Posted on 05/19/2006 1:24:24 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
HOUSTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush has long opposed making English the country's national language, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said on Friday, the day after the Senate voted to do so.
The vote came in an amendment to proposed legislation overhauling U.S. immigration law and directed the government to "preserve and enhance" the role of English. Opponents said it could affect the status of some multilingual services offered by government organizations.
Adding to the confusion, the Senate also adopted a softer amendment calling English the "unifying language" of the United States. Senators take both versions into negotiations over a final bill with the U.S. House of Representatives.
Gonzales did not directly address Bush's position on the controversial amendment because the Senate has not yet voted on the whole bill. But he said that Bush has in the past rejected such efforts.
"The president has never supported making English the national language," Gonzales said after meeting with state and local officials in Texas to discuss cooperation on enforcement of immigration laws.
He said Bush has instead long supported a concept called "English-Plus," believing that it was good to be proficient in more than one language.
"English represents freedom in our country and anybody who wants to be successful in our country has a much better chance of doing so if they speak English," Gonzales said. "It is of course a common language."
But, Gonzales said, "I don't see the need to have laws or legislation that says English is the national language."
While visiting Arizona on Thursday to press his plan to send up to 6,000 National Guard troops to the Mexican border spoke of the need to unite Americans.
"We've got to honor the great American tradition of the melting pot," Bush said. "Americans are bound together by shared ideals and appreciation of our history, of respect for our flag and ability to speak the English language."
Intervening in a recent furor over a Spanish-language version of the national anthem released by Latin pop stars, Bush said that the "Star-Spangled Banner" should be sung in English.
The United States currently has no official language and the amendment was showing signs of further inflaming an already incendiary issue, with Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada calling it "racist."
We should/will wait and see if he was misquoted.
Not quite:
MONEY RAISED FROM THE PERFORMANCE WILL BE DONATED TO THE HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT FUND.
Uhhhh....geography? Germans, Dutch, Swedes and Italians couldn't just walk here. They invested heavily to buy passage to start a new life in America. They didn't expect to receive government handouts as soon as the stepped off of the ferry from Ellis Island. They did expect to have to assimilate into American culture to be successful. Mexico, on the other hand...is quite a different story.
>>>"Why is it after 200+ years of being a Nation that we want to now have an official language?"
Back then panty-waist liberals didn't require government documents to be published in multiple languages. Plus, we have now seen how countries can be torn asunder when there is little integration of cultures.
Q (to Bush): Should English be made the country’s official language?
A: The ability to speak English is the key to success in America. I support a concept I call English-plus, insisting on English proficiency but recognizing the invaluable richness that other languages and cultures brings to our nation of immigrants. In Texas, the Spanish language enhances and helps define our state’s history. My fundamental priority is results. Whether a school uses an immersion program or a bilingual program, whichever effectively teaches children to read and comprehend English as quickly as possible, I will support. The standard is English literacy and the goal is equal opportunity - all in an atmosphere where every heritage is respected and celebrated.
Source: Associated Press Nov 1, 2000
Sometimes even an AG does not have control over an AG.
What is the practical significance of calling English the national language? Isn't it just a meaningless resolution? But I can understand Bush opposing making a language he can't speak the national language. Haha, aren't I the card?
Maybe we should all start speaking in "pig-latin"! Oh, how I've supported this man - this is so disappointing.
an-ca ou-ya alk-ta ig-pa atin-la? [hard A]
Don't be a psssant.
Boom good to see you. Been a lot of years since the great evenings on MIrc with you and the WhiteWater crowd. How ya been?
What a load of B.S.
Yes, the ethnics had their own neighborhoods, but, they did most of their business in English. And they only let their kids speak English.
And then their kids moved to the suburbs and lost any trace of their ethnic backgrounds.
That's entirely different from what is happening now under the aegis of multiculturalism.
There was a melting pot, and it's what made America succeed as a nation. If we lose that, we will end up like all the failing balkanized nations of the world.
Yeah. Inhofe is a RINO. LOL. Not to mention Brownback, who, with an ACU rating of close to 100% despite his support for H-Mc, must be a RINO to many on FR.
Are you assuming Gonzales misspoke? It sounds like he is reiterating Bush's long-standing opposition to English as a national language. Bush feels it would be insensitive.
No, it was to "enroll" in an English class. Instead of queen for a day, it is English for a day. There is no proficiency requirement whatsoever. This is all about a fun house, with all of those mirrors that distort images to make them seem what they are not.
Sorry. The AP article said that the Senate vote was to make English the "national" language, not the official language. Baseball is the "national" past time, not the "official" past time.
Won't matter, the Bush haters got their AP story and will run with it, screaming presidente jorge until they turn blue.
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