The Senate wants to make English our official language. What’s wrong with that?

See a news report about the English Language debate

Many Libs are incensed over this English Language debate, but I’m not. It seems like Englilsh is part of our national identity, and I have no real problem with making it official.

Here’s what does NOT happen when English is our “official” language:

• It’ll still be legal for people to speak any language they want. That’s a First Amendment protection.
• It’ll still be Good Business for businesses to accommodate their non-English language customers.
• It’ll still be good politics and good public service for government to offer documents and services in important second languages, like Spanish.

Here’s what MIGHT happen if English is our “official” language

• Laws might be passed to make Immigrants work harder to learn basic English in order to gain citizenship. Is there anything wrong with that? Most immigrants already know some English anyway.

We don’t want to have our nation split into language factions, like in Europe

We’re a big country. We’re headed for a fracturing of our nation into regions where different languages dominate.

It seems relatively harmless to encourage all citizens to speak English. And it’ll help prevent the fracturing of our people into defacto separate nations.

I have a feeling that a lot of Dems oppose the English Language proposal out of a sense that they just don’t want to let the Republicans have a victory. But the main idea isn’t bad in and of itself, although there might be some objectionable stuff in the dirty details of the precise proposal offered.