Comments

ENGLISH via England - the international business language - learn it an add VALUE to free enterprise transactions. Teach it ONLY [primary language] in public schools so taxpayers don't have to pay for multi-language leftwing tax and spend endeavors.

Posted by sean at August 23, 2006 11:27 AM

Sean, I've had my left wing moments--admittedly many of them. But I'm with you. It's been many years but I grew up in a suburb of New York City which had a large non-American, non-English speaking population made up of United Nations personnel. The kids came to school on day one or day fifty one or whatever day followed the day they arrived in the country and they got paired with one of their new classmates--an English speaker. I can't remember one who, by the end of the school year, wasn't conversing freely in English. We all learned from the experience. Can't help but wonder what will happen the day that English speakers do not represent the majority of kids in school. Is that day all that far away?

From another decidedly sentimental-for-the-good- old-days-non-left-wing point of view, we all pledged allegiance to the flag every morning (actually I think the 23rd Psalm got tossed in now and again) and no one came away the worst for it.

Posted by Ed Di Gangi at August 23, 2006 1:34 PM

Ed - thanks for the UN story. English speaking related: Pat Buchanan has a new book about topics including the illegal invasion [mainly Mexicans] & macro effect on USA culture now & in the future. And he's especially rabid in criticism of the current President. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312360037/sr=1-1/qid=1156362274/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-8415616-9768054?ie=UTF8&s=books

Posted by sean at August 23, 2006 2:46 PM

Great comments. As I travel around the world (I am in the business of translating technical materials into foreign languages) the international language of conducting business is English. Before every visit I make it a point to learn common phrases of the language of my host; upon arrival I am almost always asked to speak proper English instead.

I also live in Dallas, TX. New statistics reveal that 51% of our population are Spanish speakers. It is no wonder that we have the mess we have and my property/school taxes have gone through the roof.

Posted by Kate at August 23, 2006 4:39 PM

Most immigrants, given an opportunity, learn English quickly. The concern in the press over Spanish speakers has been printed for years - only the name of the language has changed. Whether Irish, German, Japanese, Italian, or Spanish, the concern has always been the same - and has always been unfounded.

Posted by Eric Ralph at August 24, 2006 8:31 AM

The pious "force them to learn English" declarations always seem to come from those who can't speak a foreign language themselves. For those of you who think its so easy to learn a language- I suggest you actually try to do so.

Foreign language bashing (Spanish and otherwise) is little more than thinly disguised racism, as the right wing comments above make clear. As Eric noted, this is a long and proud tradition in America-- every immigrant group gets treated to this same scapegoating treatment.

Those wondering why the rest of the world increasingly loathes the US need look no farther than these comments.

As far as business is concerned, I'm sure there are many companies who will be happy to market in Spanish/Chinese/etc. and take all those customers you so quickly dismiss.

Posted by AJ Hoge at August 27, 2006 2:49 PM

Well said AJ-America is a nation built on immigration, and unless you're a Native American, somewhere down the line your ancestors were somewhere else-in most cases speaking another language. It's a shame that in recent years that kind of tolerance seems to have rapidly diminshed. The ultimate result will be a weaker, less adaptable society.

Posted by tomjam at August 30, 2006 10:56 AM