A loss for words

Mpls (red)Star Tribune (online) / The Christian Science Monitor ^ | 6/18/02 | Richard C. Hottelet

[Valin]

WILTON, Conn. The headlong rush of "progress" and "development" has made the world poorer. As whole species of animals and plants are endangered and disappear, the human family, too, is a loser. Not in terms of number, to be sure, which increases without letup. It is the marvelous miscellany of human expression that suffers.

[Valin]

Oh boy just what I need, one more thing to feel bad about.
Well not really.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Boo-hoo. Why doesn't the author raise his kid to speak some minor tribab language and see how far he gets in the world?

[KissOfTheSith]

>"The prospect of a homogenized world is depressing."

It is?

From coast to coast in the US, everyone -- more or less -- speaks english. That doesn't stop every area from having it's own unique community "feel" and approach to life. Is New York the same as Los Angeles the same as Chicago the same as Salt Lake City etc.?

Imagine. A entire world where everyone could understand the words spoken by everyone else. Imagine. A world where everyone could speak to ANYONE else and be reasonably well understood.

What kind of lunatic would call that a depressing thought?

-- KotS

[Faraday]

The prospect of a homogenized world is depressing.

I've got the same advice for R.C. Hottelet as for the depressed Ted Turner. Take a 44 magnum and call me in the morning.

[Kermit]

Here's all you need to know:

"Richard C. Hottelet was a longtime correspondent for CBS."

Yeah, an unbiased C-BS correspondent blames "waves of conservativism" and "English Only" policies. This of course is total KRAP, Cincinnati. There were no, are no and will be no "English Only" policies. The "waves of conservativism" are the 67% of Californians, who voted to end the failed and destructive "bilingual" education policies. This effort was lead by and most supported by Hispanic parents, who were sick of seeing their kids get a non-education and threatened with getting stuck in a linguistic ghetto.

Tiny languages spoken by few people may be lost, but the people don't stop speaking and they gain access usually to languages spoken by millions. That opens up their opportunities and give them access to literature, science and the wider world. Who translates anything into Livonian?

[JimSEA]

Don't feel bad about it. Often the "loss" of a language can result from the inclusion of a group under the national educational, economic and social umbrella. In Thailand, where we spend part of each year, there are regional dialects and tribal languages. By teaching the "international dialect" in schools, the poorer tribal groups are integrated into the national economy, communications for healthcare are improved and bigotry toward tribal groups by Thai's is reduced. Societies and cultures change and this is often a change for the better.

[Valin]

Hence the bold

[fporretto]

Gahh. What blather. Yet the author would probably be in the forefront of the world-government movement -- when nations and their governments can only coalesce where there's a working lingua franca that unites a people.

Some things are meant to die away, Mr. Hottelet. Organisms like the mosquito and the saber-toothed tiger. Languages such as High West Inuit. Quaint tribal customs like clitoridectomy and rite-of-passage scarring. We are richer for their loss, not poorer. What's that? You don't approve of riches? Deal with it!

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit The Palace Of Reason: http://palaceofreason.com

[Valin]

Some things are meant to die away, Mr. Hottelet. Organisms like the mosquito
from you're lips to Gods ears!

[Dakmar]

I wonder if Mr Hottentot will shed a tear when Afrikans is wiped out. I doubt it.

[Teacher317]

butbutbut, I thought our most noble goal was "One World, One People, One Language" blahblahblah.