phinephancy-

And, not to be mean, but I think Gov. Perry would have a hard time talking in ANY language.

Neither would Gov. Opps remember the language.

he's buy poler...according to both poles...and wants a yodel'n fee...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig2xYPzF2lQ

Bev,

But, but wouldn't GOD just tell him how to speak? :)

Chucky,

The governor of Texas can't speak 'merican that darn good.

English as official US language: Perry says, 'I can agree with that'

I can agree with that as well.. That's why I'm voting for Ron Paul, not this Perrywinkiedink of a man.

RON PAUL 2012

Clearly Perry speaks in tongues. If you're not speaking in tongues as your first language you're obviously not a true Christian.

You know, Italian is a nice language. I like the food. We could speak Italian. Or French. I love French fashions and French bread........................

them french fries...hmmmmm good...

Pizza - ummm

Wait a moment Mr. Perry. Is it not YOU and your "ilk" who claims they want government out of everything in the private sector? You obviously do NOT want government telling ANYONE or business what to do in America right? So how DARE you try and tell business what they can or cannot print on there products. How DARE you assume to tell a BUSINESS who they can or cannot pander or peddle there product to.

If they so choose to target the French, Mexican, Iraqi etc or otherwise it is there capitalistic FREEDOM to do so.. So come of it mate. Jog on. And while your at it learn to speak more then the language your parents taught you. It is a sign of intellect while you are a sign of intolerance and hate. ; ]

Cheers luv

polka...what's the link...now some fine yodeling...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oiRA4AiM5I&feature=related

This kind of twaddle is the reason that I could never vote for a guy like Perry. I mean, here Americans are suffering the worst recession in recent memory with high unemployment and housing values continuing to tumble and this is the kind of issue that he is spouting forth on??

Does Rick think that broke and busted sounds any better in English than in Spanish??

Oh Rick - do us all a favor roll this one off your tongue and then disappear.

"Hasta la Vista, Baby"!!

Hey Rick! How about just sign language? I got a reel simple one fer yer ter git reel used to seein' alla the time; an' it only takes wonner my hands and one finger.

And nobody in the room noticed they were in Cerro Gordo County, IA. Gotta change that immediately.

First the US... then the WORLD!!!! Muhahahah!!!

Sarc=0

Now there's a true libertarian stance Arieus, FORCING people to adopt your language by fiat, instead of convincing them thru a free market of ideas that adopting your language is better.

The Libertarian policy - I want absolute control of my property, and yours too.

Does this fool think that having package directions in other languages will change as a result of this?

Thats called MARKETING, You want to make your product as accessible to the widest audience you can.

So Perry Besa mi cuelo

(FYI I barely speak Spanish, only enough to get me in trouble, I also have a touch of French and some Hawaiian--I like learning Hawaiian but mostly I prefer not to speak much at all)

"Personally, I'm fed up with seeing the directions on every single product on every single shelf of every single store written in foreign languages."

Why is it they call it the Party of Hate, again?

What exactly will it mean to have English as the official language? Will manufacturers not be able to include other languages on packages? If so, conservatives must be for more regulation. If so, conservatives must be anti-business - otherwise, why would you want to make life harder for potential customers?

I live in right-wing Tennesee and the repulicans passed the "English" only work place law here. The law requires Mexican and Chinese restaurants to force ALL of their employess speak in English only at all times. It is a silly law and impossible to enforce, but the law makes the republicans happy??? The restaurants are against the law because they beileve ethnic restaurants should be able to speak in what ever langauge they want in their kitchen. The Tennessee republicans believe in the government controlling ever aspect of of our lives even what we speak. The official language of Tennessee should be "hillbilly slang" because that is what the majority speaks. The GOP must be defeated vote for Democrat and Independents but no Tea for me please.

"Personally, I'm fed up with seeing the directions on every single product on every single shelf of every single store written in foreign languages."

If this is the 1 big issue that this person has in his/her life, then they must have a pretty nice one!

Eventually, someone is going to do the "Gail Sheehy" analysis of "conservatives" and those who hate all- things-Obama and explain that it is a condition of mental illness having to do with personal and cultural insecurities and very little to do with politics, logic, or even race. Unfortunately the easiest way to describe the condition also tends to minimize its significance when it becomes known as "Fecalis Mentalis."

What Perry and his ilk fail to realize is that English is about 33 percent Latin and Greek. All of the scientific words and most of the higher level conceptual words have Latin roots.

In the above paragraph the words Percent Conceptual and Scientific are all Latin based.

It's clear that 'Scientific' is a word that strikes fear into the minds of Perry and his supporters.

Our founding fathers were well versed in Latin. Our government is based on the Latin Roman Republic model and not on the theocratic monarchies of the bible.

Let's be a little smarter and show appreciation for the Latin traditions. Spanish is Latin and our kin, not our enemy.

Just curious about what the actual costs to the taxpayers is for all the government forms, signs, and textbooks in the spanish language? Add to that the costs of bilingual teachers, and other government workers required to be fluent in spanish.

The cost is buried in the noise. And that's another problem with the right wing lunatic fringe - they're so concerned about federal spending and yet the only solutions they come up with wil have no measureable effect either on spending or the deficit.

It is amazing that this tongue-tied Texan has so much to say off of the political stage.

However, he cannot remember much to say on the political stage (at the GOP debates.)

Perry could not even name 3 U.S. government agencies that he wanted to eliminate.

Yes, America should have a standardized language.

Ostensibly, Perry is not the man for the Oval Office!

You obviously do NOT want government telling ANYONE or business what to do in America right? So how DARE you try and tell business what they can or cannot print on there products. How DARE you assume to tell a BUSINESS who they can or cannot pander or peddle there product to.

You've got it completely wrong. The government mandated that many products have multi-lingual packaging. The government prints documents in multi-lingual versions. From a cost-perspective, the federal government could save millions of dollars per year printing documents in English only. And the environmentalists should agree...think of all the paper savings! This applies to business as well, if they were not required to print in multiple languages, they could reduce their costs as well. Obviously, if they choose to print multi-lingual, so be it, or of course if they plan to export.

"This applies to business as well, if they were not required to print in multiple languages, they could reduce their costs as well." You've got it all wrong. Many businesses sell their products in many countries - that's why they print instructions in different languages. They are not "required" by the federal govt. to do so.

a COMMON LANGUAGE IS WHAT UNIFIED THIS COUNTRY; NO OTHER NATION IN THE WORLD, CAN YOU TRAVEL 3000 MILES COAST TO COAST AND ALL SPEAK A COMMON language; NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING MULTI-LINGUAL THAT IS GREAT; BUT HAVE ONE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE FOR ALL , TO HAVE A UNIFIED Nation, ( my dad had a mother of Spanish decent, a grandmother of French descent, he spoke English, French and Spanish , he served in the Navy for 3 decades, it got him the best duty stations.)

"Who cares what Perry thinks", this guy is "Finish" Go back to Texas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah tell that to the Puerto Ricans, the Samoans and the Hawaiians (the native ones, not the gringo ones) about your official language requirements, or we just going to make exceptions?

Cant make laws that contradict the 50+ plus dialects spoken in this country, and the spanish speaking sections of it by saying this law applies only too this part but its excempt on that other part.

And the common language its already spoken and it's english, no need to make laws officializing it.

OK, Saxon, what would the effects of an "offocial" English require? Make it illegal to speak any language except English? Ban all signs and documents except those in English?

How would you enforce it? Fines? Jail time?

This topic is another opportunity for modern "conservatives" to show that "I am ignorant, and proud of it"

This attitude of "Learn English" is right up there with "America, love it or leave it" or "America can do no wrong"

Only the ignorant are unaware that embracing multiple languages is good for the worker, good for our society and good for the country.

One day, proud ignorance will fade away from our great country.

I lived in Central America for a number of years. If you didn't speak Spanish you were always at a disadvantage. I learned the language because I lived there, worked there and needed to communicate with the people.

If your going to live and or work in a foreign country you need to learn their language. It's not the foreign Countries responsibility to speak your language. If your just visiting, that's a different story.

I live in Southern California and we have a huge Spanish population who are bilingual. They live here, work here and for most part also speak English. Those who don't will not prosper as well as those who do.

Do we need English as a National language, I think not. We can't discriminate against people who come to our Country because they don't speak English. If that were the case then our Country would be made of only Englishmen. We're a melting pot, we've always accepted everyone.

Don't be prejudice. If you don't like the label, don't buy the product.

You can tell by my name that I'm not a GOPer, but I agree with Saxon. There is nothing wrong with a language that unifies all the different peoples that live here. My grandparents came from Russia and spoke Russian and German, but they couldn't wait to learn to speak English and become "truly American." This is what they told me. They spoke German at home, but always out of the house it was English.

To Severed Head, no one said anything about making speaking another language illegal, or having jail time. Don't talk stupid...........talk English.

You can debate the semantics of whether or not English is America's language all the live long day; the point is that English is the language of this country - not Spanish, not Chinese, not Swahili, not Farsi, English.

The fact that the majority of Americans throughout our history spoke English from "sea to shining sea" and everywhere in between allowed our country to develop a degree of integrity as a nation and a culture that has allowed us to surpass every other nation on earth and to become the last remaining - deservedly so - super power left in the world. If you want to see in the here and now how not having both dialectic as well as national integrity turns you into the proverbial tower of babel with capricious infighting being the rule, rather than the exception - look at Europe - the great wonder that will never, ever be.

Now, here in America we have a bunch of politically correct, bleeding heart liberals who want to bow down to the intractable, lazy attitude of people coming here for the opportunity (to milk the cash cow they view America to be) who are refusing to learn to speak English. The worst offenders are of course are illegal aliens - most notably and most numerous being the Hispanics - who by virtue of their utter actions and being here have absolutely demonstrated NO RESPECT for the laws or borders of America, and who, because we have a fool in the White House - rather than a leader - as President, are being encouraged to hold onto the very sets of values as well as the language that goes with them that created the dysfunctional societies they fled from to come to America!

Whether or not someone declares English America's language is irrelevant to me, however, what we need is to put a little starch in our immigration (or lack of immigration) policy and make it very clear that if there ever is to be anything even approaching a general amnesty you will not get it and you will deported forthwith if you cannot prove that you have mastered English - speaking, reading and writing it; have a command of American history and an allegiance to and actual caring about its future; no criminal record and are gainfully employed and not sucking up welfare and bankrupting the states you have chosen to plant yourselves in and become a never ending burden upon every possible welfare program ever conceived - to help truly needed - not birth control challeneged people who don't care who pays for their kids delivery and or who pays to raise them.

Those who espouse teaching in school two languages (English should be consdiered a second language but the primary languge) to enable children to "learn" are only hamstringing the children they NOT helping, but hindering.

Previous generations of LEGAL immigrants (as opposed to illegal aliens) who came to America knew that they had to assimilate; adapt and learn to be part of rather than keep themselves apart from being America - and it was this process of bringing the best of their previous, left-behind cultures and melding those positive aspects with the freedom to grown beyond the strict, narrow (minded) confines of their previous cultures (which in most cases they fled for the usual reasons - oppression and/or deprivation of whatever flavor you choose to mention). Previous generations took it as a matter of pride that their children would do well in Americanand become Americans.

What do we have today though are a bunch of rabidly left wing liberal, politically correct fools who somehow think you can have 50 or 60 different insular, isolated cultural focal points within America - all being treated as though they do not need to bother to become part of America because that wouldn't be nice now would it?, to ask them to change and get off their lazy rear ends and actually truly support and become one with America.

Well, that attitude; that type of stupidity will not and cannot be allowed to stand; it must be eliminated and if that means we have start getting serious about deporting the 12 to 20,000,00 illegal aliens in this country to put the fear of God into them and make them actually start to think about what they have and what they are going to loose if they are not truly interested in becoming part of America, rather than simply taking advantage of the opportunities America offers all who actually care about her and are willing to work to make America better - then, too, damn bad. Let's all get together and have a pity party and then start deporting them back to where they came from and see how they like it there.

I vote for Swahili as the official language.

Mimi kupiga kura kwa ajili ya Kiswahili kama lugha rasmi. (Swahili translation!)

Is there anyone who thinks that Englsih is not the official language of the US. What is the point?

What does the draft dodging chickenhawk Steve King (R-Iowa) know about foreign policy? When he had his chance to serve his country he ran like a scared little puppy dog and avoided it like the plague and he is supposed to have integrity on the subject?

He can down Ron Paul all he wants but Our veterans and active military overwhelmingly support Ron Paul's foreign policy so I am inclined to believe he is right. I find it odd that the biggest warmongers are draft dodgers, never served in the military or are so called Christians. Our veterans and troops know a whole lot more about what is going on than they do.

If you want to read about Steve Kings draft dodging days read, "Bleeding Heartland-King and the Draft".

Here is a message from one of our proud marines.

Stoop...................I'd agree with most of what you wrote if you'd leave out the really insulting and quite stupid insults to the left. I'm a leftie, and I think English should be our first language. So what category does that put me in? I'll tell you what................you make all the 1%'ers pay their share, and then we can afford English classes for everyone. Deal?

yes english offical language of usa send all illegals home in a box and inprision all that hire and support them everybody evan those in high places tsm and the 12

What do we have today though are a bunch of rabidly left wing liberal, politically correct fools who somehow think you can have 50 or 60 different insular, isolated cultural focal points within America - all being treated as though they do not need to bother to become part of America because that wouldn't be nice now would it?, to ask them to change and get off their lazy rear ends and actually truly support and become one with America.

Everyone has their own culture. Part of that individuality is our lingual differences. It should be respected and not denounced by government. Speaking this European language known as English doesn't make you anymore "American" then any other American that only knows Spanish or Chinese. The idea that you are is called xenophobia; you want everyone to meet a standard that you find acceptable despite this nation being multicultural and multilingual since its founding!

polka...what's the link...

The language of privilege.

If the shoe fits... SoSickoftheGop ... the left must wear it!

It is one thing to care about people - it is quite another - to be,as is the case with most politically correct, bleeding heart liberals; who, for the most part of about as divorced from the reality of actually knowing anything - by way of personal experience or personal deprivation and actually missing a meal or two in their fed-to-beyond-the-point of glutonous surfeit, poor-little-rich kid lives what being poor or disadvangted is all about.

But, who nevertheless, sadly lament the fate of at the hands of capitalistic pigs any they deem as not qualified to visit the Ivory Towers they are so constantly wont to pontificate from - lol.

Fortunately, this is America and we all can have or take on things and both you and I can agree to agree on somethings; disagree on others and still respect the rights of the other to be dead wrong! Happy New Year.

Come 2012 hopefully we will finally really getchange we can count on and get at least someone who actually has leadership rather than "follower-ship/personal agenda" qualities sitting in the White House; someone who cares more about America and its future; where it came from and where it still has to go; than kissing the butts of all who would be more than happy to see it devolve into a hopeless morass of meaningless confusion populated by the latter day equivalent of a populus afficted by "Tower of Babel" syndrome!

Stoops.................In the last 20 years, workers salaries have stayed even, while food and auto's and clothing have gone up. As has the income of the top 1%. Quadrupled, in fact. You seem an intellitent fellow. How do you explain this phenomenon? And what in your opinion makes it fair? Because they create so-called mythical jobs?

Stoops2... you are verbose.

we were a english possession, we were and adopted the common law of england in our constitution (in the british empire, all official proceedings and documents must be in english); speak any language you want, however learn to speak, read and write in english to keep us from becoming a balkans country, which the anti-american crowd wants, a common language is a unifying factor; how would it work in a army if everyone did not all understand english, it would be a disaster, to give a command in 3,4,5 different languages, unified command, unified structure, makes a unified country.

Funneme.............Verbose, god that's a fine English word.

And see, most English words have their roots in other languages...............so using English really is a very fair thing to do?

Who agrees with me? Let's hear it for English!!!

speak any language you want, however learn to speak, read and write in english to keep us from becoming a balkans country, which the anti-american crowd wants, a common language is a unifying factor

It isn't government's concern what the People speak. The People should speak what they want. If some don't want to speak English then it isn't your concern. Maybe you should learn Spanish or Chinese or some other language if you want to speak with them? There is no "common language" and I like that the US is a multilingual society. It is a good thing and I support it.

Like so many terribly complex and yes, incredibly prone to become polarized points of view lening themselves to rancorous arguments- these issues SoSickofthe Gop, the "results" you are pointing out and which we are undeniably observing and living are not always necessarily attributable to the sources you cited as their antecedents and instigators.

It is rather like blaming a hangover for causing itself; when in fact the problem was the lack of propriety and sobriety of the human being who decided to imbibe that instigation caused the affliction.

The "problem" is that we have too many people more interested in imposing and creating true believers in their particular idyllic, Utopian "answer" like a straight jacket on the lightning fast movement and body of reality and existence; rather than doing their best to allow their actions and those they advocate for both individuals and governments to be in harmony with The Force. Only when one achieves such balance can truly sustainable and long terms organizations - be they small groups of people or humongous governments come into being.

Not an argument that we can get into now nor one suited to a forum such as this.

I do respect your opinion though - and that is not sarcasm - I just believe that you are looking at the symptoms; using the pat, knee jerk explanation usually given to "explain" them - which is in and of itself part of the problem - not the solution. Be well this coming year and let's both keep up the good fight - as we see it should be fought - in the end it will all work out.

and no, in no way shape or form was what I just wrote intended to be taken as condescending.

I have simply never found "Tip toeing through the tulips" and worrying about stepping on a few tulips or toes to be particularly efficacious when seeking the truth. In fact, often I've found such an approach helps hasten my realization that I am wrong about something - rare as I find that to be the case! - because it means that people tend to cut to the chase with me and really speak directly rather than wasting my time and theirs enveloping their statements in polite arguments designed to spare one's feelings and also give them plausible denyabiity to hide behind. How tedious.

Oh Stoops...........You leave me in despair. The people you describe, who wish to impose upon others their own views and create true believers in their own image............you have just described the GOP. Except they don't want to "create" true believers.........they want to force all of us to become true believers. Never. Never. Never. We will all fight before we allow that to happen. The 99 can overcome the 1. Believe it.

polka14; speak any language you desire; however; to do business with the government, to serve in the military, to advance in education, to vote, learn English, all immigrants who came to this country to live, kept their own language, but they all learned English, no one forces anyone to come here, but if you do come become a English literate person.

Stoops2Conquer:

One would think, however, that small-government, Constitution-minded people like Rick Perry (and yourself, I would imagine) are all against government regulation (the government telling people which language to speak and not to speak, telling businesses which language not to use in product labels) and doing things the Constitution doesn't strictly allow. Tell me, in what article does the Constitution explicitly allow the government to set an official language?

And I take offense at your suggestion that anyone who is against English as an official language takes this position out of political correctness (or being a "bleeding heart liberal"). I'm all for border defense and no amnesty to illegal immigrants. I agree with anti–illegal immigration laws like the ones in Arizona or Alabama. Yes, I'm of Hispanic (not Mexican) origin, but I've always considered myself to be an American first and foremost, and I'm not apologetic about my belief that America is special and superior among all countries. But that doesn't mean that I can't see the hypocrisy in this "give the government the power to impose a language upon people" thing, whose proponents happen to be all allegedly small-government, only-do-what-the-Constitution-tells-us-we-can-do people.

And if you want to know exactly what I've got against the whole idea, here's a story: my father came here to the U.S. already a grownup. He's never mastered the English language, and not for lack of trying. He loves this country as much as we all in my family do, and he always did his best to make sure that the entire family assimilated to the American culture, even though at his age, he would never be able to become a proficient English speaker. And it's not like he demands people that serve him in any way to speak Spanish. It's not like he expects this country to embrace Spanish as a second de-facto language. But to make English the official language of this country (along with whatever implications you'd expect that to have) would be like an insult to him, like a "you're not good enough for us" type of thing, and I wouldn't like that very much.

I'm not really into the whole "let's preserve all of our motherland's traditions as thoroughly as we can" rule that many immigrants live by. Since so MANY people in the world want to come to the U.S., I think only those who are truly willing to give up any allegiance to their previous countries and fully embrace the U.S. as their new homeland should be allowed in. But the language thing is silly. People don't not speak English out of malice or even out of wanting to preserve their culture. People fail to speak English all the time because they are physically unable to. There's an age past which you cannot master a new language, and that age comes rather early. As a country, we must understand that, not because we all have a bleeding heart, but because we all should respect those who work hard to make this country a better place, love it and accept it as their homeland, but have been unable to speak English proficiently.

Happy new year to you and yours.

In a free society, we would be able to learn any language including the foreign language of English and not be limited in our ability to work with the government.

no one forces anyone to come here, but if you do come become a English literate person.

That kind of opinion is xenophobic in nature. Learning English does not make a person more "American".

Andre...........I do not believe there is an age beyond which a person cannot learn a new language. I have found myself, and speaking to others learning a new language, that the barrier comes up when they must speak knowing they are making mistakes and might be corrected. This is the point at which they may fail. One must put aside one's pride and ego, and put learning the new language first. In this wasy, learning occurs. Young children often make mistakes in tenses when learning. Perhaps your father could see himself as a child in this area if he really wants to learn English. Good luck to him.

SoSickoftheGop, the problem is that past a certain age, people are unable to learn new vocabulary as easily as they once were. My dad can speak proper, grammatically sound English if he has the time to deliberate his every sentence, but it's not easy for him to learn new vocabulary. He'd love to speak English as his first language, but those things are sometimes easier said than done, unfortunately. Thanks for the good wishes, though!

I happen to speak another language. But in public I speak only in English as does the rest of my family. It does not change anything about how I speak at home. I'm tired of racist arguments saying that there should not be an official language. Other countries have official languages. It does not weaken them in terms of culture. I think the US should have had this discussion ages ago. Why should we spend extra money for tests in other languages when the majority of Americans speak in English?

AndresTM: Your dad just needs more practice. Why don't you try talking to him only in English rather than going back to his native language. He probably spends most of his time with people who speaks only his language and isn't exposed enough to English.

polka14; a nation is like a ship of state; on the bridge if there were everyone speaking their own language, and not a common language, the ship would very soon run aground, since no one would understand what commands were given; much like a nation, speak any language that you desire; however in matters of government, military, education, voting learn the language of the country that you have voluntary chose to live in.

ATTENTION ALL NEWSVINE COMMENTATORS:

This may not seem important to many of you, but I am suffering a crisis of ideology. I have seen the ideas of both parties, and am uncertain on who to support in 2012. I like Obama, and Huntsman, and I am need of some help. If you could just give me some info and some help, I would be very grateful. Don't offer criticism, just offer arguments and evidence. Please, please respond to my plea.

saxon:

Are you honestly claiming that you know how to speak or write the English language?

If the answer to either is yes; you need to return to grammar school! Just the use of MS Word and its spell check would infinitely aid your appearance, if nothing else!

Further and finally, you need to rethink your ideas and then read the Constitution and amendments!

This is just another non-issue so the republinazis can secure the hillbilly vote. To the idiot that made this statement in the first place it won't matter what the official language is, it won't change the languages used on the packaging of products. Don't like the label in Spanish, read the label right next to it, that's right, the labels are in English too you morons.

English is the language of Business (All airline pilots must speak English also) French is the language of Diplomacy and Italian is the language of Love

And yes I had four years of Latin and it has served me well - many of our words are ground in Latin

hortus; i have read the constitution and it's amendments; if you have read them you would have noticed that the original is all in English.

saxon: then if you comprehend the Constitution, You know it does not specify a single language be spoken in these United States!

Well Luftty as far as Puerto Rico goes, Sh!t or get off the pot. Statehood or independent country pick one!

Speak whatever you want at home, at church or in your social clubs but the government is going to go broke if it has to print everything in every language in this country. My family spoke german and polish. seven blocks west of my house the languages were czech and slovak. On the east side of town the languages were itallian and greek. One block south of my house the language was serbian. South central part of town spoke spanish. See a small problem here.

Zero support for anything but English. That I like.

AndresTM. I agree - from what I've read somewhere - that there is an age after which it becomes more difficult (but not impossible) to learn a new language. My question would be whether or not you and your father ever made it a rule that under no circumstances would you continue to communicate in Spanish?

Necessity is the mother of invention as well as of motivation to learn.

I happen to live in one of the most heavily Hispanic neighborhoods of NYC; in fact when I first moved here(looked at the apartment late in the evening) and went walking down the street for the first time on a busy weekend day I wondered if I had not been suddenly - unbeknownst to me - been "beamed" to Mexico; given the ragtag, anything goes;"set up a card table; fill it with Chinese junk and let's see if they will come" atmosphere. Hearing anyone speak English as one walks down the street amongst all the vendors and their patrons you would almost be as surprised to hear any of them speak English as you would to see Christ's second coming on a street nearby.

This is not a case of people getting to a point of being too old and infirm and mentally unable to learn; this is a case of people simply not giving a damn about learning to speak the language of the country they have come to because they have fled the God forsaken hell holes of South America and Mexico, yet they are in some cases actually proud of the fact they "Sorry, no speak English." Quit making excuses for people being lazy AndresTM - and that is what you are doing.

Governments are nothing more than legal affectations brought into being by the human community to enable their cultures and societies to function and survive most efficaciously and safely - by providing an infrastructure of laws and rules by which individuals and society as a whole must - according to the dictates of what that society has voted (in a democracy in theory at least) should be accepted and respected; until changed by the majority at some future date based on that society's consciousness growth (i. e. civil rights laws) or a law proving to be more destructive than productive.

Those responsibilities of government (as I see them) should relate to: National Security; Economics and overall governance in a way that protects the weak but at the same time cannot be allowed to hamstring the strong by over regulating and reducing their interest in creating jobs by making it less profitable for them to bother to expend their capital and their brain power. Government should not to any degree support lazy freeloaders who have learned how to "work" the system; government should consciously orchestrate its welfare programs so that said freeloaders are totally, utterly cut off and find their only recourse is to either work or starve.

To that end, a government that allows itself and its nation to become a watered down, pale shadow of anything resembling an actual nation that has an individual character is courting and encouraging the demise of its nation as well as its culture.

There is a very, very good reason the best and brightest of all nations ultimately decide they must come to America if they are going to have a chance of realizing their fullest potential - no other country in the world - even now - offers as much freedom and respect for individual initiative and creativity; no other country in the world is less of a "nanny state" than America.

Yet we currently have a leader? sitting in the White House who not only has demonstrated no ability to keep his eye on the ball everyone wanted him to focus on "It's the economy stupid."; who also apparently has no clue nor caring about maintaining America's singular identity but is more concerned with making nice with a bunch of pseudo international "friends", who at the drop of a hat are only too happy to denigrate and do anything they can to undermine us as a power. There is a reason that most of the retiring military men and women rate Obama as the worst leader they have ever had; these are people whose B. S. meters are highly sensitive and accurate.

Well, getting back to English as America's and its citizens' NUMBER ONE LANGUAGE: if it takes a law to put the fear of God (and deportation) into the aforementioned street vendors and their clientele, who are only too happy to milk the cash cow they see America to be dry with no regard nor love of any kind for America in their hearts - well, then time to trot out a little "Fear of God" methinks!

Of course, you may disagree! Here's to a great New Year in which we get a new President; "Change we can count on" and America back on track - despite the efforts of those who would have it be otherwise.

I can't really connect the "freeloaders" and "welfare" concepts with the "English as an official language" idea, and I'm starting to think we're talking about two different things here. The way I see it, forcing everyone and all businesses to function in English only would mean more businesses closed and therefore more people on welfare. Forcing people to speak English will inevitably lead to some of them giving up on finding a job altogether and some others being rendered unproductive for at least a few years. It's just a sacrifice not worth making just for the hell of making a political statement.

And actually, the Founding Fathers devised our government so that minorities were protected from the passions and the whims of the majority—something very thoroughly explained in John Madison's Federalist Papers. That goes against your very notion of how the government should work.

You're free to think that English should be the official language. I don't disagree with the idea that everyone here SHOULD speak English. But they should not be forced BY THE GOVERNMENT to do so. Anyone who claims to be all about the Constitution, about what the Founding Fathers wanted for this country, and about a small government and no excessive regulations should understand the difference.

Unhappy: ever notice how much more homogeneous those countries are compared to America? America is the most heterogeneous country in the world by far. And countries with comparable numbers of people who speak another language have two or even three official languages, so your argument is invalid. Switzerland is one of the most harmonious countries in the world, and it has four official languages, one of which is only spoken by 0.5% of its population. [Understand, though, that I'm not advocating or even suggesting as a possibility the idea of making English and Spanish (or English and Spanish and French) the official languages of the U.S. No. Not by a long shot. Never. Jamás. That would go against the very arguments I've made against making English the only official language of the U.S. ]

Andre. I have 6 "sons I never had.". 2 are from The Gambia (getting political asylum here); 4 from Bangladesh - won the Green Card Lottery there.

If ever there was someone who is tolerant of others cultures and the wonderful advantages those diverse cultures bring to America when their "best and brightest" immigrate here so that can be "all they can be", it is I.

I really, truly, absolutely do not care what language people choose to speak; however the fact of life is this - please take note - English is the language of busines in the 21st Century; English IS the language of America and all other languages are SECOND languages - not first.

Being fluent and in total command of English will enable a person to function and move and shake to an infinitely higher degreee in today's world than any of the lesser languages one might be acquainted with, and if you don't recognize that - well, I guess we're through talking (or writing to each other!).

Just as I do not tell my boys to abandon their religions - 5 are Muslim; 1 Hindu - who cares? - even though personally believe all organized religions are to spirtual enlightenment what a black hole is to light.

Ialso do not tell them to abandon their native tongues; just inform them that if they truly do wish to rise to the greatest heights they are capable of here in America then they have to make certain they master English.

If you wish to be politically correct and suggest that that is a less than egalitarian and circumspect suggestion that those who come to America seeking the advantages of freedom and individuality choose to help - rather than hinder its evolution by learning to communicate in the language that has allowed its people to connect and conduct commerce virtually effortlessly since its inception - then, well, fortunately for you, we all still live in America where we are all entitled to adhere to and embrace fallacious thinking if we so desire.

In the endless years he has been the chief misadministrator of Texas it has been virtually impossible for a journalist to get to talk to him without first submitting a list of questions --that list is then cut down to the number of answers he can memorize. If a journalist asks a question not on the approved list it is ignored by him.

that is so sad. must be the reason he wants to get rid of the Dept. of Education, he must have found it to be too complicated, there by, making it worthless to him.

Sharing a common language has been found to be one of the most important factors in creating and maintaining a successful, unified nation. Without a common language no nation survives very long. All one has to do is look at Canada and it's problems with Quebec to understand this principle.

I guess 235 years isn't long enough eh? Stupid facts.

Virgo, obviously you don'y remember 70' in Quebec, came near to civil war between riots and sabotage. As for Perry's statement I have no problem with it, but my definition is:

1. All OFFICIAL documents in English only. That includes voting material, court documents, drivers licence test, etc.

2. All school tests in English, my first year in high school on some subjects test score was NA, next year it was sink or swim, it worked.

3. Business would be required to have primary point of contact with customer staffed with English speaking personel, back is optional ( I don,t care if cooks in local Chinese restaurant speak English, as long as my order is correct)

4. I dont care about packaging of products, as long as English is first.

I agree with your comment to tall him to shut up and go home.

In the endless years he has been the chief misadministrator of Texas it has been virtually impossible for a journalist to get to talk to him without first submitting a list of questions --that list is then cut down to the number of answers he can memorize. If a journalist asks a question not on the approved list it is ignored by him.

Mr. Knowlton: Who was the previous governor of Texas? Oh, I second your motion and rest my case.

Perry's ego is too big to allow him to drop out of the GOP presidential race.

Only when the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses bestow on him a low number of votes...will he probably publicly consider dropping out of the GOP race.

Jack - You don't know how bad we wish he would go away. He was an embarrassment before he went on the national stage, and now us Texans know there is no way he is going anywhere except back home. I hope he has done enough damage to his reputation now that he won't be able to run for anything here except away. However there are a lot of people in this state who eat his politics up. I saw a car with a Perry for President sticker the other day, and just can't fathom how someone could support him or his views. Of course the with other Republican hopefuls this year, is it really that surprising.

We are all embarrassed here at home too. His Mama and them have requested that you send him home if you happen to see him.

"All OFFICIAL documents in English only."

What good comes from this, exactly? Or is it more to send a message?

"All school tests in English"

I absolutely agree. I don't see why it shouldn't have been this way in the first place.

"Business would be required to have primary point of contact with customer staffed with English speaking personel, back is optional ( I don,t care if cooks in local Chinese restaurant speak English, as long as my order is correct)"

Isn't this a very strong (and pointless) form of government regulation? I'd rather have the choice to fight with the Chinese guy for five minutes on the phone so he can get my order right AND be able to get his delicious food than not have the choice at all because his business was unable to open in the first place due to pointless regulation. It is one thing for the government to demand businesses that they serve us food free of germs, and it is another one for the government to demand that they interact with us in a very specific way. Isn't that a form of socialism, big government telling us what to do? Absolutely in no way do I agree with this. It'd hurt the economy, no doubt. If you want to force the Chinese restaurant to hire someone to answer the phone in proper English, tell them so. Hurt their business by not doing business with them unless they do so.

"I dont care about packaging of products, as long as English is first"

Absolutely. It only makes sense.

Shhh, my prince, his supporters forget there is a world outside of their own backyard! :)

Yep, there is nothing in the world as big as Texas or bigger than Texas.

Alaska

Phine, that's just a nasty rumor perpetrated by the media. Nuthin's bigger'n Texas. Yeee Harrr!

Chucky & Egilman

I am telling Sarah on you!!!!!

Sorry y'all ... CANADA ... heck it's even got more letters than texas

phine & ideology,

You are from the real world, y'all don't unnerstand TEXAN ;-0)

If you like, Ideology, you can take back Alaska if you want - just take Sarah with you. LOL

I am telling Sarah on you!!!!!

Don't do that! (she's too frigid for me, must be that Alaska weather)

Besides I prefer my eskimo pies cold.....

It was never ours, but you can give it to Putin if you wish.

Well, she can see Russia from her back porch.............

Alas, tis late, Gentlemen a fond adieu.

They could split Alaska into 2 states and that would make Texas the third largest state.

phine,

And when the Bering Strait froze over in the winter I'm sure that she walked over there just to make sure. (that is why she can express it so confidently today....)

LOL, you guys are great. Good night.

Good night, phine, sleep tight,

"Well, she can see Russia from her back porch............." Boy you progressives are going to try to ride that lie until you are planted in the ground aren't you? Do you have any idea how stupid you sound? I mean if at this point you still can't get it through your thick skulls that it was Tina Fey in a SNL skit that said that you are dummer than dirt. But my guess is that you are aware off the actual source of the quote but are still blantantly lying..... of course since that is all you progressives ever do (tell one blatant lie after another) it comes as no surprise. It just proves progressives are either stupid or pathological liers... or both.

Here you go. What she said is still kind of ignorant.

Palin actual quote was: "They're our next-door neighbours and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."

There are a number of people that can say the same thing about Canada and Mexico. Just another useless throw away lines from Palin.

Thank you. I have said for years that the reason directions are in Spanish and French on products in the US is so we can sell those products across our borders. But as a nation, it's apparently easier to believe that it's a trick to make our kids become Mexican or something.

Hey dmac, we progressives will keep on with the Alaska stuff as long as you boneheaded conservatives keep up the Obama teleprompter crap.

that is funny multiplayer since lite is a slag term and is not in the English Dictionary. most come from all those lite beer labels.

Way to go muglitt, Multiplayer never should have called W lite. He should have used a more appropriate adjective live homosexual bottom boy. That would have been more truthful and appropriate.

MUGLIT SAID

that is funny multiplayer since lite is a slag term and is not in the English Dictionary. most come from all those lite beer labels.

From Merriam Webster:

Definition of LITE

1
: ⁴light 9a

2
: diminished or lacking in substance or seriousness <litenews>; specifically : being an innocuous or unthreatening version —often used postpositively <it is film noir lite — James Greenberg>

FROM OXFORD:

Lite Pronunciation:/lʌɪt/

adjective

• 
  denoting a low-fat or low-sugar version of a manufactured food or drink product:lite beer
• 
  informal denoting a simpler or less challenging version of a particular thing or person:I am the happy feminist who likes men, the feminist lite
  
  
  
  
  So I guess it is in the dictionary. Note it was not even labeled as slang...uh btw what is slag apart from a waste stone material or a promiscuous woman? just asking!

Dmac I Find It Odd That You Would Take The Word Of A Drug Addict Who Has Contradicted Himself And Failed A Lie Detector Test (Larry Sinclair) But Hey You Are Just Exposing Yourself As An Obama Hater Again.

Your comments on a dead guy who went to the same church (and was a Choral Leader there) are totally meaningless. (Donald Young) He got killed and his home was burglarized. On the SOuth Side Of Chicago....Not one scintilla of evidence Obama has anything whatsoever to do with it. Not even a suspicion by any credible intelligent person. Only crackpots blather on about that.

Nate Spencer --Same thing absolutely nothing to link Obama and him except that they went to the same church

Oh yea and the blathering of Larry Sinclair who as I said failed his Lie Detector Test and more:

Sinclair's biography, though, may get in the way of that pitch: Public records and court filings reveal that he has a 27-year criminal record, with a specialty in crimes involving deceit. The record includes forgery charges in two states, one of which drew Sinclair a 16-year jail sentence. The Pueblo County, Colo., Sheriff's Office also has an outstanding warrant for Sinclair's arrest for forging an acquaintance's signature and stealing her tax refunds.

"It is what it is," said Sinclair's spokesman, Montgomery Blair Sibley, of his client's criminal record. "He's not hiding from it, he's not denying it."

inclair, who is still alive, is 46, stands 5'7", and weights 168 pounds, according to arrest records. Colorado records list him with 13 aliases, including "Larye Vizcarra Avila" and "Mohammed Gahanan." His story has generally been ignored by the mainstream media, because he's been unable to substantiate his allegations. He has come to public attention recently, however, because his planned appearance at the National Press Club drew complaints from a wide array of prominent liberal bloggers, led by Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher. Their petition to prevent Sinclair from renting space at the club – which bloggers feared would lend him credibility – drew more than 11,000 signatures.

Press Club President Sylvia Smith said Sinclair had rented space at the club, which doesn't censor speakers.

"I'm not aware that we've ever turned anybody away for content," she said, adding that Sinclair's allegations "don't seem very credible."

This February, the website Whitehouse.com reportedly offered Sinclair $100,000 if he could pass a polygraph test verifying his claims. He took them up on it, and the site said in a press release that the polygraph organizers said his results "indicated deception." Sinclair then suggested the polygraph's sponsors had been bribed to skew the results against him, an allegation his lawyer, Sibley, said he would expand on at his press conference. (Test administered b former Pres of American Polygraph Association)

Sinclair has outstanding warrants for his arrest, he is unable to find any attorney willing to represent him in his civil suits, the previous ones resigned the case.

This is your base source.

We are all impressed

It is quite pathetic but closed minds are a steel trap.

They're sitting on Harry Reid's desk

Actually, I agree with the GOP and I speak another language. When in public, I speak in English as does the rest of my family. Making English the official language doesn't change anything about how I speak at home. Why don't you racist people stop thinking this will change most immigrants? It won't.

"Where's the freakin jobs"... Why don't you ask Obama and the dem majorities he had in both houses of congress for his first two years that question? While you are at it ask him why, if "Bush's tax cuts" were such a bad idea why didn't Obama and his dem majorities in both houses of congress make any attempt at repealing them during Obama's first two years as _resident? Or ask Harry Reid why he has tabled and refused to allow a vote or even any discussion on any of the 12 different "jobs" bills the House passed and sent to the Senate since Jan 2011.

dmac, first - there was not a filibuster-proof senate. If you paid attention you would know that the reps broke the record on filibuster. Also, the so-called Blue Dog Dems typically vote with the republicans. Second - President Obama extended the tax cuts because the Reps wouldn't vote for extending unemployment benefits to those out of work due to de-regulation and corporate/political greed. President Obama put the needs of the people struggling first. Third - there are not 12 "jobs" bills being held up by Reid. The bills have nothing to do with jobs - just more de-regulation and lowering of taxes for corporations who have proven that they do not create jobs in this country no matter how low taxes go. Stop spreading hate and lies.

Moderate

It seems that Obama disagrees with your assessment of the Bills on Harry's desk. Just a few weeks ago he stopped some of the EPA Regulations from going into affect, HR 872 and HR910. Then he also opened up the Arctic and Gulf to more oil lease,HR 1230,HR1229,HR 2021 and HR 1938. That takes care of 6 of the Bills. I wonder when Harry will turn loose of the others.

[quote]Me:)

This is unreal. He has got to be doing this to gain media exposure. No way that a governor of a state can be that stupid and not know that English already is our official language. If he really doesn't know, he should be removed from office right now due to mental illness.[/quote]

The U.S. doesn't have an official language.

It doesn't? So a Spanish speaking representative can introduce a legislation in Congress and it will be written in the Spanish language. How about Japanese or maybe Arabic. Are you from Texas too? If you are, enroll yourself in any civics class anywhere outside that fine state ASAP.

Actually its' never been made "official" even though it has always been the recognized language. A lot of people are getting quite tired of being turned down for jobs because they don't speak spanish. How much money does this country spend annually teaching children in two languages? Every time you make a call to check a balance, pay a credit card etc.. you have to push buttons to get the "option" of hearing the instructions in English. People don't even have to speak English to get a drivers license anymore the books are prepared in Spanish and likely other languages. IT needs to be made the "official" language of this country and foreigners need to start dealing with that and learning to read, write and speak in English. Federal rules for a commercial drivers license state that you have to read and speak English yet this isn't enforced and non-english speakers are getting CDL's though I have no idea how they navigate unless they always have a translater with them or by phone acess?

Me:)-Matt is right, American DOESN'T have an official language. It never has had one.

Perry is stupid in doing this because part of the reason they even put foreign languages on things like that is to help them reach the market.

And no, I am NOT from Texas either. I believe it's you who needs to enroll in a civics class, America never has had an official language. You can even look it up and it will plain out tell you.

A congressman can introduce a bill in any language he or she wishes. The problem with a bill is getting it passed. I'm now fron Texas, but, I learned that in Illinois.

Donald, and which language must be used in order to pass that legislation? You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Legislating means governing. And no one in the United States Congress introduces a piece of legislation without the intent to vote on it. If a particular legislation is to be introduced in say, Swahili, no one in Congress would know what it says, much less be able to vote on it. Any legislation, a court docket or any other official government business must be and always is conducted in the English language. That makes English the official language of the United States even though that is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution. Now, shall we dispense with the bull?

Me:)

Are YOU actually so ignorant that YOU need to take a basic civics class? The United States of America does NOT have an offical language. English is the common language but NOT an official language. The examples you used to try to prove your point allowed everyone reading to see how ignorant you truly are about sonething so simplistic. You suggest that an elected official might try to enact leislation in a foreign language? Most of our elected officials graduated college with a poli-sci major, which is one one of easiest majors to obtain. Many of these elected officials couldn't hold an intelligent conversation in english much less offer legislation in a foreign language.

Nomo..., what does someone's college major have to do with Congress' official business? If my example of Swahili bothers you, use Spanish instead. I'm sure that many members of Congress can read, write and speak Spanish. Even so, they can never bring anything to the Congressional floor in Spanish. They must use English and nothing but English. I'll let you conclude why that is. Stop thinking that something is true only if it is written in the Constitution. That document provides the framework for our laws and it cannot possibly cover every single topic imaginable. Example: Insurance companies are not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution. Does that mean that a car insurance company is an illegal business?

Me
In order for a language to be determines 'official' there must be a law passed making it official. That has never been done. Proponents of 'English as an official language' want to do just that. Make a law.

Seems a bit at odds that the same people who propose this are also the same people who are always pushing for smaller government and keeping government out of our lives. Gotta wonder!

Most bills introduced in congress now are written in Legalize, which no one fully understands, not even those who author the piece. The great thing about this though is that it provides jobs for lawyers and the courts for years to come as they attempt to reach an interpretation. Isn't that wonderful?

English is NOT official language of the USA

This will be my final post regarding this topic. For those of you seeking an additional proof that water is indeed wet, please allow me to demystify this common sense issue since some among us can't think for themselves. It is true that we do not have a "law" thats declares English as the "official" language. However, English is the "de facto" language which for all intents and purposes means precisely that. And "de facto" means the following:

De facto (English pronunciation: /diː ˈfæktoʊ/, /deɪ/^[1]) is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure (which means "concerning the law") when referring to matters of law, governance, or technique (such as standards) that are found in the common experience as created or developed without or contrary to a regulation. When discussing a legal situation, de jure designates what the law says, while de facto designates action of what happens in practice. It is analogous and similar to the expressions "for all intents and purposes" or "in fact."

If some of you still don't believe me, you're welcome to sue Wikipedia since they also agree with me.

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

A law that spells out what some of you are looking for has not been passed and probably will not be because of our history, who we are and what makes us one nation. We are a nation of immigrants and forcing one or another language to be officially recognized as the official language is viewed as a discriminatory practice by many. Making something official gives something else an aura of lower value or lesser importance and has therefore been avoided. That is why English was made the de facto language so that our government can function. Rick Perry would not know this because as far as he is concerned, Texas is the the only "country" in North America and in that country, everyone should speak only English.

Hard to believe, but it is true. Perry did become the governor of a state. Mind-boggling.

Me:)... thank you for having a brain and using it. I love seeing that on the blogs. Well written, well researched; again, thank you. Have a great New Year.

The US has never had an official language but my family never got everything from Washinton printed in polish and german. And if you can't read the signs in english how can you expect to drive. The last place I worked had translators for english/spanish, lao/english, sudanese/english, vietnamese/english and chinese/english. It is not just french/english like in Canada. And just in sports there is a story about some soccer player using a racial slur negro which in spanish the players native language means black. If thats a racial slur nobody call me white because that would be one too.

Why not? It works for Switzerland and parts of Germany.The new international language of finance.

check this out...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43B_9LBdx6Y

Bob, thank you ! Wunderbar ! Happy New Year ! Anyone who reads this should give it view and listen !

kick butt yodeling...check out some of the families other videos...they are great...thanks...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tda99BYu3s&feature=related

I have always loved and been cheered by the skill and genuine enthusiasm of Jodelers und Schuhplattlers. I definitely appreciate your sharing this ! Can't wait for Oktoberfest 2013 ! Thanks again ! I think I am in love with the brunette !

Aw come on, Indrid, have a heart. Yodels are yummy, but human female yodelers are far yummier ! :)

Yodeling could never be the official language, I have never seriously tried to yodel but the one thing I have never seen is a serious yodeler frowning. It appears to be impossible to yodel and frown--If everyone in the US started to yodel and stop frowning. Imagine both houses in congress smilling the entire time they are in congress and then when they got back home.

Nailed it, other Bob! Especially if they had Melanie Oesch to lead them. Melanie Oesch for President !

And this guy is governor why? x.x

We ask ourselves that all the time Kylie, I've lived in Texas for 13 years now and I've never voted for this imbecile nor do I actually know anyone who has either, we want him gone but not at the detriment to the rest of the country ;)

Toasty McGrath: You do realize that language isn't based on race.

language is based on location not race...most everybody is of the human race...some are on that fine line...

It isn't even based on location anymore.

that's the fine liners...

Don't be naive, Matt.

So, if a white man tries to keep a minority from preserving their culture they are racist but, when a white man tries to preserve his culture he is racist too? Is there anything that the white man can do that is not racist?

Thank you!!! It's about time someone pointed that out...

I dont worry about a white man doing that, I worry about an entire political party trying to do that in the allegedly "home of the free and the brave"

There is a point to this.

It is not package directions.

It's not even government regulations- which apply to citizens and non-citizens alike.

It's ballots- which are to be utilized by citizens only. English proficiency, by the way, is a requirement for attaining citizenship- so what is the point of ballots printed in numerous languages?

If you read the article, then you know that the tinybrain who raised the issue specifically referred to "the directions of every single product" - nowhere did he mention ballots.

livinginthewoods, what exactly is the "white" culture? I'm white, and I'm genuinely curious to know what exactly my culture is, and how it's been destroyed. The only "culture" I can claim as authentically American are shopping malls and McDonald's, and I've never been turned away from either for being white or speaking English.

Well I'm sorry if you don't feel as though you have a culture, that is pretty sad. You must have a low self esteem if you are so worried about the cultural heritage of others but don't even believe you have one of your own, I believe it is called self loathing. I guess you are lucky though to have never been turned away from a mcdonalds for speaking English, because when I lived in a major urban area I often was confronted with counter employees at fastfood places that spoke NO ENGLISH now, having grew up in houston, I speak enough spanish to order food but, what if Ididn't! I moved to a rural area so my kids don't have to learn spanish, they can choose to learn a second language of their own choice instead of being forced to learn a third world language just to get by in their own home country. Just for the record though, I can't stand perry or any other republicans.

Why?

Ja, warum?

up until 1972 it was....

Matt: You are wrong, there is diversity in this country and that what has made America historically great. The name America comes from an Italian, Amerigo Vespucci.

So if the we make English the official language we will have to change millions of sign and the name of America as well.

You ae ignorant. There is no such animal as the American language.

Hank R: If you don't like it, go live some where else. This nation was founded by immigrants and that is why there is so my different languages spoken in the US.

Even if English was the official language other languages would still be used because it is the law to provide those that do not speak English with something they understand.

While it's *possible* to advocate an official language without a nasty subtext of ethnic prejudice, both you and the guy talking to Perry make your motivations pretty clear.

The US government does not have the legal authority to ban everything that you don't understand. We have this thing called 'freedom of the press'. That includes the freedom to write in the languages of our choice.

And what is un-American about having more than one language?

English should be the offical language. This is America.

Ironic statement then, considering the name "America" is Italian, not English.
So, Hank, what do you prefer: Changing the name of America, or making Italian our official language?

Learning a new language takes time away from watching reality tv and THAT would be un-American.

well at wal-mart...when i speak in jibberish...the other folk's think it's code...freak out...unwrap my towel...and throw it to the people who smell like cat piss...

Actually, making English the official language of the US will cut down on a lot of other expenses. No longer would we have to have separate exams in both English and Spanish. No longer will people have to say press 1 for English and 2 for Spanish. I think it is ridiculous that there should so much opposition. I speak another language. But when in public, I speak only in English, because this is the country where I live. I wll still continue to speak the other language at home. That won't change. But I think Perry is right on this one. The US should have had this discussion a long time ago.

Matt, Hank, and all who advocate making English our official language and/or a requirement of citizenship:

As a former high school Spanish teacher, I wonder if you know how difficult it is for an adult to learn a foreign language. You do not seem to realize that most second-generation immigrants in America do speak English, many a lot better than the nativists (read: xenophobics) who would deny the rights and privileges of American citizenship to those who have not yet mastered our native tongue. The point is that most of them try to learn it; witness the growing enrollment in ESL classes.

Compared to the rest of the civilized, industrialized world, American efforts to learn a foreign language or indeed anything about another culture/ethnic group are an embarrassment. Try traveling to another country, see how easily you can make yourself understood. Foreigners accommodate us on their own turf, yet we insist that they conform to our 'official' rules when they visit our shores. Would you require tourists to speak English only?

Is it any wonder that American exceptionalism translates as arrogance and narrow-mindedness? Ugly indeed are Americans who embrace their own kind only, and denigrate all others. . .

What's interesting is that in China I see a lot of signs and advertising in Chinese and English. There are more English-speaking Chinese than there people living in the US.

What ever happened to the government getting out of peoples lives? If a business wants to advertise their product in multiple languages then that should be their right without government interference.

3rd grade? That is being pretty optimistic.

Actually, I agree with the GOP and I speak another language. When in public, I speak in English as does the rest of my family. Making English the official language doesn't change anything about how I speak at home. Why don't you racist people stop thinking this will change most immigrants? It won't.

We cannot make english the official language because most of the country does not speak english. I'm sorry but what ever it is they speak in the deep south, far north, east coast (jersey, boston etc) none of that is english.

Actually the reason would probably be to save money on exams given in the US. We should not have separate exams for Spanish as well as English. It makes the other languages in the US seem as if they are not good enough to qualify for their own exam.

Hate to break it to you, Unhappy, but the languages that tests are printed in depend on the size of the "foreigh" population where the tests are given. My 48 year old wife is desperatly trying to learn English, but can take the written drivers license exam in Chinese.

That fact that more of the English-only proponents here single out Spanish is telling.

You ever been to a web site for a European or Asian company? They have MANY versions of the site for the different languages. The rest of the world is not as small-minded as you.

I have done web sites for companies in Kansas (yes, Kansas) that are greedy enough to set up a Spanish version and greatly increase sales. It seems people order products more readily when they can read the web pages. Imagine that. The increase in cost was offset very quickly by the sales. Now, I might not recommend a Sanskrit web site, or one done in Celtic runes, but a Spanish site is a good idea.

'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you' - I agree. I choose to let people speak whatever languages they wish to speak, and I expect them to let me speak whatever languages I wish to speak.

The rest of your post is nonsense. It's not treason to adopt the (fundamentally conservative, incidentally) position that we don't need an official language. (And since we've gone well over two centuries without an official language, your position implies that we have ALWAYS been ruled by traitors...)

Translation does not double the cost of government. It increases the cost of a very small subset of government operations, and much of that cost is offset by the fact that the people who _need— translation would be a lot harder to give support to in English. Would you rather my tax dollars go to spending an hour telling someone how to pay their taxes in Spanish or three hours telling them how to do it in English while they fumble with a translation dictionary and ask the IRS support people how to spell every other word?

As for 'invaders' - you don't know what an invasion IS. If we were _invaded_, you would see tanks rolling into San Diego and fighter jets flying overhead. You would see unfriendly-looking fellows in camoflage toting their guns around at streetcorners. We don't have a foreign army of occupation. We have a bunch of immigrants who are here looking for a better life - just like we did in the nineteenth century when the Chinese and the Czechs and the Poles and the Irish were moving in in huge numbers, or the eighteenth century when the Germans moved in in huge numbers. We also have a bunch of people whose ancestors were in Mexico before we decided to move the US border west by annexing what had been northern Mexico. (Hint: There's a reason the older cities in California have names in Spanish, and it's nothing to do with 20th-century immigration.)

So are you going to tell me that only Spanish is worthy enough to have a translator but the other languages don't? Because that is what you are saying when you say you would rather spend 1 hour helping someone in Spanish rather than 3 hours in English. Other immigrants have to learn English in order to get their voices heard. They do it willingly to assimilate to the US. Can you provide translations for all the other languages in the US? Despite what you think, not every immigrant in the US is spanish speaking.

You have you opinion but I say you are the invader. Get out of my America.

@Unhappy-1583758: Nope, I'm saying that it's better to give people assistance in the languages they speak. Since Global Starvation was complaining specifically about Spanish, I only mentioned Spanish.

I'm happy for the government to provide traslation to whatever languages our citizens (and our visitors, for that matter) speak, be that Mandarin, Cantonese, German, French, Russian, Hindi, Vietnamese, Yiddish, Occitan, or (insert whatever language anyone feels slighted that I left out) here. My own city translates official materials into English, Spanish, and Chinese, which not-coincidentally happen to be the three most commonly used written languages here.

To be honest, I'm not sure how often one actually calls the *government* and needs to go through a language-selection menu in the first place - sure, they offer phone support, but I'd really rather get regulatory advice on paper if I need it.

What is treasonous about common sense?

The teabaggers and republicants are great evidence that the use of the English language does not guarantee that knowledge and intelligence are heard, understood, and utilized.

I know, that whole 1 for English, 2 for Spanish can be so tricky. I bet you are like me and get hung up trying to figure it out. And don't EVEN get me started on paper or plastic!!

As far as the instructions in multiple languages, I often have to spend one or two seconds going through all of the different languages until I realize I can't read them, and go back and use the English instructions. Man, what a waste of precious brain power.

English is one of the more challenging languages to learn. It generally takes about 2 years to become fluent with basic interpersonal communication. To become fluent at high academic level it takes 5 - 7 years.

How does it hurt you that a product has more than one language on it? One reason products are labeled in more than one language is because companies ship to more places than just the US.

I am proud to be bilingual.

Just turn the box around... you might be able to read that, it is in English! Too difficult???? Trust me, I am NOT in favor of illegals in our country and feel they should all be rounded up and sent home... they have broken our laws and therefore they are criminals. However, we have a large Spanish-speaking "American" population... the 2nd most popular language in the U.S. Why is it a big freakin' deal to have Spanish on one side of the d@$#d box? And usually when you call a business, it's press a number for Spanish... you don't have to do anything to hear it in English! Good grief... aren't there enough serious issues to be debating other than the language spoken in the U.S. We are spoiled rotten.. we can travel the globe and almost everyone in the travel industry speaks some English and the airports normally have English translations everywhere. It is very easy for us to get around in the world...

I would rather write how teary-eyed I became over Newt talking about his mother when "tears came to his eyes." He is such a B.S. phony!

Actually, there are more people that speak Spanish as their first language around the world than English.

John Mack
Do you really think making English the 'official' language will do away with the '1 for English, 2 for Spanish'? For the most part that is a marketing thing. Most companies realize that Spanish is the first language of a lot of their customers. Do you think that we would see a law telling the 'job creators' they can't market to some of their customers? Do you really think the Republicans would go against the 'job creators' and force them to leave out some of their market? What are you smoking?

If you would leave your little 'all white' enclave once in a while you would realize that many languages are used all over the country. That signs are displayed in many languages. Go to any big city to little Chinatown, or the Korean section. Or for that matter the area where Italtian immigrants congrated years ago when there was an influx of Italians.

Multiple languages will always be a large part of our country. Get over it and move on. You might be surprised how much better you feel.

DSB it's more than what companies do. It's what it costs this country to have every, single government form to be translated and printed into Spanish, every single government agency to pay a premium to have bilingual people on staff etc. Sure, in the overall effort to curb spending, this may be a drop in the bucket as compared to some of the other waste fraud an abusive found in the throwing away of our tax dollars, but enough drops in the bucket will eventually fill it.

It's also about how easy we make it for illegal immigrants to survive in this country - free medical, rent assistance, heat subsidues in the winter, welfare, food stamps etc etc AND if they dont speak English we provide a translation to make the process easy for them.

Both sets of my grandparents were LEGAL immigrants and the first thing they had to do in order to prosper in this country was to learn English. I think this is not an unreasonable request for people who would like to live hear.

I'm waiting for the day when someone who speaks Swahili sues because we discriminate against them by not providing the same services for those who speak Swahili as we do to those who speak Spanish!

Right. So let's make it difficult for LEGAL immigrants too.

My 48 year old Chinese wife is struggling to learn English. So let's make it even harder for her and maybe she'll go home where she belongs, right?

You realize that by eliminating that product packaging, you're eliminating a potential market for that product, taking profits away from that company, that company now doesn't need the people who write the instructions in different languages (so there's one job gone), the demand for the product is less (more jobs go) and then it might just be cheaper to move the whole operation into a country that doesn't outlaw different languages on the same package (and there's all the jobs gone) and just print the English directions there? No, you probably didn't, because the very sight of something not in English makes you annoyed. How very dare other countries and cultures exist in the world, and how very dare they expose themselves to your American sensibilities.

So where do you find this treaty from the 1800's that states if America declares an official language ownership of three states belonging to the United States of America revert to Mexican ownership? Is that what your saying?

And you really believe that, Marty?

Well, we in NM do invite the mexicans to try and take us back. I need some target practice. They can't even fight the drug lords. We would not even have illegals here if the Feds didn't protect them. Welcome to the wild west.