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| Should English Be the Official Language? | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 30 2006, 10:37 PM (1,761 Views) | |
| Post #1 Jan 30 2006, 10:37 PM |
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| Why or why not? I'll chime in later. |
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| Post #2 Jan 30 2006, 11:22 PM | Son N Law |
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Not big on "C) I don't care," are ya?
;) Seriously, the government is made up of a bunch of English speakers. Our laws are in English. Our public schools are taught in English. Anyone who's going to become a part of American society needs to learn English. But as far as having an official language? I just don't see why we should. If we can accommodate those who speak other languages (the way Germany accommodates English speakers) it would certainly help them out. Should we be forced to? No. Should we force them to learn English before they're considered citizens? No. Is it really going to affect me one way or another if we do or don't? No. Well, maybe just a little, but not in any way I really care about. My nextdoor neighbors are all Mexican. They're good people. They helped me clean up after Ivan. They keep an eye on the house when we're not here. Good folks. But only one of them speaks a lick of English. I would rather have them there any day of the week over the English-speaking puppy beaters who lived there before. |
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| Post #3 Feb 1 2006, 10:57 AM |
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"I don't care" strikes me as a "no." If you don't care, you promote the status quo, and the status quo is no official language. I think we should have an official language for federal business and that each state should have official languages based upon their populations. Puerto Rico, for example, would reasonably have both Spanish and English as official languages. Alabama would reasonably have English only. There is tremendous advantage to official languages. More and more court rulings are forcing government and private business to be conducted in multiple languages. To avoid lawsuits (and in response to them), packaging, warnings, and user's manuals are being printed in more and more languages. This raises costs and defeats safety as the few warnings that are really necessary are buried in a barrage of gibberish, decreasing the likelihood that the will be read or heeded. Court rulings are forcing government agencies to conduct business in many languages, making speaking multiple languages a job requirement in many agencies. The government also is having to author all of its documents in multiple languages. This is extremely inefficient and the situation shows no signs of getting better. I would like to see a constitutional amendment stating that English is the official language of the United States, that the federal government will do no business in languages other than English and that private entities cannot be expected to use (or held liable for not using) any language other than English. Further, it should state that all government proceedings will be conducted in English, including court proceedings. Finally, it should also state that students in publicly provided (not publicly funded, privately provided) education have a right to take English-only versions of every offered non-foreign-language course. I would include the following exceptions: In any case where a lawyer would be provided at no cost to someone facing legal action from the government, the government will also provide a translator at no cost [paid and approved by the court, but found by the defendant], regardless of this amendment or any other laws establishing official languages. If a state adopts English and one other language, the federal government will conduct its business in that state in both languages with the state bearing the additional cost. The state may require all government and private business (including ballot printing) be conducted in English and the one other language, but not any others. Entities can be held liable for not conducting business in that state in both languages, but not for not conducting it in any other. If a state adopts English and one other language, education must be provided in both languages and classes must be provided to raise students' proficiency in English to a level where they can be successful in English-only classes. If a state adopts more than either (1) only English or (2) English and only one other language as official (or if it does not adopt any official language), English will be the only official language and private and government business cannot be required to be performed in any other language nor can anyone be held liable for not making provisions for non-English speakers and ballots will be printed in English only. Edited to add the "Vai exception," which appears in normal text. |
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| Post #4 Feb 4 2006, 07:38 PM | Element |
| I say yes. I think it should be the official language of the whole dam world. |
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| Post #5 Feb 4 2006, 08:04 PM |
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| It practically is. I read somewhere where Chinese is the most commonly spoken first language, more people speak English than any other language because it is spoken by so many as a second language. |
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| Post #6 Feb 6 2006, 09:26 PM | OMalley |
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I think eye hit the nail on its head. Except I do not think a state should forever be limited to only one more alternative language. Leave one alternate as default and room for applying for more. In the application process the federal government can say yes, no, or trade with one you already have. Also, under NO circumstances should French EVER be allowed to be one of these languages, unless the French can start winning wars on their own. After they start winning wars by themselves, they can reapply for permission to be cool with the USA again; after which time the Federal Alternative Language in your home State Commission will allow the French language on a state-by-state basis only. Since New Orleans is "Chocolate Town," Louisianna is permanently refused this right since they don't have use for French anymore... just ebonics, right? |
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| Post #7 Feb 6 2006, 09:47 PM |
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| States would be allowed to have as many "official" languages as they want. My proposal merely prohibits the federal government from being bound by more than two in any state as a practical measure. It also protects individuals from torts resulting from not providing services in more than two languages. Basically, states can force themselves to provide services in as many languages as they deem necessary, but cannot infringe on the rights of the federal government, entities, or individuals to choose only to provide service in two. |
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| Post #8 Feb 6 2006, 10:09 PM | OMalley |
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That was my point though. A state may have enough people of different language for it to need businesses to conduct languages in more than just two. The spirit of the law should be clear that too many languages causes the reverse problem of no one heeding ANY of the warnings that they used to. But I can see a few exceptions where more than 2 may be necessary. But on second thought, I do not think even a second language should be allowed to the states. It will end up costing us all, as we see in the problem with California's vehicular emission standards. Nationwide companies and distributors will have to print in as many languages as they probably currently do simply to cover all the individual languages in all the states in order to save the cost of producing different packages for the same product. We're an English speaking country. If you want to live/work/play, you should do it in English. If I go to Japan to conitnue my career I will gladly learn Japanese to assimilate myself and would expect that of others coming here from all other nations. If we allowed everyone to play in their native language our melting pot gets even closer to the fruit salad than ever, and we can't all get along that way. |
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| Post #9 Feb 6 2006, 10:30 PM |
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I would have proposed an amendment that only allowed English but for circumstances in places like Puerto Rico, where almost everyone speaks Spanish, but the same cannot be said for English. I think mandating two languages is reasonable in rare cases, but if two are needed in any case, an official language amendment needs to allow that possibility. Mandating three or more languages puts an undue burden on everyone else for the benefit of a very few. I would say two is the reasonable number. |
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| Post #10 Feb 7 2006, 08:26 PM | natefizzle |
| English is our unofficial official language. The news, radio, books, schools all that is mostly English. |
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| Post #11 Feb 9 2006, 06:14 PM | BoSoxDieHard34 |
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Of course it should be the U.S official language, we'rwe an Engklish speaking country with English ancestors, its part of our culture. Isn't it already th official language though? |
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| Post #12 Feb 9 2006, 06:26 PM | Son N Law |
| Okay, Eye, I give up. Sometimes there's absolutely nothing wrong with self-censorship. |
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| Post #13 Feb 9 2006, 06:42 PM | BoSoxDieHard34 |
| Self censorship? |
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| Post #14 May 17 2006, 04:35 PM | JABlovesastros |
well if language selection went by population california,aZ,texas,new mexico or even south florida(miami area)would speak spanish actually i think it already is |
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| Post #15 May 17 2006, 04:36 PM | JABlovesastros |
well english should be official for states not territories |
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| Post #16 May 17 2006, 05:34 PM |
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My proposal takes into account the fact that the primary language in some territories is not English. It was mainly for that reason that the amendment I proposed allowed for states and territories to select a second official language. However, since the Constitution is (and should remain) scant on specifics, I would strongly recommend staying away from having seperate systems for states and territories. One single solution should be developed that meets the needs of all states and territories, and yet still promotes English as the American language. My proposal does this. |
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| Post #17 May 19 2006, 08:13 AM |
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The Senate passed two amendments to its version of the immigration bill that have been said to "establish English as the official language." The stronger of the two merely says that no one has a right to have government services provided in English. It does not repeal laws that require some services to be provided in other languages. Furthermore, this wording, should it become federal law, would not prevent courts from rulling otherwise. I still feel that a constitutional amendment is the way to go. However, this action by the Senate means the idea of an official language is gaining broad support. |
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| Post #18 Jun 21 2007, 07:33 AM |
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Bump. I'd like to hear from that gaggle of new members we have on this one. *ducks* |
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| Post #19 Jun 21 2007, 08:15 AM |
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| Bad idea making it the official language. I don't think anyone here (including myself) really understand the legal ramifications of doing such. it is my understanding that if English were declared the official language that voting ballots would not be required to be available in other languages. I think it would be akin to those voting laws common to many southern states during the mid-20th century. |
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| Post #20 Jun 21 2007, 10:38 AM |
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| Where do you stop? In what language do you not print ballots? I think my above suggestion adequately handles the need for some government business to be conducted in other languages, while recognizing that we should not provide a crutch that encourages some never to learn English and while not overburdening government and private enterprise with having to deal with more and more languages and potential lawsuits when they don't. |
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