official English

[Herb Stahlke]

On other lists I've asked social conservatives why language is not left to the marketplace, and I've gotten a variety of stunned and confused answers.  BTW, George Will, a fairly conservative columnist, has an interesting and related piece in the latest Newsweek on diversity.  You can see it at

http://www.msnbc.com/news/581909.asp

Herb Stahlke

>>> RonButters at AOL.COM 06/04/01 11:21AM >>>
In a message dated 6/4/2001 12:15:17 PM, abatefr at EARTHLINK.NET writes:

<< Such a declaration puts public policy on record as to

the language or languages that are considered the most common or most widely

used. >>

Anybody who doesn't know that English and Spanish are the two most common and
widely used languages in the USA today is probably too dull to benefit from
being informed of this fact. Why does the government need to state the
obvious? Some people think the government already meddles too much in
peoples' business: why is it that social conservatives think THIS is a good
place to meddle?

It is also the case that "the most common or most widely used" languages
tends to change. In addition to stating the obvious, must the government
monitor the obvious as well?