Is the English Language Proposal Racist?

[MobBoss]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060518-114129-1805r.htm

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid called a proposal to make English the official language "racist" on the Senate floor yesterday.
"This amendment is racist. I think it's directed basically to people who speak Spanish," the Democrat said during the already tense debate over immigration reform.
Moments later, the Senate approved the measure on a 63-34 vote. Virtually all Republicans were joined by 11 Democrats to approve the largely symbolic amendment. Immediately following that vote, the Senate approved a second amendment, declaring on a 58-39 vote that English is the "common and unifying language."
Such proposals enjoy overwhelming support among American voters.
A poll by Zogby International earlier this year found that 84 percent of Americans say English should be the official language of government operations. The same poll found that 77 percent of Hispanics agree.
And it's a bipartisan issue, according to the poll, which found that 92 percent of Republicans and 82 percent of Democrats approve making English the country's official language.

My main question if 82% of democrats approval making English the official language, why did 34-39 democrat senators vote against the proposal?

And exactly how can making english be the official language be racist? Is there a race out there that cannot learn english?

This could be a problem for the democrats if they dont wake up about it.

 

[blackheart]

Nothing but saber rattling with the official language thing. And I think it is a bit racist, or at least discriminatory because it is obviously directed against ESL (English as a Second Language) speakers.

 

[.Shane.]

I don't think its a racist proposal at all. It more a nationalistic issue. While I don't think its necessary, I wouldn't paint its proponents as racists.

 

[Brian_B]

Don't most countries have official languages? Heck, English is almost the international language when it comes to business, etc. I do agree though that the timing of the bill smacks of saber-rattling. Still, I see nothing wrong with it.

 

[skadistic]

Its not racist. Not every white person speaks english and not every non-white person can't speak english. The race card is thrown around so much in places it has no buisness that when it is used where it should be it has no power.

Every legal document is in english the road signs are in english the mass media is in english this is an english speaking nation.

 

[Xenocrates]

Personally I think they should have done this years ago, but it's far too late now.

Too many Americans can't understand the wit and wisdom of the political class and should be exposed to it!

I hear it's largely the recent (non English speaking) immigrants that vote for Mr Bush and only because he's religious and opposes abortion; is this true?

Just to think, in a very few years I won't be able to debate with Americans on OT unless I learn Spanish....

 

[BirraImperial]

It's not racist. Most countries have an official language, and inmmigrants should learn English since they are the ones that want to live in the U.S. As an inmmigrant, you should learn the language and the culture of your new home.

 

[warpus]

It's not racist.

Racist would be passing a law saying "Thou shalt not speak Spanish"

 

[MobBoss]

It's not racist.

Racist would be passing a law saying "Thou shalt not speak Spanish"

I am not so sure that would be racist either, as it would forbid spanish being spoken by all races equally wouldnt it?

But I agree such a law would be extremely problematic for hispanics..

 

[FredLC]

So, english is not the official language of the US yet?

I think that there is nothing inherently racist in the bill, for it's perfectly normal that a country that has a huge majority of people speaking a given language will adopt it - but, at the same time, it can be emerged now for racist reasons (the current controversy on immigration hints in that direction) and it can be used for discriminatory means (if, instead of merely recognizing the status quo, it, for example, forbids documents issued in more than one language to be done that way to make it difficulty for people current using this service).

Regards .

 

[Shadylookin]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060518-114129-1805r.htm



My main question if 82% of democrats approval making English the official language, why did 34-39 democrat senators vote against the proposal?

And exactly how can making english be the official language be racist? Is there a race out there that cannot learn english?

This could be a problem for the democrats if they dont wake up about it.

because the senators think voting for the proposal would make hispanics stop voting for them.

it's not racist it's just convienent for all of us that have lived here our entire lives that don't want to have to learn spanish. It's not like they are outlawing the spanish language.

 

[7ronin]

English is already the de facto national language. Officially saying that it is will not change anything.

We also have the first amendment which guarantees that non-English speakers will still be able to read foreign language newspapers, watch foreign language TV, and pretty much continue as they have before.

 

[Truronian]

So what exactly will enacting English as the official language do then?

 

[.Shane.]

So what exactly will enacting English as the official language do then?

Give solace to Xenophobes and win some easy points for politicians. But, it won't materially change much.

 

[Wolfe Tone]

Since when do American's speak English anyway? With their silly pronounciation of Aluminium and leaving the letter u out of many words.

Just my little joke, no one get too offended please.

 

[puglover]

Establishing one official language would help the economy and make communication easier. It isn't racist one way or the other, it's just common sense.

 

[Brian_B]

Give solace to Xenophobes and win some easy points for politicians. But, it won't materially change much.

Pretty much.

 

[GenMarshall]

So, english is not the official language of the US yet?

To me, English is kind of a de facto offical language of the United States.

 

[FredLC]

A de facto official? Isn't that an oxymoron?

I asked that out of surprise. I never knew that it wasn't official, and I see no reason why it shouldn't be. Most countries do have their offcial languages, after all... some, more than one.

 

[GenMarshall]

A de facto official? Isn't that an oxymoron?

I asked that out of surprise. I never knew that it wasn't official, and I see no reason why it shouldn't be. Most countries do have their offcial languages, after all... some, more than one.

This is from Wikipedia, "Although the United States currently has no official language, it is largely monolingual with English being the de facto official language. It's spoken by about 82 percent of the population as a native language and nearly everyone as a daily language."

Languages in the US