Posted on 08/13/2008 8:49:07 AM PDT by onlylewis
Make English the official language of the United States Urge your Congressman to support H.R. 997
Senator Barack Obama recently said that instead of worrying about immigrants learning English, Americans "need to make sure your child speaks Spanish."
We disagree. While it is clearly an advantage to learn to speak a foreign language in today’s world, Americans have good reason to be worried about the growing numbers of immigrants who refuse to learn English.
One of the reasons why they refuse to learn English is that – without the consent of the American people – our government has completely changed its policy to one of providing more and more services in foreign languages. This eliminates one of the biggest incentives immigrants have to learn English.
Congressman Steve King of Iowa has introduced a bill to correct this. H.R. 997, the “English Language Unity Act,” declares English our official language and:
*Requires the federal government to communicate officially in English, including informational materials and forms.
*Creates a uniform rule for testing the English proficiency of candidates for naturalization.
*Requires that naturalization ceremonies be conducted in English.
H.R. 997 also repeals Executive Order 13166, which tries to force state and local governments to provide translations and interpreters for non-English speaking immigrants in their native language.
Throughout our history, Americans have expected immigrants to assimilate, and the key to assimilation is learning English. This is the American melting pot. Generations of immigrants have worked hard to learn our common language, English, and become full-fledged Americans. But today official multilingualism threatens to destroy the great “Melting Pot” crucible that enabled us to forge one nation out of millions of immigrants from all over the world.
The U.S. is one of the few countries in the world today that does not have an official language. A big majority of 30 U.S. states already have made English their official language. And a 2006 Rasmussen poll found that an overwhelming 85 percent of all Americans, including large majorities of every minority group, favor making English our official language.
Yet Congress still has not acted to make English the official language of the United States.
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Emailing them is pointless.
Electing a conservative Republican majority in both houses is the only way for this to happen.
Where does McCain stand on the issue?
Good question, I will research. If someone else knows please post.
It’s not going to happen but I would like to see it codified that election materials must all be in English. A very simple reason.
Many ballot initiatives and state constitutional amendments etc come down to ballot language. Wording it tilted to have a voter vote “YES” to reject (or repeal) a measure and “NO” to permit something. Sometimes when a city cannot thwart the will of the voters and change the ballot language or reject the initative from the ballot, they will add their own competing initiative to the ballot.
The meanign of that wording is haggled in court (it “permits the city to...”). When the same measure is written using different phrases in different languages, it give the city/state more wiggle room. Our laws have to be written in English. Our ballots must be written in a common language.
Also our street signs must all be in the same language. Here in Houston we have street signs in Sharpstown (southwest) and downtown in Chinese. Dual names and dual languages for emergency dispatch.
Kind of defeats the purposes of giving the road a name in the first place.
Worried you might agree with McCain on something?
The WHOLE WORLD is learning English as the second language of choice, so they have a remote chance of living or working here, EXCEPT for mexicans who COME HERE ILLEGALLY
English is the #1 (by a HUGE margin) choice of 2nd language in other countries.
I recall John Rocker the baseball player had a Web site promoting English as official language. I do not know if he still does.
with his record on immigration, I would expect that he would be opposed to a national language.
Unfortunately, if such a law were to be passed I think the SCOTUS would overturn the law based on the Equal Protection Clause.
They would use similar arguments as were used in the Plyler Decision.
Is there a videotape of a naturalization ceremony done in a language OTHER THAN english?
seems that is perfect election fodder.
excuse but many states actually have english official language amendments (florida for one) and they have survived legal challenge.
Unfortunately it does not look good. The following article from National Review sings a sad song on McCain’s belief.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZTdkY2UzZGYwMjhiNDZmNjlhZmYyODViMjFkZDJkN2U=
Are the English Only laws in these states absolute?
Do the prohibit that ballots be printed in languages besides English?
Do they prohibit schools form teaching in other languages?
Do they prohibit law officers from speaking Spanish to crime victims or suspects?
Our British friends might let us know that it’s possible that we do not speak English, even when we think we do ;)
I’d fully and completely support this bill.
Signed
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