Cleggo my Eggo, Senor.....
To the right, you will see one of the first official documents of our country, the Declaration of Independence. It is written in the official language of.....Britian.
Thats right, English is the official language of Britian. Can anyone tell me what the official language of the United States is? Think of the answer to yourself.....NO, YOU'RE WRONG!!!!!
The official language of the United States of America is... nothing. There is no official language of the United States. I know, shocking!
There is a big debate going on right now about making English the official language of the United States. In typical CleggThis fashion, I am going to leave it up to my mature and well rounded audience to battle this out on the message board. As of right now, the official stance of CleggThis is that this debate, as it pertains to the US Congress and Senate, is a huge waste of time. Remember, we have made it 230 years without an official language, why is it such a priority now over issues like Education, Poverty, Social Security and making lap dances legal in Massachusetts?
I look forward to hearing your views.
posted by CleggoMyEggo at
9:02 AM
6 Comments:
REGULAR JOHN SEZ!
You know who else gets their lingerie in a twist about official languages? The French! Now I don’t want to be a provocateur and critique but it seems à propos that the right wing nuts in the U.S. are becoming more like the right wing nuts in France. They both hate immigrants, they both want to control the language… next thing you know the right wing nuts here are going to start hating Bush. Oh, wait - sacre bleu!
REGULAR JOHN OUT!
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/3878404.html
By
johnc, at May 22, 2006 3:42 PM
Like a common law marriage, I'd say were pretty much married to English as our "national language". I have no problem with people speaking languages other than English, but I think that when you live here, can't speak a damn word of English and expect an entire country to go bilingual because you don't feel like learning it, "you should go to your room and come back with better attitude" (i'm quoting my mother).
Us right wingers aren't racist. Have you heard of any non-hispanic people complaining? I have no ill will against anyone who has entered the country legally. Most of those immigrants are here because they are looking for a better life for themselves and their families than they had in their native country and are willing to work hard for it. I have had the opportunity to work with many people who have immigrated to the US. For the most part, they were overjoyed at the opportunies that living in the US afforded them and looking forward to the day that they could become citizens. Now I'm sure that people who have entered the country illegally have much the same goals. What I can't tollerate is way they got here.
By
Anonymous, at May 26, 2006 3:32 PM
BP is right, while the foundation of the U.S. has always been "bring us your tired, weak, and downtrodded", there needs to be limitations on how people become part of this great nation. Although making English the official language does not solve this problem. Again, we have gone 230 years without it, why start now. And I have yet to travel to a part of the country where me speaking English made me a minority. Also, it is not the Spanish speaking population making a stink about NOT making English official. It is the U.S. government making a stink that it SHOULD. So where is this debate coming from is what I don't understand? There has been no upswing in language barriers in the news, nobody made it a point to bring up in the last elections, and more importantly, I don't care. If it takes Spanish to finally fix the potholes on my road or take the tolls of the Mass Pike, fine.
If you need me, I will be on www.freetranslation.com
By
CleggoMyEggo, at May 30, 2006 7:24 AM
So only illegal aliens want to speak or interact or get basic services in their own language? People don’t ‘feel’ like learning the language?
Boston recently got in trouble for not having enough Chinese and Vietnamese ballots. U.S. citizens vote. Not illegal immigrants.
You have to bust your ass to be poor in America. I’m sure that there are thousands (millions?) of new or future citizens who feel more comfortable buying medicine, asking for legal advice or voting in their native language. Learning a second language is tough… how many Americans do you think are fluent in a second language?
Reminds me of a joke:
What do you call someone who knows three languages?
Tri-lingual.
What do you call someone who knows two languages?
Bi-lingual.
What do you call someone who knows one language?
American.
Now this joke is funnier because it also applies to people who are Americans and don’t speak English.
Making English the official language is politics. “How can we seem like we’re doing something while not doing anything for the upcoming election?” This is a smoke-screen; it is tough talk to get people fired up. This does nothing except make us look like intolerant assholes... who tell bad jokes.
By
johnc, at May 30, 2006 10:20 AM
I love that joke.....
By
CleggoMyEggo, at May 30, 2006 12:41 PM
yeah, that is pretty funny!
By
Anonymous, at June 02, 2006 4:05 PM
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