[Verginius Rufus]

I think in France it is a question of the government being hostile to languages other than French. Some languages are going to die out, particularly those whose numbers decline beyond a certain point, but each language has some unique features or idioms and is a museum of how the speakers of that language in the past viewed the world--the human race is poorer when languages become extinct.

But modern nationalism tends to promote the dominant language of a country above all others. I think it is desirable for immigrants to America to become fluent in English, but we shouldn't accelerate the disappearance of Indian languages that were spoken here pre-1607.

[BfloGuy]

Some languages are going to die out, particularly those whose numbers decline beyond a certain point, but each language has some unique features or idioms and is a museum of how the speakers of that language in the past viewed the world--the human race is poorer when languages become extinct.

Yes, I agree that the preservation of knowledge of these languages is important. I only criticize attempts to prop up languages when people really have no interest or need of using them in everyday life.

[Smokin' Joe]

...but we shouldn't accelerate the disappearance of Indian languages that were spoken here pre-1607.

A great deal of that was done in boarding schools in the late 1800s. The children were not permitted to speak their native tongues.