Friday, May 19, 2006
Senate Considers "English Only" Legislation
One of the things I do not understand is the obsession that some folks have about making English the official language of the United States. It seems obvious to me that our official language is already English and has been so for several hundred years. Our constitution is written in English. Our laws are written in English. Debates in Congress are conducted in English. The President’s State of the Union address is always given or written in English. What more could one want?
What triggered this comment is the news in today’s Los Angeles Times that the Senate is considering amendments to the Immigration Bill that would declare English to be the language of the country.
This proposal seems to me to be an attempt to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. I know of no organized group that advocates the use of any language other than English in our laws and other government documents. The article from which the excerpt was taken states that forty-two million residents of the United States speak some language other than English in their homes. Are those people a threat to us? I can’t believe it.
One person wrote:
Perhaps that is the key to my problem. People are resentful of workers who don’t speak English. People who don’t speak English should stay away from the rest of us. Non-English speakers should not be given jobs where they have to wait on or serve English speakers. Non-English speakers should keep to themselves and not wander out into neighborhoods in which only English is spoken.
Am I alone in thinking that resentment against non-English speakers is a despicable form of prejudice?
What triggered this comment is the news in today’s Los Angeles Times that the Senate is considering amendments to the Immigration Bill that would declare English to be the language of the country.
May 19, 2006: WASHINGTON — English would be declared the "national language" of the United States under a measure the Senate approved Thursday, a largely symbolic move that supporters said would promote unity and encourage assimilation by immigrants.
The measure would not reverse government practices of providing some materials and services — including voting ballots and emergency advisories — in other languages. But it would establish that people have no right or entitlement to ask government officials to provide services or materials in other languages, unless authorized by law.
Minutes after adding the provision to the immigration bill it is debating, the Senate passed a second amendment with less pointed phrasing. Declaring English the country's "common and unifying" language, it specified that the "existing rights" under which the government provides bilingual services and assistance would not be diminished.
Lawmakers said negotiations with the House would determine which of the two measures remains in a final bill overhauling the nation's immigration laws.
The debate over the English language issue dominated Thursday's Senate proceedings and frequently grew heated. Proponents of the tougher amendment argued that it was needed to unite the country, while opponents insisted it would cause greater division.
The dispute echoed similar debates that have occurred for more than a decade not only in Congress but at state and local levels.
This proposal seems to me to be an attempt to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. I know of no organized group that advocates the use of any language other than English in our laws and other government documents. The article from which the excerpt was taken states that forty-two million residents of the United States speak some language other than English in their homes. Are those people a threat to us? I can’t believe it.
One person wrote:
It would be very refreshing to be able to drive through a drive-thru, shop at the grocery store, or ask someone for assistance and have them be able to understand you and even more amazing... understand them! I support English as our national language wholeheartedly!
Perhaps that is the key to my problem. People are resentful of workers who don’t speak English. People who don’t speak English should stay away from the rest of us. Non-English speakers should not be given jobs where they have to wait on or serve English speakers. Non-English speakers should keep to themselves and not wander out into neighborhoods in which only English is spoken.
Am I alone in thinking that resentment against non-English speakers is a despicable form of prejudice?
