I'm tired of having to press 1 for English. Tired of paying more for bills to be printed in English and one, two and even three other languages when I only need the bill in English. We all pay for this. Do you think that English should be the only recognized language in the United States? Do you think that if someone wants their bills printed in a language other than English they should have to pay more? Are you just tired of it all?
2007-09-16 08:30:06 · 15 answers · asked by thefinalresult 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Tell me about it. In the UK half the billboards and other stuff are in Polish. My local phone booth has adverts in Polish, Czech and Slovakian on the side. Like the man said, press 1 for English, press 2 for disconnection and come back when you can speak English.
2007-09-16 08:37:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
english official language usa
2016-02-02 13:01:24 · answer #2 · answered by Sophronia 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've never heard of having to pay more to get your bills printed in English! But I understand what you are saying. I feel everyone has a right to come to our country LEGALLY, but this America. Our national language is English! The people who want to live in our country should have to make some adjustments to do so; we shouldn't have to be the ones making all the adjustments.
2007-09-16 08:36:59 · answer #3 · answered by Jenny 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Yeah, that would be great-- in theory. As far as it being practical, not so great.
Many Spanish-speaking immigrants and illegal aliens (NOT "illegal immigrants", PLEASE!!!) are illiterate in their native language. There are others who, in addition to being illiterate, are non-native speakers of Spanish, particularly central American indians.
Add one more snag--- English is one of the world's most difficult languages to learn.
So, it's a bad combination.
I do agree with the requirement the INS has for citizenship; one must be able to communicate well enough in English to pass the exam. I don't, however, think ballots, bills, DMV tests, and other public documents should be printed in ANY language other than English. What a waste of trees and energy!
Bilingual education should be abolished, too. I have friends who were immersed in English in elementary school and they became fluent in a very short time (<2years); bilingual education delays the acquisition of functional English. Besides, how can we provide adequate intervention when there are literally 100s of foreign languages present in our schools?
2007-09-16 08:49:59 · answer #4 · answered by holey moley 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
YES! if you go to miami you cant get helped in a store if you speak english IT IS RIDICULOUS!!! it is exactly like that episode of Hogan knows best. I know spanish and I havent even taken a spanish class, that sad! I think they are abusing the freedom of our country, and the fact that we dont have a official language. No other country would be so leanant to visitors. My highschool would print letters from the school in Spanish,Hatian and English.
People should have enough respect to attempt to learn English, That why the french hate us it the same thing, IT IS RUDE to go to someones country and expect them to learn your language. If I ever go to france I would learn their language, no going around saying DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH??
2007-09-16 08:38:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I totally agree: when I was applying for jobs after I got out of college, I found that bilingual applicants have a better chance of getting certain jobs than people who only speak English. Now I speak French, but that does not seem to matter. I think it is unfair for us to have to penalize our citizens because they have not learned a language spoken by people who come to our country without the skills needed to converse with our citizens.
2007-09-16 08:41:06 · answer #6 · answered by Lambert Lewis Strether 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Democrats won't allow it, here is Hillary from the June 3, democrat debate
CLINTON: Wolf, let me add that we faced that in the Senate last year as to whether we would or would not vote for it.
The problem is that if it becomes official instead of recognized as national -- which indeed it is, it is our national language -- if it becomes official, that means in a place like New York City you can't print ballots in any other language. That means you can't have government pay for translators in hospitals so when somebody comes in with some sort of emergency there's nobody there to help translate what their problem is for the doctor.
So many of us -- I did, at least -- voted to say that English was our national language, but not the official language because of the legal consequences of that.
The following is the list of Senators who voted against English.
Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wyden (D-OR)
Though he is no longer a Senator, John Edwards expressed support for the vote against English.
2007-09-16 08:52:09 · answer #7 · answered by Wilkow Conservative 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have nothing against immigrants, but I think that they should have to learn English before they are granted citizenship. So yes, I agree with you.
2007-09-16 08:39:02 · answer #8 · answered by xfilesfan 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
If I go to Mexico, they don't modify the street signs for me. If I make a phone call there, there isn't a "press 2 for English" option.
2007-09-16 08:34:51 · answer #9 · answered by Bill 6 · 5⤊ 2⤋
Do you realize that in Europe, most people speak two and three languages?
Only Americans are arrogant and ignorant enough to think that "their" language should be the only one.
2007-09-16 08:36:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋