The American Tory

Every few years the debate over whether we should have a national language pops up. Personally, I find the nature of the debate a bit uninformed at best and down right stupid at worst.

 Here are some of the reasons I oppose establishing a national language:

1) We have never had a national language.

2) The constitutionality of establishing a national language is suspect at best. Where does the Federal government derive the power to establish an official language? Couldn’t this lead to the establishment of official thought?

3) A greater percentage of Americans speak English today than did in 1900. Today its close to 95% even if you count migrants. In 1900 it was below 90%.

4) The United States has always had language diversity at the state and even county level. Several states including Louisiana, New Mexico, and Hawaii are officially bilingual and others like some in New England have regions that are bilingual.

5) English will always be the de facto language of the United States since its the language of business, global culture, etc… If you want your children to be successful, you do not have them learn Cornish, you teach them English as their primary language.

6) To be globally competitive, we should require every high school graduate on an academic tract to have four years of foreign language instruction. Anyone seeking government financial aid should be required to have six years of foreign language instruction in one language or four years in one and two in another.

7) The ofificial language law experience in Canada should scare anyone away from having an official language law.

English was never the official language of the United Kingdom or several of its colonies including the United States and Australia.