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English as Official Language

Crabtownboy

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Why not make Spanish and English the national languages?

One good reason English will not be made the official language is that too many politicians need the Hispanic vote to remain in office. These men and women will not affront these voters ... so IMHO it is pretty much a dead issue.

Spanish is the second most used language in the United States. There are more Spanish speakers in the United States than there are speakers of Chinese, French, Italian, Hawaiian, and the Native American languages combined. According to the 2009 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, Spanish is the primary language spoken at home by over 35.5 million people aged five or older.[1] There are 45 million Hispanics who speak Spanish as a first or second language,[2] as well as six million Spanish students,[3] composing the largest national Spanish-speaking community outside of Mexico.[4] Roughly half of all U.S. Spanish speakers also speak English "very well", based on the self-assessment Census question respondents.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_in_the_United_States
 

webdog

Active Member
Site Supporter
Why not make Spanish and English the national languages?

One good reason English will not be made the official language is that too many politicians need the Hispanic vote to remain in office. These men and women will not affront these voters ... so IMHO it is pretty much a dead issue.


That is the perception, bust the vast amount of illegals cannot vote anyway.
 

Salty

20,000 Posts Club
Administrator
Where does the Constitution give the Federal government the authority to declare an official language?

Interesting point - however Congress could declare English as the official lanuage for US official govt business. The States or Commonwealths could decide which lanuage (s) they would want for themselves.

And I do support English as the offical lanuage
 

tinytim

<img src =/tim2.jpg>
NO. Within a few yrs, English will be the minority language.. Let's make Spanish the official language.
 

carpro

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Do you support States making English their official language? What about the Federal government?

About 50% of states already have some type of official language laws on the books.

The U.S. could do it with a Constitutional amendment with the usual exceptions for health and public safety needs and I believe the states would ratify it easily.

Liberals have so far been successful at not allowing this popular legislation to get through Congress.
 

Salty

20,000 Posts Club
Administrator
Are you saying that most hispanics are illegals? This maybe a case of to much Hannity and Rush

or is that what you people to think he is saying.


what web said was "That is the perception, but the vast amount of illegals cannot vote anyway.!!"

Actually Web is wrong. NO illegal alien is allowed legally to vote. And besides many illegals are NOT hispanic!


but since Mexico shares a land border with the USA,then Common sense would only didicate that many illegals are Mexican.

disclamer - It is understood that many liberals may not understand the concept of common sense
 

lilyvalley

New Member
or is that what you people to think he is saying.


what web said was "That is the perception, but the vast amount of illegals cannot vote anyway.!!"

Actually Web is wrong. NO illegal alien is allowed legally to vote. And besides many illegals are NOT hispanic!


but since Mexico shares a land border with the USA,then Common sense would only didicate that many illegals are Mexican.

disclamer - It is understood that many liberals may not understand the concept of common sense

It just wasn't very clear. And I think that we should crack down on illegals, but there is so much profiling that takes place. We have to be careful we don't assume that someone is illegal simply because they are hispanic.
 

NaasPreacher (C4K)

Well-Known Member
Is there a reason why the US needs an official language? Does it really help?

In Ireland there are two official languages - Irish and English. The primary language is Irish, but the country functions in English. Driving tests are given in Irish, English, and Polish. My guess would be that more tests are given in Polish than Irish. Most government documents are available in English, Irish, and Polish. The only document that I really know of that is only in Irish in the certificate for naturalised citizens.

I guess I don't understand why this is such an issue.
 
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Matt Black

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Primary official languages here are English and Welsh, with Scots Gaelic, Irish Gaelic and Ulster Scottish also recognised as indigenous tongues. But besides these, official publications and notices (eg: doctors' surgeries, hospitals, other public buildings) have a plethora of languages used by immigrants: Polish, Turkish, Punjabi, Hindi, Arabic, Russian, etc
 

Jim1999

<img src =/Jim1999.jpg>
English and French are the official languages of Canada, but we do try to accommodate all languages. There are also dissidents in both official languages.

Cheers,

Jim
 

David Lamb

Well-Known Member
If English were to be formally adopted, would a results include anglicizing all those non-English place names, like Tallahassee, Frankfort, Baton Rouge (would that becaome "Red Stick"), Des Moines (Of The Monks?), Topeka, Pierre (Peter?), Bismarck, Cheyenne, Santa Fe (Holy Faith?), Boise (Woody?), and Sacramento (Sacrament?)? :laugh:
 

NiteShift

New Member
You left out Harlem (Dutch), Chickamauga (Cherokee), Natchez (well, Natchez).

In the past, new Americans learned to speak English and there was no need for bilingual workers at the DMV, and you didn't have to choose your language when you called a business. We as a society are increasingly having to accomodate a population that wants us to adapt to them instead of the other way around. Or at least that is the perception. Thus the calls for English as the official language.
 

exscentric

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
"Is there a reason why the US needs an official language? Does it really help? "

It would cut costs in translaters being required for government offices, dual printing costs, Spanish language teachers etc. It would also help in law enforcement. Couple of Spanish speakers were injured due to them not understanding commands from officers.
 
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