Did you know the US does not have an official language?

[Taverner]

During the early US the founders debated what the official language should be. It was narrowed down to English, German and Dutch. There were a lot of German yeoman farmers in the US who spoke no English - some say a majority even. It all came down to one vote...and a language was never decided.

So all this shit about "speak english or die" is exactly that - we sitll don't have an official language nor should we.

[JohnKleeb]

1. I knew htat

I knew about German and all that too.

[Taverner]

2. Yeah but you're Kleeb ;)

IF only all teenagers had your intelligence

[JohnKleeb]

3. Intelligence?

Np, I just absorb information easily. It's fascinating really when it comes down to it.

[billyskank]

4. So you're like an intellectual sponge?

:hi:

[JohnKleeb]

5. Actually its part of my Aspergers Syndrome

I read something mostly history relaetd and its impossible for me to forget it. For instance whne I was 5 I knew all the US presidents in order.

[LynzM]

6. Yup...

So for all Bush's going on yesterday about how people who want to live here should learn to speak English... bwahahaha to him!

[begley]

7. I think one language official language would be best.

It would be a unifier, and would promote a common cause, pride in being an American. English is the obvious choice.

[Fredda Weinberg]

8. Obvious? I don't think so

Americans have been speaking Spanish for centuries and if trends continue, English speakers will be a minority eventually. All of our founding documents can be translated - and the founding fathers (remembering there are no founding mothers) spoke an "English" you probably wouldn't recognize. I think we'll end up with a Spanglish someday - and that would be an appropriate official language, also remembering that Esperanto heavily relies on Latin roots ... as does Modern English.

So I can't agree that English is an obvious choice for an official language - assuming we need one after all this time.

[Floogeldy]

10. Uh, como esta usted.

Yo estudio espanol en mi escuela para dos anos. Donde esta su pelo. Deme su refrigeradore.

Thank you! Thank you very much!

[IronLionZion]

17. American English

It's a great language and quite different from the Queen's English.

[Deja Q]

9. Well, everybody knows what "no" means...

Otherwise nobody knows... :rofl:

[Robb]

11. Sure it does!

LOVE, baby!

[supernova]

12. Up until WWI you could find German langauge schools

And public schools at that in just about any state. I don't mean german foreign language class, I mean, what we call total immersion today.

Oh and the Declaration of Independence was published in German and French at the time, so everyone would understand it.

[trof]

13. What ever happened to esperanto, anyway?

[Karenina]

15. It was deemed

a furrin' language. :evilgrin:

[NJ Democrats]

14. I knew that we had none

[rug]

16. Gott in Himmel! Pourquoi?

[NMMNG]

18. I knew that

All that "speak english/American"-or-get-out crap is just hateful xenophobic posturing.

[XemaSab]

19. Word

Out here in the West we've got 400 years of Spanish exploration and settlement, but somehow 4th grade history begins with the discovery of gold at Sutter's sawmill 150 years ago. :eyes:

[Floogeldy]

20. Tacos

:)