laden?

Now THATS funny.

[LaNdReW]

Originally posted by therising
Here's the bottom like folks, then we'll close this thread:

- You want to make English the official language, that's fine - go ahead and do it if helps put you at ease. Truthfully, I have no problem with that.

But will it really prevent any of that hideous stuff that Landrew posted (3rd posting on this thread) from happening?? I doubt it.

Regardless, we'd all be able to watch the O'Riley Factor every nite, knowing that we're safe in our homes.

Majority rules in this country - F' you if you don't like having a manger in the public square, this is a god damn christian country, and F' you if you don't speak English!

TR, wtf....Are you ok, you usually don't post like that.

I personally don't want my tax dollars wasted on a manger scene..just my opinion..

I don't see the USA as a christian country, I see it as a MORAL country. Christians don't have the market on morality. (were the founding fathers christian?)Lets see what Mr. Jefferson had to say about christianity......

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I have examined all the known superstitions of the World, and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike, founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the world ...

The clergy converted the simple teachings of Jesus into an engine for enslaving mankind ... to filch wealth and power to themselves. [They], in fact, constitute the real Anti-Christ.


The Christian god can easily be pictured as virtually the same god as the many ancient gods of past civilizations. The Christian god is a three headed monster; cruel, vengeful and capricious. If one wishes to know more of this raging, three headed beast-like god, one only needs to look at the caliber of people who say they serve him. They are always of two classes; fools and hypocrites. To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.

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I do agree with you about speaking english...Learn it..don't make me pay for someone to speak it for you.

[therising]

Originally posted by LHardy
Official language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. It is typically the language used in a nation's legislative bodies, though the law in many nations requires that government documents be produced in other languages as well.



LHardy I'm glad you posted this...doesn't it kind of prove that the "Official Language" thing is not really all that important??

If "the law in many nations requires that government documents be produced in other languages as well" , then why shouldn't the US. home , home of the Huddled Masses Yearning to be Free, be any different?

Should the US be more exclusionary than other Nations??

[biker]

New cultures and mores are added to the mix we call the "American culture."

Without some commonalities to bind us together, the centripetal forces of the cultural flywheel will tear it apart.

[LHardy]

Exactly right biker. The Balkenization of the US is not the way to go. So if we allow the mexicans to have their way California would be the new , new mexico with it's own language and peso instead of dollars. Unity is the key to success. Not division. If those opposed feel it is not such a big deal, then it is even a lesser deal to have a single common language.

[therising]

Like I said earlier, you want to make it the official language, go ahead and do it. I don't really care either way.

But, it will be merely symbolic, and nothing will change. So, why bother?

[WNYresident]

It's to stop the no bid contract to the company that is connected to someone in congress who get's the bid to make all USA signs multi-lingual.

[WestSideJohn]

Have we forgotten about Osama bin Laden yet? Iraq? The deficit? Spending growth? Corruption in Congress?

No?

Damn. Ok, I guess we have to keep talking about wedge issues. It's not working yet.

[atotaltotalfan2001]

Originally posted by therising
Like I said earlier, you want to make it the official language, go ahead and do it. I don't really care either way.

But, it will be merely symbolic, and nothing will change. So, why bother?

Supporters don't care about any of that. They just want to bait the Dems, so all of us will forget the issues that really matter.

Those Bush-ites know a good wedge issue when they see one!