They do that in Quebec to prevent others from speaking English instead of the official language French - I think it's a good idea for this country.
2007-04-29 18:22:17 · 17 answers · asked by nummy 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
I think it should be made the official language, but I don't think you should be fined for speaking a different one. That's just stupid!
2007-04-29 18:26:46 · answer #1 · answered by ♥ 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yeah, a good idea, but the problem here is as such; there are more Spanish speaking people in The USA now then any other language including English, if we did go to a National language, it'll have to be Spanish, as much as i love my Spanish speaking friends, i'm not quite ready to give up the English Language, And they do not fine you in Quebec for not speaking French, the only fines imposed are ,if you have a sign put up it has to have French along with any other language the sign is in....just thought you might want to know....
2007-04-30 01:42:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
English should be the official language of the United States, but speaking in another language is everyones right. By making English the official language, many things can be simplified, such as bi-lingual road signs, bi-lingual education, the list is long.
Think about it while using software on your computer. The language that the software is written sure isn't English. President Bush doesn't speak the version of English that I learned.
Many legal Immigrants try to make sure their children learn English, while they themselves do not.
2007-04-30 12:46:14 · answer #3 · answered by John B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, and it is not a violation of the first amendment to have an official language.
Italy, Spain, and France have an official language. One official language makes workers more productive (less translation, telephone options, etc) and it is better for the environment (less trees have to be cut down to print extra copies of documents just in case someone can't read English).
"A citizens' action group working to make English the official language of the United States."
http://www.us-english.org
ProEnglish: Why English as an Official Language?
http://www.proenglish.org/issues/offeng/index.html
2007-04-30 01:29:01 · answer #4 · answered by a bush family member 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe there should be fines for those who do not speak English. I also do not believe that the government should spend millions of dollars on printing documents, signs, or anything else the government is responsible for, in other languages just to appease those who are too lazy to learn the language. I also don't believe citizenship should be given without the immigrant learning English.
As far as the commercial sector... they can do as they wish. It's their dime.
2007-04-30 01:30:52 · answer #5 · answered by Mr. Perfect 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would violate the first ammendment: freedom of speech.
If you are forced to speak in a specific language, then you don't have free speech, now do you?
And, as a matter of practicality, it wouldn't actually help anyone. It would just screw over foreigners who are undoubtedly having a hard time as things are, not being able to communicate effectively and whatnot. And it would prevent people from speaking other languages even if they're perfectly fluent in english, even if other languages are more comfortable for them.
2007-04-30 01:24:58 · answer #6 · answered by extton 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Yes, English should be made the official language. No, fines should not be issues to non-speakers.
2007-04-30 01:30:53 · answer #7 · answered by David C 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, and no. English should be the official language, and all government activities should be conducted in English only: ballots, court proceedings, official records, and so on. But people should be able to use any language they please in their private dealings; there is a pharmacy nearby that advertises in Farsi and I have no problem with that.
2007-04-30 01:39:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
I believe people should definitely learn English if they want to live here but giving a fine for not speaking English isn't right. I want people with different cultures to feel comfortable here. I'm not saying we give everything up..... but my family came here from Russia in the 20's and they worked damn hard and learned English and started a barrel business. Ever since then my family has been doing fine. I love my family, my family's culture, and I want others to feel the same way.
2007-04-30 01:26:48 · answer #9 · answered by ? 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Only in barnyard towns would that sound like a good idea. Try leaving your state and maybe even get a passport. there's a big world out there with people who speak more than one language.
2007-05-01 13:39:02 · answer #10 · answered by Magpie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋