English as the national language of the United States

[CoolBreeze]

Barry M. Farber is an American conservative radio talk show host, author and language-learning enthusiast. In 2002, industry publication Talkers magazine ranked him the 9th greatest radio talk show host of all time. He has also written articles appearing in the New York Times, Reader's Digest, the Washington Post, and the Saturday Review. Barry Farber has knowledge of more than 26 languages.



Conservative radio host and author Barry Farber doesn't think there should be any debate about establishing English as the national language of the United States.



"If, God forbid, there is an earthquake or a hurricane in Key West, people in northern Alaska care about it because we are one," he notes. "We may not be one religiously, we may not be one racially, [but] we are tied together by the English language."

Barry FarberHe points out that English is already the unofficial international language for business and politics -- even in communist China. As for claims that making English the national language would promote racism or prejudice, Farber argues they are simply not true.

"Mexico has an official language; it's called Spanish. Estonia, with under a million people, has an official language; it is called Estonian," he notes. "You've got to get over this national paralysis, this political correct fear."

Farber, the son of Russian immigrants, is not opposed to learning or speaking other languages as he speaks 26 languages and is the member of a language club.

[just saying]

I fully agree that English should be the official language of the USA. ALL that live here should have to learn & speak English.
Sadly we live in the Obama, Pelosi, Reed, age of political correctness age.
The USA is WAY TOO soft

[Bob Campbell]

I gotta grand says that no matter who controls the government, we NEVER establish an official language.
Anybody want some of that action?

[Jay Nunley]

I'm on the fence on this one.

Who can give the the reason why to do it and why not? Is it even constitutional?

Also, ain't this some of that big government shit everyone hates so much?

[Bob Campbell]

It's only Big Government shit when they do something you don't like. Then it's an absolute necessity.
You know, "we have to cut the deficit, let's build a wall around the country".

[AmpedNow]

It's only Big Government shit when they do something you don't like. Then it's an absolute necessity.
You know, "we have to cut the deficit, let's build a wall around the country".

Protecting our sovereign borders is a constitutional function of the federal government. Even if it means building a wall and using armed guards to protect it.

I wouldn't mind seeing English the official language, but for once, I agree with Bob. Don't see it happening.

[Lester]

However, states are allowed to have official languages.

[genlock]

However, states are allowed to have official languages.

That would keep the politically correct types from insisting that all state websites, forms and communications be
conducted in every language they could think of.

[Jay Nunley]

I know. My questions are annoying as hell. Answer them anyway.

Pros?

Cons?

Constitutional?

Reasons?

[genlock]

Yes, as long as regional dialects are retained.

[Bob Campbell]

If English were to be adopted as an official language, would West Virginia be thrown out of the union?

No takers on the grand, huh?

That makes this thread moot.

[Lester]

You're expecting us to bet on whether or not a Democratically controlled house and senate would piss of millions of illegal immigrants (read: future voters)?

I'm not taking that.

[jag]

I'll ask you legal types for a clarification here:

How about a differentiation between "national" language and "official" language"?

[Ace Purple]

I know. My questions are annoying as hell. Answer them anyway.

Your questions are usually spot-on, which helped make you a great radio programmer and I anticipate will help you be a great teacher.

Pros?

Hopefulness that immigrants to the United States would be more inclined to learn English. Possible financial savings for only having to produce government documents in English.

Cons?

Potential difficulty for legal immigrants still learning English and tourists who don't know the language.

**NOTE** Travel to Europe to where English isn't a first language and see how you feel after that. Me taking French in high school and college paid off for my friends and me on a train out of Paris on the way to Oktoberfest 1998 when a French-only speaking officer needed to check our train tickets for Munich and no one else in my group spoke French.

Constitutional?

My guess: probably. Though I could see potential challenges from the First Amendment for a part often overlooked regarding petitioning the government "for a redress of grievances". That "Congress shall make no law" part at the beginning is pretty powerful.

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Reasons?

For: Encouragement for immigrants to learn English. Against: Possible First Amendment violations, potential feelings of alienation for immigrants who don't know English very well.

-----

I'm sure I left plenty out in every category.

[CoolBreeze]

In Estonia (a country that I visit every year) a person cannot get any kind of government job (including schoolteacher) unless they speak fluent Estonian. This is mostly directed at the more than one forth of the population who speak Russian only, and who refuse to speak Estonian. (Russia as you may recall invaded Estonia and other countries like it and kept them in bondage for almost 60 years). The Estonian culture was practically wiped off the face of the earth, especially it's language. So in order to regain 60 years of loss, the government made Estonian the official language. It's not just a "cool thing to do", it actually means money to many people.

The Russians in the meanwhile have appealed to every crybaby humanity group in the world to get this reversed as discrimination, which is exactly what would happen here.... except here they would win instantly because we've become the worlds greatest patsy's for every pussy cause, legitimate or not.

Today I called two companies who's auto answerer asked me to "press one for English, two for Spanish". Of course this has been going on for many years now. I'm just wondering when that sequence will be reversed...

[Bob Campbell]

You're expecting us to bet on whether or not a Democratically controlled house and senate would piss of millions of illegal immigrants (read: future voters)?

I'm not taking that.

Either party, any time. Won't happen. Want a piece of that action?

In Estonia, it actually IS discrimination. But it's because of the long seated hatred the Estonians have for the Russians.
So the Russians are technically correct, though obvious assholes.