So why hasnt congress made English the official language yet?

[Rainsford]

English as the official language seems to be a solution in search of a problem. As far as I can tell, the only negative effects of people not speaking English are that it pisses some people off. Which is great and all, all laws should be created to ban things that personally piss you off, but I'm not sure that should be a very high national priority. The situation we're in now is that English is the unofficial language of the country, you aren't going to get a white collar job not speaking English, and that's not going to change. What do I care if the guy building my house doesn't speak English or if he can get his drivers license exam in Spanish? Seriously, other than cultural outrage (which seems funny in this country), what is the problem here?

 

[Ryan]

I'm sorry, but making English our official language would be a HUGE waste of tax dollars. It doesn't matter if we make it our official one, the government is still going to be multilingual in many aspects.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Vich
Topic Title: So why hasnt congress made English the official language yet?

Because the plan is to make espanol the official language.

 

[Vich]

Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
I laugh at the French because they have a national government agency whose basic job is to keep France French. They don't want any barbarian words, food, customs, etc. contaminating their culture.

Establishing an official language here might lead to the same kind of crap.

Hardly. What an official actually means is that official business of the state is handled in a certain language. Speak whatever language you want, but if you want to interface with the government in any way, you need to speak the language of the nation, and not expect everyone to bend over backwards to learn your language.

Want a driver's license? The test is in English.

Want government benefits of any kind? The applications are in English.

What i think as well.

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Vich
Topic Title: So why hasnt congress made English the official language yet?

Because the plan is to make espanol the official language.

LOL it seems that way

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Ronstang
They are cowards who care more about keeping their jobs than what actually happens to this country. They are so afraid of loosing one vote they are constipated idiots anymore, and that goes for both parties. One of the great things about this country is the "melting pot" make up but that is only a strength because up until recently people coming here had a STRONG desire to be American and become part of the culture whereas now they simply want to come here and take what benefits them because their home country, who they still claim allegiance to, cannot provide them with much of anything.

Precisely. The civil dialogue usually goes like this:

"Oh noes!!!! You are making English the official language? You hate everyone who speaks another language! Why not just gas them all now, you hateful Hitler-lover?"

Originally posted by: her209
Same reason why Christianity isn't the official religion yet?

A language and religion are quite different. A language lets people communicate. If there's an official religion, suddenly God can start giving orders through government. Who is crazy when they say, "God told me to do ........" and who isn't? Theocracies often have serious problems, which is why those who founded this country took steps to ensure that we wouldn't become one.

 

[judasmachine]

The reason they have not actually done it is simply that there is still too much resistance, and it would not be good for their careers. Those who support such things are already partisan by nature, and will vote for respective party anyway, so they aren't losing any votes (for the most part) by not doing so. You have to think like an ass.....um I mean politician.

 

[johnnobts]

arabic will be the official language in france in the next 20 years... not sure about america. maybe ebonic-ese?

 

[WHAMPOM]

Originally posted by: Vich
I don't understand why congress has not actually dealt with the official language problem yet. Is it that difficult/wrong/politcally-incorrect to make English the official language of America?

According to the 2000 United States Census, 18% of the US population aged 5 or older (47 million) people speaks a language other than English at home. Which is up from 11% in 1980, and 14% in 1990. So more and more people are speaking a language other than English at home. That is fine, I spoke nothing but Russian when i was at home, and actually think being bilingual is very important. However, what bothers me is seeing advertisements, signs, and messages in federal, state, and local level establishments. I could care less what a private company does they have that choice . However it pisses me of when I live in America and have to read directions not only in English but also in Spanish when i go down and stop at the rest area on the New Jersey Turnpike (All those rest stops are state property). Or when I go to the state capital and the bathrooms have signs in English and Spanish.

The first Congress argued over a choice of English or German, aren't you glad they couldn't make up their minds?
I would rather have a requirement to learn our immigrant parents' languages(however far back or many) just to remind us of where we really came from.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
I laugh at the French because they have a national government agency whose basic job is to keep France French. They don't want any barbarian words, food, customs, etc. contaminating their culture.

Establishing an official language here might lead to the same kind of crap.

Hardly. What an official actually means is that official business of the state is handled in a certain language. Speak whatever language you want, but if you want to interface with the government in any way, you need to speak the language of the nation, and not expect everyone to bend over backwards to learn your language.

Want a driver's license? The test is in English.

Want government benefits of any kind? The applications are in English.

Lawyereese a language few can understand, a good case in point to be required to be written in English by Law. LMAO

 

[WHAMPOM]

Originally posted by: johnnobts
arabic will be the official language in france in the next 20 years... not sure about america. maybe ebonic-ese?

OH YA! AN American native language: Ojibwa or Cherokee, maybe?

Edit: Better check the old Indian Treaties, there may be a clause to require it.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: daveymark

Originally posted by: her209
Same reason why Christianity isn't the official religion yet?

Well, global warming comes in a close second

:laugh:

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: WHAMPOM

Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
I laugh at the French because they have a national government agency whose basic job is to keep France French. They don't want any barbarian words, food, customs, etc. contaminating their culture.

Establishing an official language here might lead to the same kind of crap.

Hardly. What an official actually means is that official business of the state is handled in a certain language. Speak whatever language you want, but if you want to interface with the government in any way, you need to speak the language of the nation, and not expect everyone to bend over backwards to learn your language.

Want a driver's license? The test is in English.

Want government benefits of any kind? The applications are in English.

Lawyereese a language few can understand, a good case in point to be required to be written in English by Law. LMAO

I agree completely. I've long thought that laws were intentionally written so that the average person can't understand them. If the average person understood the law, it would have far less power over him.

 

[fskimospy]

Originally posted by: Skyclad1uhm1

Originally posted by: her209
Same reason why Christianity isn't the official religion yet?

Is freedom of language in the constitution too? Didn't know that!

Some would call it freedom of "speech". Hahahaha

 

[Kntx]

Originally posted by: Skyclad1uhm1

Originally posted by: her209
Same reason why Christianity isn't the official religion yet?

Is freedom of language in the constitution too? Didn't know that!

It would be covered under the first ammendment.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Because it would do nothing but take away rights from people. The government's job is to better the lives of its people. Adding a useless language barrier wouldn't help anyone except for you twats who think you're better than everyone else, yet still probably couldn't find any given country on a map.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Because it would do nothing but take away rights from people. The government's job is to better the lives of its people. Adding a useless language barrier wouldn't help anyone except for you twats who think you're better than everyone else, yet still probably couldn't find any given country on a map.

You're not a modern conservative, are you? If you were, you'd know that the purpose of government is to make everyone else behave in a way that makes you feel comfortable. If their science interferes with your religion, out with the science. If you don't like their language, make 'em speak yours. If their sexual preferences make you feel uncomfortable, ban them! Yeeeehaawwww, FREEDOM!

 

[Termagant]

Previous waves of immigrants didn't know English but eventually their children learned it. Is this only an issue now because Mexicans have darker skin than say Italians or Poles?

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: Termagant
Previous waves of immigrants didn't know English but eventually their children learned it. Is this only an issue now because Mexicans have darker skin than say Italians or Poles?

If I remember my history, nobody liked the Italians or Poles (or the Irish, for that matter) when they got here. The rhetoric about the new group destroying the country sounded pretty much the same as it does today. In fact, I'd say the history of this country is largely composed of immigrants who got here first getting their panties in a bunch over immigrant groups who followed.

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Because it would do nothing but take away rights from people. The government's job is to better the lives of its people. Adding a useless language barrier wouldn't help anyone except for you twats who think you're better than everyone else, yet still probably couldn't find any given country on a map.

I'm confused. Requiring all government business to be conducted in one language is a barrier, but having half of the country unable to talk to the other half is not? You should probably holding off on calling other people "twats" until you've thought about your opinion for a while and realize how stupid it is.

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Termagant
Previous waves of immigrants didn't know English but eventually their children learned it. Is this only an issue now because Mexicans have darker skin than say Italians or Poles?

Or maybe it's because those other cultures moved here and DID learn English, rather than demanding that people speak theirs.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Because it would do nothing but take away rights from people. The government's job is to better the lives of its people. Adding a useless language barrier wouldn't help anyone except for you twats who think you're better than everyone else, yet still probably couldn't find any given country on a map.

I'm confused. Requiring all government business to be conducted in one language is a barrier, but having half of the country unable to talk to the other half is not? You should probably holding off on calling other people "twats" until you've thought about your opinion for a while and realize how stupid it is.

Making English the official languages doesn't magically make those who can't speak English fluent.

In addition, most of the bilingual stuff featured at the federal level are not required to be bilingual, obviously. They were made bilingual to be generous to those who don't speak English.

Living in western Pennsylvania, I don't encounter too many people who don't speak English-- especially in the quantities that those of you living in the southwest do, but if someone approaches me and begins to speak Spanish, I wouldn't have a problem telling him I don't speak it. It's up to him to then find someone who does, or learn enough English to allow me to understand him. It shouldn't be mandated by anyone but himself.

 

[Zorba]

Originally posted by: WHAMPOM

Originally posted by: Vich
I don't understand why congress has not actually dealt with the official language problem yet. Is it that difficult/wrong/politcally-incorrect to make English the official language of America?

According to the 2000 United States Census, 18% of the US population aged 5 or older (47 million) people speaks a language other than English at home. Which is up from 11% in 1980, and 14% in 1990. So more and more people are speaking a language other than English at home. That is fine, I spoke nothing but Russian when i was at home, and actually think being bilingual is very important. However, what bothers me is seeing advertisements, signs, and messages in federal, state, and local level establishments. I could care less what a private company does they have that choice . However it pisses me of when I live in America and have to read directions not only in English but also in Spanish when i go down and stop at the rest area on the New Jersey Turnpike (All those rest stops are state property). Or when I go to the state capital and the bathrooms have signs in English and Spanish.

The first Congress argued over a choice of English or German, aren't you glad they couldn't make up their minds?
I would rather have a requirement to learn our immigrant parents' languages(however far back or many) just to remind us of where we really came from.

How far back should you go? So your 3xGreat Grandma came from england, but her 6xGreat Grandpa came from Germany, etc. Hell if it was possible I beat a lot of people could trace their families to houndreds of countries and langauges, so why is it only important we know where are families just before they came here?

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Because it would do nothing but take away rights from people. The government's job is to better the lives of its people. Adding a useless language barrier wouldn't help anyone except for you twats who think you're better than everyone else, yet still probably couldn't find any given country on a map.

I'm confused. Requiring all government business to be conducted in one language is a barrier, but having half of the country unable to talk to the other half is not? You should probably holding off on calling other people "twats" until you've thought about your opinion for a while and realize how stupid it is.

Making English the official languages doesn't magically make those who can't speak English fluent.

Neither will coddling non-English speakers by making everything multi-lingual.

In addition, most of the bilingual stuff featured at the federal level are not required to be bilingual, obviously. They were made bilingual to be generous to those who don't speak English.

Why are we being generous to people who can't be bothered to learn the [unoffical] national language? I'd rather see the government spend the money we currently spend on catering to non-English speakers on providing free English classes.

Living in western Pennsylvania, I don't encounter too many people who don't speak English-- especially in the quantities that those of you living in the southwest do, but if someone approaches me and begins to speak Spanish, I wouldn't have a problem telling him I don't speak it. It's up to him to then find someone who does, or learn enough English to allow me to understand him. It shouldn't be mandated by anyone but himself.

That's all well and good until those people are a significant percentage of the population, which you admit isn't true in PA. Try going to some parts of SoCal or Miami and try to get by without speaking Spanish.

Having a single national language helps to unify a country. Just look at Quebec. Are you ready to let parts of the US secede?

 

[Rangoric]

Yeah this does seem to be a first amendment issue. I could be wrong but thats what it seems to me.

Good luck with forcing people to speak and think how you want.

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Rangoric
Yeah this does seem to be a first amendment issue. I could be wrong but thats what it seems to me.

Good luck with forcing people to speak and think how you want.

:roll:

Wow, some of you are dense. I didn't realize that passing a law stating that we won't bend over backwards to provide everything to every foreigner in whatever language they speak was trying to control how people think.

:roll: