[lg policy] letters to representatives: lANGUAGE POLICY

[Fouzi Bellalem]

Hi All
 
This is actually typical of people who think they own their countries and who take an extremist approach to "impose" on the others what they "believe" is good for them. Examples of such an oppressive ideology are everywhere in the world. To name but a few, in France, for instance, "Les Francais de 1ere Classe" say that minority groups have to "integrate" linguistically and culturally, otherwise they are seen as a threat to "Les Principes de la Republique", and some, such as Le Pen, even suggest these minority groups should be sent back to their countries of origin, even if they are born in France. In the UK, a more extremist approach is taken by the British National Party who want all foreigners to leave regardless of whether they integrate or not.
 
Nevertheless, I believe that these attitudes actually indicate that there is a lack of dialogue and understanding in these countries, and that politicians are not doing enough to promote dialogue in the community. The policy of "divide and rule" is still present, even in the so-called democratic countries. I understand the feeling of the members in the list who found the e-mail offensive and unacceptable. For this, I propose that we, as language policy researchers, should take a more pro-active role to push for change in the socio-politics of developed, but also of developing countries. The type of behaviour, as reflected in the e-mail, should be seen as racist and therefore as a crime. There should be a clear legislation to punish anyone who attempts to use an extermist discourse to deny people's linguistic and cultural choices. I am aware that a lot has been done, but I think more is yet to be done. 
 
Fouzi Bellalem    

--- On Mon, 5/4/10, Harold Schiffman <hfsclpp at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Harold Schiffman <hfsclpp at gmail.com>
Subject: [lg policy] letters to representatives: lANGUAGE POLICY
To: "lp" <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Date: Monday, 5 April, 2010, 16:03


Letter to Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-WI 2nd) , 6th-term Democrat
from Wisconsin.

lANGUAGE POLICY

To:
President Barack Obama
Rep. Tammy Baldwin
Sen. Herbert Kohl
Sen. Russ Feingold

January 29, 2010

We want English to be our official language. Immigrants who come to
our Country are required to learn English. We are waisting Billions of
dollars each year printing our information in dozens of foreign
languages. Why do you keep catering to all the foreigners when you
should be making them abide by our laws? By not making foreigners
learn our language, you are allowing them to set up little foreign
communities inside our country and not assimilate into our society. We
are wasting Billions of our school systems money to teach foreigners
in their own language.  Stop catering to foreigners and start working
for "OUR" Country for a change.

Brodhead , WI




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