Pardon Me! I should have used written, instead of wrote. Wash my mouth out with soap.
:-)
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."
I choose door number 2.
Almost every session of Congress, an amendment to the Constitution is proposed in Congress to adopt English as the official language of the United States. Other efforts have attempted to take the easier route of changing the U.S. Code to make English the official language. As of this writing, the efforts have not been successful.
According to U.S. English, the following states have existing official language laws on their books: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming. A small handful date back more than a few decades, such as Louisiana (1811) and Nebraska (1920), but most official language statutes were passed since the 1970's.
Constitutional Topic: Official Language
All the good it does for even the states that have laws that English is the official language. Case in point, look at California now.
ROTFLOL
He's a lame duck making a legacy for himself. He'll be dead when the ramifications of the legislation he has signed over the years becomes evident. Why should he worry?
No vetoes in 6 years. Amazing record.
You'd think there was an invasion going on for how excited everyone gets.
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Uhhhh,, It's called the Southern Border Crossing and Adventure Area and it is open and happening 7 days a week.
If you are a citizen of this country that has lost a loved one at the hands of anyone who came across the border illegally or know someone who has been affected by same, you might be a bit upset too.. Just a thought.
Hey, it's a beautiful spring day where I am. I'm gonna mow the yard, smell the lilacs, go to a cook out and enjoy my family tonight. Contrary to just about everyone on FR these days, I believe the Republic is in safe hands.
"No official language is mentioned or contemplated in the Constitution."
There was a reason for this and that was to make sure that we did not become like England.
When the Attorney General speaks on the record about the postion of the President on an issue, are we or are we not supposed to treat that as an actual representation of the President's opinion?
You are the one that that we should pay no attention to what the Attorney General says when speaking about Presidential positions. I countered your absurd statement with another, and now you're mad. Tough.
You can say that again.
I always worry about my country. It's in my nature to worry.
However, I don't worry about the President. I don't even worry that much about the Dems. What boils my potato is the idea of some lunatic demagogue harnessing all the discontent on both sides.
Sickening...
What the *ell would be different if a demorat was president????
Oh yeah everyone on this board would be up in arms over the betrayal of America that George Bush and his RINO bootlickers are accomplishing in the Senate..IF..he was a demorat!!!
First amnesty for invading criminals, full SS benefits and now we throw away our own language to boot!
I renounce any support I've ever had for President Bush and his sell-out traitorous party!
Didn't the AG receive an award from LaRaza when he was in Texas?
The President must be drinking a case of Out-Of-Touch Juice for breakfast every morning.
Our President seems more concerned about the illegals than the citizens.
Perhaps the best Sarcasm Post I've read on this site to date.
Excellent!
If things keep going the way they are, you can pick up your reward in American Pesos shortly.
Words fail.
Pardon Me! I should have used written, instead of wrote. Wash my mouth out with soap.
:-)
The sad thing is you have to make a law. It should be common sense. It is all down here from now on, the best days are past. In twenty years it will be so screwed up all hell will be breaking out across this country!!!
Bush is delusional.
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