Congress has decided English is our Offical Language>

[Annie Fawn]

Now I'm a bit confused about this English is our Country's OFFICAL Language thing, wasn't this decided somewhere back around 1776 when the Contiental Congress voted on English? If I remember my history classes English passed by 13 votes over German.
Most countries insist if you move there you have to learn their language. I don't care what people speak in their own homes but when I go to a store, I want people who answer me in English.

[andre]

Yes this was all taken care of well before Washington was out of office. Some people don't know their history at all. Some don't know how to follow rules and policies either. Why can't everyone be like children and do what they are told or suffer the consequences??? They're all too busy trying not to offend anyone and they end up making themselves look ridiculous (and p.o.ing me because I paid for it).

[1fromozette]

english was never our official language until congress passed the bill....read more about and your 2 will learn

[andre]

That's incorrect, English was the official language as proposed by the Constitutional Convention and though not federally passed for everybody under our current governmental system, it was accepted by all members of the United States at the time. This was in the power of the Continental Congress. It is also the primary official language of all states, though some have French or Spanish as secondary languages.

[andre]

BTW, de facto standard is the language of the majority, i.e. US English

[Annie Fawn]

In Denmark, they make people watch a movie about their country and morals, learn their language and sign a paper stating that they will follow and understand these things and do nothing against it. If they don't agree and sign the paper, they are forced to leave the country.
Many other countries are starting to do the same, only our country is willing to contuine to welcome immiagrants and then let them make demands and actually try to please them.
Our country needs to stiffen our backbone and take back our rules and laws and enforce them.

[One Hot Mama]

My great-grandmother spoke English far better than most whites ever thought they could but spoke Cherokee only at home and refused to answer us in English...she said, "If you don't know your own language, you don't know who your are", and she was right. She also had a photographic memory and could recite the US Constititution, the Declaration of Independence and just about every major historical document you could think of, explain the history behind it, and then debate the current application(s). She could also recite the Bible from beginning to end if she so chose, and not even preachers dared to get into a discussion on religious doctrine as she had also studied pretty near all the works of the "fathers" of the faith, such as St Augustine, Martin Luther, Woerner, Jonathan Swift, etc. They tried fancy word play and subterfuge, and she whipped them with the truth every time.

I worry less about speaking a language than really knowing it, being fluent in it. If English is the offical or unofficial language, we should make sure we are so freakin fluent in it we can insult somebody for 15 minutes and never use a single obscenity or vulgarity(yes, it CAN be done. I've heard it done, and it WAS impressive).

We should make sure we are better educated than the white man, because that is the only way we are going to be able to even hold our own let alone beat him at his own game(using our rules of course...one should strive for honor and integrity in all things). Know the history, the laws, the culture better than he does, yet never forget or step aside from our own.

We have to let ourselves heal, and that means forgiving whitey because holding onto all that hurt, bitterness, and hatred(especially the self-hated) is just hurting us, not him. Those people are too dense to ever figure out that they need healing with us because in hurting us they hurt themselves too, so let it go. We need to quit the domestic violence, the sex abuse, the neglect of our children, families, and elders, the poisoning of alcohol and drugs, the loss of identity and self-esteem from cultural alienation, and quit playing the blame-game. Let whatever the white man has done fall on his head, and let's clean up our own house and get things right with one another.

To do this, we need to learn how to listen within ourselves so we can make ourselves known to each other, learn to speak one with another, and learn to really listen to each other's minds, hearts, and spirits. That is the fluency our ancestors had no matter what language they spoke. It is the fluency we need now if we are to not just survive, but thrive. It is worthless to speak if one isn't able to listen.

[Zorro]

That's incorrect, English was the official language as proposed by the Constitutional Convention and though not federally passed for everybody under our current governmental system, it was accepted by all members of the United States at the time. This was in the power of the Continental Congress. It is also the primary official language of all states, though some have French or Spanish as secondary languages.

BTW, de facto standard is the language of the majority, i.e. US English

Señor, in fact it is you who are incorrect. May I suggest you reread that Wikipedia entry more carefully, and look up the term "de facto," which you use to directly contradict yourself. Oh, allow me to save you the trouble:
de fac·to
1. Actual: de facto segregation.
2. Exercising power or serving a function without being legally or officially established: a de facto government.

You might then spend some time actually reading about the Constitutional Convention of 1787, it is well documented by historians as well as by the actual attendees in their journals and papers. The issue of an official language of the United States was never even discussed. Why would that even have occured to them, when they all spoke English?

Here is a most enlightening website, with some actual facts for you. You can tell they are actual facts because they have footnotes, Señor. Additionally, you might note the well-researched and non-hyberbolic way in which they present their narrow-minded agenda. These are professionals, Señor, from whom you could learn much:

http://www.usefoundation.org/inc/official/myths.asp

And finally, Señor, English has never been the official language of the United States. It is, as you said, the "de facto" language of our country. That means the language that is spoken by most of the population, and the language in which governmental business is carried out and official pronouncements are made, without being legally or officially established. It is the language in which we are not allowed to say 7 words on television. Saying them in Spanish is ok, though, Señor, never fear.

[Zorro]

Now I'm a bit confused about this English is our Country's OFFICAL Language thing, wasn't this decided somewhere back around 1776 when the Contiental Congress voted on English? If I remember my history classes English passed by 13 votes over German.
Most countries insist if you move there you have to learn their language. I don't care what people speak in their own homes but when I go to a store, I want people who answer me in English.

1) Immigrants ARE required to learn English to become citizens of the United States.
2) Your history classes were incorrect.
3) When I go to the store, I don't want to be in line behind intolerant, small-minded bigots who belittle hardworking cashiers and make everyone else's day just a little more miserable.

[Zorro]

In Denmark, they make people watch a movie about their country and morals, learn their language and sign a paper stating that they will follow and understand these things and do nothing against it.

Yes, they had that here, too, they called them Jesuits.

welcome immiagrants and then let them make demands and actually try to please them.

Señora, some of us have been saying that for 600 years now. And here you are, still making demands.

[andre]

Yes, but my point is what is the use of having a continental congress make decisions if you choose to ignore what they set forth in terms of policies and agreements (which is also why the de facto comment was its own post).

Basically it is a states' rights issue (cause it it not directly covered in the constitution) and my state made its decision long ago. I therefore see the whole argument as moot and technically illegal anyway.

<--- Dude, I'm a tater tot

[Zorro]

Yes, but my point is what is the use of having a continental congress make decisions if you choose to ignore what they set forth in terms of policies and agreements (which is also why the de facto comment was its own post).

Again, Señor, your point is still incorrect and based on a fallacy. The Continental Congress DID NOT SET FORTH ANY SUCH POLICIES OR AGREEMENTS REGARDING A NATIONAL LANGUAGE. I hope you were able to hear me that time.

Basically it is a states' rights issue (cause it it not directly covered in the constitution) and my state made its decision long ago. I therefore see the whole argument as moot and technically illegal anyway.

Arguments are not illegal in this country, Señor, at least not yet. Neither is the issue of a national language. You are correct that it is a state matter, although not in your summation of the reason, and 27 states have adopted English as their official language. If enough states of the Union vote for a national language for our country, then we have a national language. See how that works? States, voting, democracy, etc. Again, making the issue neither illegal nor moot.

I suspect, Señor, since you had so much to say on the topic previously, and were quite vociferous in your condemnation of your multi-lingual fellow citizens, that your current declaration of mootality and illegality is based more upon your own embarrassment and lack of facts, and rightly so.

[Joe G]

!No Faltaba Mas!

[Blackbear]

Most countries insist if you move there you have to learn their language. I don't care what people speak in their own homes but when I go to a store, I want people who answer me in English.

Keep in mind that english is not the easiest language to learn considering it is spoken backwards compared to pretty much all the other languages in the world. It also has a very large vocabulary of words and phrases not to mention the more commonly used slang which changes every year.... give people learning it a chance. I know it's inconvenient and irritating, but hell...
Ok I'll be blunt, it bothers me because people certainly were'nt and still are'nt patient with natives that speak their native language as their first language and tried and in some cases succeeded in wiping out our languages.. beat us for speaking it, made fun of us for speaking it like it was something dirty. I try to keep that in mind when someone who has immigrated here is still learning and struggling.

[RedShield]

I am not against English being the primary working language of the government. But I think that this is a step to try and force non-english speakers to learn the language, sounds like a legislated assimilation policy to me... hmmmm... where have we heard this before?

Just my 49 cents worth.

Paselo