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After an emotional debate fraught with symbolism,
\n the Senate yesterday voted to make English the "national language" of
\n the United States, declaring that no one has a right to federal communications
\n or services in a language other than English except for those already
\n guaranteed by law.<\/p>\n
The measure, approved 63 to 34, directs the government to "preserve
\n and enhance" the role of English, without altering current laws that
\n require some government documents and services be provided in other languages.
\n Opponents, however, said it could negate executive orders, regulations,
\n civil service guidances and other multilingual ordinances not officially
\n sanctioned by acts of Congress.<\/p>\n
from the Washington The language wars are heating up. Together with Of course, they are also preparing to take it out At times like these, we find it a shame that we Meanwhile, the English-only movement is one of the Listen, folks, speaking only one language is nothing Multilingualism is an asset, both in an individual There are groups of Native Americans living among In 1776, the nascent United States of America was American English owes more than lip service to these Lexical contributions seeped in from all directions. The point is that America has always been, and continues We agree that for the "common good" as well as full, But there is something profoundly unAmerican about Having a "National Language" and In addition, while we can all agree that kids in The bottom line is that this "Official Language" What bothers the Dowbrigade most of all in this This time, the anti-immigrant fever is clearly After an emotional debate fraught with symbolism, the Senate yesterday voted to make English the "national language" of the United States, declaring that no one has a right to federal communications or services in a language other than English except … Continue reading
\n Post<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\n the English Anthem, foreign flag bans, undocumented day laborers and
\n building a wall or fence around our sacred ancestral land, the "National
\n Language" bill
\n is yet another indication of the fact that Americans feel insecure,
\n threatened, adrift, have lost faith in their leaders and the system
\n that produced
\n them, and in a natural human reaction are looking for someone to take
\n it out on.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n on politicians of both parties in the only way they know how – at the
\n polls. Neither of the major parties is really looking forward
\n to the upcoming mid-term elections, because the public mood is getting
\n ugly, and the scent of blood is in the air.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n are so firmly fixed into a two-party mentality, because independents
\n and
\n indignant
\n outsiders would do well, if they could actually get their names
\n on the ballot and their faces on some screens.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n saddest manifestations of the growing insecurity, as it goes against
\n time-honored American values and traditions, and masks a grave national
\n shortcoming – the Chauvinistic notion that English is the only language
\n worth speaking, and the only one needed to be an educated, fully developed
\n human being.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n to be proud of. Quite the contrary – it limit not only one’s ability
\n to
\n communicate
\n with millions of people, and to appreciate significant fractions
\n of the world’s art, music and literature, but limits the way one can
\n think about life, conceptualize problems, and arrive at solutions.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n and in a population. Having three official languages doesn’t seem to
\n have done Switzerland any harm.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n us who speak languages heard on these shores a thousand years before
\n the first English-speaker arrived. What right do we have to tell these
\n people what language to speak? Their ancestors have been here 50 times
\n longer than ours.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n far from an "English-only" environment. There were families, towns,
\n parts of cities and sections of entire states, where the people spoke
\n French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Swedish as well as Native American
\n languages.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n additional languages. We took words like chowder, praline, prairie,
\n bureau, cent and dime from the French; they were not used in England.
\n From Spanish we incorporated poncho, bronco, siesta, sombrero, canyon,
\n enchilada, taco and tequila. From Dutch we got cole slaw, cookie, waffle,
\n sleigh, boss, Yankee and Santa Claus. German provided delicatessen,
\n hamburger, pretzel, beer garden.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n Native American languages contributed words like hickory, pecan, chipmunk,
\n squaw, papoose, wigwam and racoon. By the time of the Revolution Africans
\n were pouring into the new world, many slaves and a few Freedmen, and
\n they brought words like gumbo, jazz, voodoo, okra and chigger.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n to be, multi-lingual, despite the laziness and provincialism of those
\n who can’t be bothered to learn a second language, and the best efforts
\n of politicians who are catering to, and fomenting, fear of "the other".<\/em><\/p>\n
\n unfettered participation in a functional democracy, the goal of having
\n everyone speak a common language is admirable. It is even reasonable
\n to expect that those who go through the existing or proposed process
\n of applying for and being granted residency, and then applying for
\n and completing the requirements for citizenship, which takes at least
\n five years, should be able to demonstrate a functional knowledge of
\n English in order to complete the process.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n ordering anyone, or any group, to speak, or dress, or worship, or eat,
\n or behave in a certain way. The Bill of Rights guarantees Freedom of
\n Speech, but doesn’t add (in English).<\/em><\/p>\n
\n requiring everyone to speak it sounds good,
\n and allows
\n Senators
\n and
\n Reps to beat
\n their chests and loudly proclaim they are getting tough on illegal
\n aliens, but think about some of the people who would be affected:
\n <\/em>
\n Many people have a second-language specific learning disability.
\n We know this, as were were certified by the
\n eminent Harvard linguist Dr.
\n Dinkledge<\/a>, as suffering from this syndrome. In addition, there
\n are millions of dyslexics, deaf-mutes or otherwise disabled individuals
\n who may
\n not be ABLE to learn English. Should they be disenfranchised?<\/em><\/p>\n
\n public schools should learn English (and at least one or two other
\n languages) what about older people, grandparents from the old country,
\n immigrating to reunite families or to escape oppression. This is nothing
\n new – there are parents and grandparents behind us all who
\n spoke imperfect <\/em>English or no English at all. In neighborhoods
\n like Boston’s North End and Milwaukee’s meat-packing district, there
\n are grandmothers who STILL speak no English. Should we get rid of them,
\n too?<\/em><\/p>\n
\n brouhaha, like the Spanish Anthem dust-up, are oratorical distractions,
\n political prestidigitation, non-stories being manipulated by public
\n figures to disguise and redirect the very real anger and moral malaise
\n of the
\n American
\n public.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n area, is that historically, American xenophobia has risen and fallen
\n with the economy. When the stock market goes down, and inflation,
\n interest rates and most importantly, unemployment, go up, American
\n discontent often settles on the idle outsiders congregated in our central
\n cities, living off the public trough and looking for work.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n rising even though unemployment is low and the economy seems to be
\n humming along. We don’t even want to think about where this could
\n lead if (when?) the economic indicators head south.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"