[Vision2020] Words Bring Pause

[Donovan Arnold]

Chas,
   
  Language is very important and not just a trivial matter as getting the wrong flavor Slurpee at the 7-11. It is also important in everything we do, and especially in matters of life and death. If you are ever in a life and death situation, you do not want a language barrier there. Language isn't just words, it is also culture. Every other group of people in the country has had to learn American English. There is no exceptions. We cannot have 27 languages in this country and function as a cohesive unit. 27 road signs in different languages, 27 languages for every book in every library, 27 menus at every restaurant, 27 different languages on every coin and bill printed, every monument in DC and elsewhere, printed in 27 languages. 
   
  It isn't practical or wise. The language of this nation is American English, and it the language of opportunity and prosperity the world over. It is the language that should be taught and required of everyone.
   
  Best,
   
  Donovan 

Chasuk <chasuk at gmail.com> wrote:
  If you live in this country it is as much your country as it is my
country, whether you are here legally or illegally, whether you speak
English, German, Spanish, Polish, or Esperanto. I hate the "What
would Jesus Do?" mantra, but I do feel it is relevant in this
conversation, as several of the participants are Christians.

What would Jesus do? Do you honestly believe that he would argue for
discrimination against the meek and the poor because it inconvenienced
the overfed and the privileged? He would be ashamed at your
pettiness. Members of the top 1% of the world's prosperous, whining
like children because it takes 30 seconds longer at the 7-11 to buy
your donuts and 32-oz Mountain Dew.

It makes sense to become at least functionally familiar with the
language which dominates in the area in which you live, agreed. That
means that those English speakers who live in the areas of the U.S. in
which Spanish predominates should probably learn to speak Spanish.

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