Some local politician is running ads bragging that he is a "true conservative". One of the ideas he advocates on his televised panderfest is that of making English the Official Language.
Wasn't it just a few years ago that Americans were laughing at the French government for passing all sorts of silly "cultural preservation laws"? I guess bad ideas are contagious. Now American politicians have decided that "The American Culture" is so weak and pitiful that it needs legal protections to survive. Unfortunately they have a lot of ill-informed support.
Any "culture" that can not survive being exposed to another probably does not have much chance of long-term survival anyway. If it has merit, there will be people who make a point of passing on the culture's unique attributes. To people who really care; not to people who are forced to submit.
I have to admit, I think that immigrants who come here should learn to speak English, just as we would have to learn their language if we moved to their country.
ReplyDeleteI will also admit that I get annoyed when I have to listen to foreign language options when I make a call to a business, etc.
I don't think it's a matter of cultural preservation, though. I think it's just common courtesy.
If I go to Mexico, it is unrealistic for me to expect the people there to speak English. Likewise, if someone from Mexico comes here, it is unrealistic for them to expect me to speak Spanish.
I have no problem with common courtesy, I just see no need to pass more "laws". If I had a business, I would not bother with other language options unless I felt it would help my profits.
ReplyDeleteI have never had a person get angry at me for not speaking his language. In fact, I have had some fun trying to cross that gap and get some mutual understanding. It can be quite comical.