Should English be the official language of US ?

[glockmail]

The following senators voted against making English the official language of America :

Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wyden (D-OR)

All Democrats. The Anti-American Party.

 

[Alpha1]

Are Dimocrats and Liberals in general truely freekin' insane?

http://opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110010881


Sen. Lamar Alexander, a moderate Republican from Tennessee, is dumbstruck that legislation he views as simple common sense would be blocked. He noted that the full Senate passed his amendment to shield the Salvation Army by 75-19 last month, and the House followed suit with a 218-186 vote just this month. "I cannot imagine that the framers of the 1964 Civil Rights Act intended to say that it's discrimination for a shoe shop owner to say to his or her employee, 'I want you to be able to speak America's common language on the job,' " he told the Senate last Thursday.

But that's exactly what the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is trying to do. In March the EEOC sued the Salvation Army because its thrift store in Framingham, Mass., required its employees to speak English on the job. The requirement was clearly posted and employees were given a year to learn the language.

 

[mattskramer]

Before I give my opinion, I need to know what is meant by “official language”. Please give a percise, objective definition. If we have an official language, what would that mean for the American citizen? May he never be allowed to speak another language while on American soil? Does it mean that private business transactions would not be allowed to be transacted in French or German? Does it mean that government burocrats would never be allowed to conduct business in any other language, or does it simply mean that English would be the preferred langage when communicating with government burocrats? Is it simply a neat little item in a long list of official items for our nation – like the officil bird (the Bald Eagle), or the national tree (the oak)?

What about the Spanish-speaning legal American citizen who does not speak English very well? Wouldn’t it be a hardship for him if burocrats (even those who speak English and Spanish) were not allowed to communicate in Spanish?

What would happen to thoe who, out of convenience for the parties involved, speak briefly in another language? Whould they be fined $200 each?

 

[Annie]

Before I give my opinion, I need to know what is meant by “official language”. Please give a percise, objective definition. If we have an official language, what would that mean for the American citizen? May he never be allowed to speak another language while on American soil? Does it mean that private business transactions would not be allowed to be transacted in French or German? Does it mean that government burocrats would never be allowed to conduct business in any other language, or does it simply mean that English would be the preferred langage when communicating with government burocrats? Is it simply a neat little item in a long list of official items for our nation – like the officil bird (the Bald Eagle), or the national tree (the oak)?

What about the Spanish-speaning legal American citizen who does not speak English very well? Wouldn’t it be a hardship for him if burocrats (even those who speak English and Spanish) were not allowed to communicate in Spanish?

What would happen to thoe who, out of convenience for the parties involved, speak briefly in another language? Whould they be fined $200 each?

I'm not in favor of any kind of law regarding English. I do think that whatever needs to be put in place to make our signs at places of business, government, etc. should be able to be in English. If a business decides it's in their best interest to add another sign in another language, advertising they have employees that can speak the other language, no problem. I don't think all government forms should be issued in multiple languages.