Friday, May 19, 2006

English. The Official Language

One question. Why hasn't this already been done? And of course we have the typical wussy Liberal comeback of racism.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada went further. "I really believe this amendment is racist. I think it's directed basically to people who speak Spanish."
Damn right it's directed at people who speak Spanish. How many times are you filling out a form or calling a help line and Russian or Chinese is one of the language options? Never.
Filed under US/Mexico Border & Politics

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Simple question - what is this actually meant to DO in legal terms?

I mean, you can't outlaw the use of another language. And 11 million Americans are English illiterate, while another 30 million are only barely literate.

And another question - since this applies only to government documents (and apparently forms, since you've extended it so), what about immigration forms? Are you suggesting that say... asylum seekers from the Middle East should use english forms only?

It sounds entirely pointless.

Christopher Lee said...

Who's outlawing the use of other languages? No one's saying they won't be able to speak their native tongue, only that if you're going to legally immigrate to this country learn English.

Anonymous said...

I didn't say you were outlawing it, I was pointing out the possible applications of the law on language, and how each one was pointless.

And honestly, how are you going to enforce that people who've immigrated have learned English, when 41 million Americans can barely handle it?

Anonymous said...

Za; you forgot. We do not speak English. We speak American English. That is the language refered to in the article. I might remind you as well; that 15 million Australians would do good to learn how to speak English as well.
Don't throw stones when you live in glass houses. But what should we expect from a colony of lepers and criminals?

Anonymous said...

Even by the standards of "American English", 41 million Americans cannot use it properly.

But should I expect any reason from someone who's obviously too pompous to realise that his own nation was also founded for the purposes of dumping criminals, among other things? Apparently not.

Anonymous said...

My country was founded by people wanting to express religious freedom. They were not Forced to do so by leg irons.

Christopher Lee said...

Well, now, John, that's only half right. America was founded by people who wanted religious freedom, which includes the right to practice said religion. Something the ACLU doesn't agree with if you're Christian, but Blacks were forced here in leg irons. Thought I would beat Za to the punch.

Anonymous said...

Yes. But Blacks did not found the coumntry.

Anonymous said...

Actually, whites were forced there in leg irons too. Australia was founded as a penal colony because the penal colonies in America stopped being available to the British after the war of independence.

Georgia, for instance, was originall designed as a British penal colony. About one quarter of British emigrants in the 18th century, to America, were British convicts.

Source.

So sorry Chris, you didn't beat me to the punch at all.

Anonymous said...

*originall = originally.