[Vision2020] Words Bring Pause

Sun Mar 11 16:57:48 PDT 2007

The US and Canada are somewhat unique, given that 90+% of their 
populations are relatively recent immigrants (i.e. less than four 
hundred years).  English has been the defacto language of our country, 
but there is no real reason why that has to be so.  How many people here 
are descended from populations that don't speak English as their native 
language?

I don't like the fact that this sends a message that immigrants better 
adhere to the status quo and behave themselves - or they will find 
themselves marginalized.  Which is downright ironic when you notice that 
the people proposing this aren't Native Americans.

I think we are making a mistake - we should be trying to attract 
immigrants to this country.

Paul

J Ford wrote:

>Yes, but they HAVE  been.  It is not like they have just done the change or 
>made the change due to a population's demand to do so.  The parts of Canada 
>that speak French were founded by the French and that had been established 
>during that founding.
>
>
>J  :]
>
>
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>  
>
>>From: "Ted Moffett" <starbliss at gmail.com>
>>To: "J Ford" <privatejf32 at hotmail.com>
>>CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Words Bring Pause
>>Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 15:32:28 -0800
>>
>>J-
>>
>>And not only India, as Dave Sarff points out, but Canada is officially
>>lawfully bi-lingual. I thought everyone knew that Canada is
>>bilingual. Excerpt below from Canadian government web site:
>>
>>http://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/so-ac/english/tools_outils/identitity_identite.htm
>>
>>As Canadians, we are privileged to enjoy the many things our country has to
>>offer. One of its greatest characteristics is its unique bilingual identity
>>reflected by the harmonious co-existence of its two official languages,
>>English and French. Throughout Canada's history, the English and French
>>languages have co-existed. However, it wasn't until 1969 that Canada 
>>adopted
>>the Official Languages Act. "This Act stipulates that English and French 
>>are
>>the official languages of Canada for all matters relating to Parliament and
>>the Government of Canada". In 1988, nineteen years after the official
>>languages policy had been in place, Parliament adopted a new Official
>>Languages Act. The provisions in this new Act were more specific than those
>>of the 1969 version. According to Canada's Official Languages Act, the
>>Government of Canada must ensure that its employees and those working on 
>>its
>>behalf promote the presence of both official languages.
>>
>>----
>>
>>Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>>
>>
>>On 3/11/07, J Ford <privatejf32 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>Sorry - gotta disagree with the good Senator.  In NO other country in this
>>>world is this type of discussion ever even taken place or considered.  You
>>>move to a country - YOU LEARN THE LANGUAGE!  Period.
>>>
>>>What does the Senator suggest - we all learn his father's language?  What
>>>about the Japanese or the Latin or the Haitian or......it goes on and on
>>>and
>>>on.
>>>
>>>Having one language that everyone speaks, to me, guarantees that we will
>>>at
>>>least be able to talk to one another and THAT is where democracy
>>>starts.  We
>>>can't talk, we can't agree, we can't get anywhere.
>>>
>>>Remember the Tower of Babel......
>>>
>>>
>>>J  :]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
>>>>To: "Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>>>>Subject: [Vision2020] Words Bring Pause
>>>>Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 14:42:03 -0700
>>>>
>>>>>From today's (March 11, 2007) Spokesman Review with a very special
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>thanks
>>>      
>>>
>>>>to
>>>>State Senator Edgar Malepeai -
>>>>
>>>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>Words Bring Pause
>>>>
>>>>The Idaho Senate voted 20-15 in favor of Senate Bill 1172, declaring
>>>>English
>>>>to be the official language of Idaho, in a debate that took a personal
>>>>turn.
>>>>
>>>>"It's not for shutting people out, but bringing people in," Sen. Mel
>>>>Richardson, R-Idaho Falls, lead sponsor of the bill, told the Senate.
>>>>
>>>>Sen. Edgar Malepeai, D-Pocatello, said quietly, "Looking around the
>>>>chamber,
>>>>I think I'm probably the only one that has English as a second 
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>language."
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Malepeai recalled that his late father and uncles served proudly in the
>>>>U.S.
>>>>military. "They spoke very, very broken English, but they were proud
>>>>American Samoans," Malepeai said. Democracy and freedom "is what unifies
>>>>people in this country," he said, "not the English language." A hush 
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>fell
>>>      
>>>
>>>>in
>>>>the Senate after Malepeai's comments, and no one else debated the bill.
>>>>
>>>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>Seeya round town, Moscow.
>>>>
>>>>Tom Hansen
>>>>Moscow, Idaho
>>>>
>>>>"I love my country but fear my government."
>>>>
>>>>- Author Unknown
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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