English: official language; Christianity: official religion; Straight: of

Abstinence: official birth control method; FOX: official "news" network; Republican: official political party; George W. Bush: official lord and savior of the world.

:banghead:

The US is not an officially multi-lingual country, nor is it an officially mono-lingual country. The US is, however, a country with an official free press, and official open political system etc. I don't see why making English the "common language" as the Democratic bill would do is going against precedent.

This bill is nothing more than pandering to the bigotries of the right-wing base. It is a distraction from more pressing issues, as is the effort to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, the effort to declare the US a Christian nation during the phony "war on Christmas", and the attacks on the "liberal" media, etc.

Making English the official language will not solve the illegal immigration problem. It won't eliminate the need for public schools to deal with ESL students, or the criminal justice system to provide translators for people who don't speak fluent English.

It already is the defacto official language, so what does everyone hope to accomplish by making it Official?

From where I sit, such a bill does nothing but 1)attempt to psychologically marginalize spanish speakers -- because it doesn't require funding for english classes or anything. It's just symbolic. And 2) put in place a precedent for maybe someday making spanish speaking officially illegal, in some capacity.

English isn't going anywhere -- and even if it were, it would be because some other language is more useful.

ALl this billl does is declare the superiority of English speakers. THAT'S why it's gross.

(I'd have no problem with a USEFUL bill, like one that gives every school extra funding for English night classes. Now that would work!)

up their collective fearmongering ASS!

English as the official language is pandering; nothing more, nothing less. It fixes nothing. More pork from the reichwing; just like gay marriage!