Is it finally time to make English the official language of America?

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English the official language?

  • Yes

  • No


Results are only viewable after voting.

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,511
29,093
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I support an "official" language to the extent that English is what we primarily teach and do business in. Though I would certainly not accept a ban on others. Just more of an affirmative stance to foster commonality between us.

Rise of a language barrier between us would do us all harm.

basically, this. I'm neither opposed nor supportive of such a stance--simply because it is standard in so many other countries.

Though, I do find the general argument for why we should do this, to be somewhat baffling. We are a unique country, (well, we like to think we are), so why should this be necessary?

I often hear in support of this, as with OP, many claim "everyone else does this, therefore we should too!"

OK, well, the majority of people that advocate for an official language tend to be very conservative, very nationalistic. Yet, whenever you try to use any other country as an example for anything else with these people--the rule of law (domestic or international), policy (energy, healthcare, trade), education, healthcare...etc--you get, in response: "This is 'Murica! fuck off and die! dur dur"

But, as usual, when the internal xenophobia or moral philosophy can be supported by an expedient and lazy argument, anyone's convictions can be ignored for shear convenience.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,511
29,093
146
spanish is a european language..why give europe yet another trophy??

Only Spaniards speak Spanish in Europe. It's the most ignored language of the major nations.

English has long been the primary language (meaning, 2nd language every European learns--unless you are Swiss--and always used outside of your home country), then French and German.
 

kache

Senior member
Nov 10, 2012
486
0
71
I think a new language should be made, and made the humanity's universal language, and everyone forced to learn it.
 
Apr 27, 2012
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English needs to be the official language of the US, its pathetic how we have people in this country who dont and refuse to learn English, ungrateful idiots
 

DietDrThunder

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2001
2,262
326
126
If I were decended from Koreans, Vietmanese, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, etc. etc., I'd sue every state that had laws, information, signage, or any kind of literature printed in just English and Spanish as being discriminatory. Every bank ATM, drivethru, etc. should have instructions printed in all languages.
 

kache

Senior member
Nov 10, 2012
486
0
71
If I were decended from Koreans, Vietmanese, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, etc. etc., I'd sue every state that had laws, information, signage, or any kind of literature printed in just English and Spanish as being discriminatory. Every bank ATM, drivethru, etc. should have instructions printed in all languages.

In due time we'll all have smart glasses and on signs and stuff a code will be printed, which wouls be used by the glasses to show the proper message in the language set by the user.
 

werepossum

Elite Member
Jul 10, 2006
29,873
463
126
I think a new language should be made, and made the humanity's universal language, and everyone forced to learn it.
Wasn't that the plan with Esperanto? At its rate of adoption it's never going to happen though.

To a great degree English is already the world's common auxiliary language, so perhaps it's fitting that as other nations adopt it/teach it, America is moving toward Spanish so that it can be everyone's second language.
 

Broheim

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2011
4,592
2
81
Only Spaniards speak Spanish in Europe. It's the most ignored language of the major nations.

English has long been the primary language (meaning, 2nd language every European learns--unless you are Swiss--and always used outside of your home country), then French and German.

german was actually more common to use than english on holidays in much of Europe for quite a while, the Germans don't have many beaches so they travel in great numbers to Italy, Denmark, France, Greece and Spain every year so they can go drown in the ocean (seriously, they're terrible ocean swimmers). We have a whole industry centered around renting vacation homes to germans here in Denmark.

outside of the british isles and scandinavia you'd be hardpressed to find anybody half fluent in english once you leave the touristy places.
 

kache

Senior member
Nov 10, 2012
486
0
71
Wasn't that the plan with Esperanto? At its rate of adoption it's never going to happen though.

To a great degree English is already the world's common auxiliary language, so perhaps it's fitting that as other nations adopt it/teach it, America is moving toward Spanish so that it can be everyone's second language.

The problem is that esperanto is ugly to speak and to listen to. It's litterarly worse than german, and that's quite a feat to achieve...
Spanish is not exactly a beautiful language either, but for sure light years better than german.
Up until now there are 2 languages I actually consider a pleasure to listen to, Italian and Japanese, but I'm kinda biased and I've only listened to few of them (italian, russian (and variations), english, french, dutch, arabic, indian, chinese, korean, japanese, spanish (and variations), finnish, swedish, german) so my knowledge is kinda limited.
 
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SMOGZINN

Lifer
Jun 17, 2005
14,202
4,401
136
I think that before you can advocate for an official language you should become fluent in a second language, otherwise it is quite obvious that you are just afraid that you are becoming obsolete due to your own ignorance.

Passing fascist laws because you are afraid is never a good idea.
 

CallMeJoe

Diamond Member
Jul 30, 2004
6,938
5
81
Patton on the Brits and Americans: "....Two peoples divided by a common language." I can't think of a better way to prove that familiarity breeds contempt by having an offical language along with the requirements that come with it.

George Bernard Shaw.
 

redgtxdi

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2004
5,463
8
81
"Mexican-American, Cuban-American, Brazilian-American, etc.etc......

Mundo Fox! ......Americano como tu!"

Except, when I declare my nationality, I don't have to preface it with a European nationality. I'm simply American!

Get it?

I speak fluent Spanish as I planned to growing up in Northern Mex......errrr.......Southern California but I do it as a strategy, not so much a pleasure. Just read any of my sig to understand better why there is even a thread like this on this forum.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,511
29,093
146
german was actually more common to use than english on holidays in much of Europe for quite a while, the Germans don't have many beaches so they travel in great numbers to Italy, Denmark, France, Greece and Spain every year so they can go drown in the ocean (seriously, they're terrible ocean swimmers). We have a whole industry centered around renting vacation homes to germans here in Denmark.

outside of the british isles and scandinavia you'd be hardpressed to find anybody half fluent in english once you leave the touristy places.

oh yeah, I know. there are resort towns near the lakes and the ocean in the Veneto region of Northern Italy that are primarily German-speaking towns. (granted, you are quite close to Austria, here).

English is only relatively recently the adopted international bridge language.

Hell, we have a mainland Chinese postdoc in our lab who, when calling to an institute in HK, he couldn't understand a word his countryman was saying. 2 Chinese, had to communicate in English.
:D
 

SMOGZINN

Lifer
Jun 17, 2005
14,202
4,401
136
How can people oppose this? English is the official language

America has no official language, English is just the language most commonly spoken right now. That could change, then wouldn't we look silly having an official language that few people speak!
 

redgtxdi

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2004
5,463
8
81
America has no official language, English is just the language most commonly spoken right now. That could change, then wouldn't we look silly having an official language that few people speak!

Ya.....especially when all of our founding documents were penned in it.
 

feralkid

Lifer
Jan 28, 2002
16,395
4,453
136
LaRaza would object. The south / west will be under the mexican flag soon.


Stay under the bed!

2894451883_d5c7a008bd.jpg
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,828
4,777
146
basically, this. I'm neither opposed nor supportive of such a stance--simply because it is standard in so many other countries.

Though, I do find the general argument for why we should do this, to be somewhat baffling. We are a unique country, (well, we like to think we are), so why should this be necessary?

I often hear in support of this, as with OP, many claim "everyone else does this, therefore we should too!"

OK, well, the majority of people that advocate for an official language tend to be very conservative, very nationalistic. Yet, whenever you try to use any other country as an example for anything else with these people--the rule of law (domestic or international), policy (energy, healthcare, trade), education, healthcare...etc--you get, in response: "This is 'Murica! fuck off and die! dur dur"

But, as usual, when the internal xenophobia or moral philosophy can be supported by an expedient and lazy argument, anyone's convictions can be ignored for shear convenience.

I agree with you both -

My girlfriend speaks about 5 languages, grew up on Portuguese. She has fully converted to English since she migrated here at the age of 6. But every day here in Texas, we run into plenty of situations where at a local chain grocery store we have hispanic people that come up to the check out without an ability to communicate with the cashier. It is starting to get ridiculous.

And I know narrow minded liberals can only see what is directly infront of them instead of branching out their thoughts. Currently they can only think of "Press 1 For English. Press 2 For Spanish" - they can't grasp the concept that if we do not do something - it will eventually lead to "Press 3 for Chinese. Press 4 for Japanese. Press 4 For Russian. Press 5 For Portuguese. Press 6 for Mandarin. Press 7 For German. Press 8 For French."

You will pickup a product and will be unable to find the English description. Etc.. Of course people are going to respond with the narrow mindedness to say "THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!111one". So I ask, did ANYONE see where we are currently at in languages coming 50 years ago? I don't think so....
 
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