The Case for English as the National Language
Due to a trackback, this morning, I was alerted to a new, and distinctive, voice in the Blogosphere, and have added it to the Menu of Delightful Appetizers.
Alexandra, of All things Beautiful, makes her verbal points with an additional visual punch, and the result is as beautiful as it is thought provoking.
She, like me, has an ancestry tied to Yugoslavia, and to the WW 2 era fight against Tito ( As mentioned here, my Dad was in the Macedonian Underground ).
She is much more defined by her roots, growing up quite literally living the political struggle of Democracy vs. Dictatorship:
Her maternal grandfather was executed by General Tito's henchmen as part of his brutal purge of Yugoslavia's political and intellectual elite post WWII. General Tito sought to squash all allies of Alexandra's great uncle Milan Stojadinovic, Prime Minister of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1935-39, and a staunch opponent to Hitler's and Stalin's dictatorships.
The influences of prominent family, of a creative bent, apparently influenced her greatly.
I went back to snoop around her blog a bit this afternoon, and found an article on the issue of making English the National Language that makes some very important points.
| Your Linguistic Profile: |
| 50% General American English |
| 25% Yankee |
| 10% Dixie |
| 10% Upper Midwestern |
| 0% Midwestern |
She shares a lengthy comment sent her regarding the stupidity of the Left on this issue:
Language is perhaps the primary element of a society and the primary method of communication among people in the society. It is a very powerful tool that can unite or divide to the same degree. The starting point or foundation for social integration is perhaps a common language. Without it, the process would be like making bread, bricks, or concrete with little or no water. In a sense, language is equivalent to the arteries and veins (perhaps, in another sense, like the blood) in the human body, through which the essential elements are distributed, the essence sustained, and the body maintained.
Building a society on multiple languages, indeed any form of social engineering that does not emphasize a single common language in a particular society, is imprudent. The former is a recipe for disaster; the latter is an exercise in futility. Language is the most basic and common way to exclude or alienate people (or to be excluded or alienated). It is also the most basic and common way to include and integrate people. A common language establishes the first element of trust between people; it is the first sign of acceptance amongst people. Language is indeed the true passport to any country or society.
Read the full piece: It is not Liberalism, it is Lunacy.
Oh, and while you are at it, I 2nd her suggestion that you also read this short piece: Tower of Babel is a Democratic Goal by Michael Combs.
Will the Unites States, and all it represents, continue to endure if its people are no longer able to communicate with one another?
A Tip of the Hat to Matt Margolis regarding the Language Survey. ;-D
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