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From: lilandbr@scn.org (Leland Bryant Ross)
Subject: Re: English official language of the U.S.?
Message-ID: <E2FEs0.LDo@scn.org>
Sender: news@scn.org
Reply-To: lilandbr@scn.org (Leland Bryant Ross)
Organization: Seattle Community Network
References: <32B1A539.11A7@acpub.duke.edu> <32B0CED6.779E@corenet.net>
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 23:04:47 GMT
Lines: 42


In a previous article, rkloko@acpub.duke.edu (Randall Kloko) says:

>English should be the official language of the U.S., because it's a huge 
>country and hard enough to manage as it is. We need ONE common language 
>to communicate with each other.  Simply put, I don't want to share 
>the road with a lot of people who can't read the road signs.

Hey, how about making English a requirement for a tourist visa!  That'd 
teach all those pushy misspoken foreigners!

>As for preserving native cultures, tough noogies.  For the sake of 
>argument, let's say you're a Lutonian who's considering emmigration
>to the U.S.  First of all, where is the best place on earth to preserve
>Lutonian culture?  Lutonia.  You should think about staying and improving
>Lutonia first of all. 
>
>For whatever reason, however, you come to America and decide to become
>a citizen.  It's only fair for you to expect to learn English. 

I think Roger Williams, when he decided to learn Narragansett, was the 
last American policymaker who took this argument to heart in principle.

>ON THE OTHER HAND, all American schoolchildren, from this day forward,  
>should be REQUIRED to learn a foreign language.  And not the namby-pamby
>way we do it now, where most kids have to wait until high school to 
>begin.  No, we need to start them learning foreign languages in early
>childhood.  The good, old-fashsioned, Lutonian way.  Because it is vital
>that we broaden our cultural horizons if we're ever going to understand
>the modern world.  This is part of preserving our culture, too.
>
>Heck, I'm not even too particular about which languages kids learn:
>Spanish, French, German, Russian, Chinese, etc.  Whatever.  It's
>the rigorous practice that counts.

Just as long as whatever it is, it's not their *native* language, eh?  
How about Hopi?
--
Liland Brajant ROS'    			Ae, ka manu iluna oka hale,
P O Box 30091      			"O" ku'u leo "E moe maika'i," 
Seattle, WA 98103 Usono			Kani ku'u leo, ku'u hoapu,
Tel. (206) 633-2434  			Ae, ka manu iluna oka hale.
