ProEnglish Is Sensible

Posted on | February 11, 2012 | 24 Comments

by Smitty

It is one thing to celebrate diversity; to enjoy and study foreign languages and cultures. It is quite another to weaken the cohesiveness of the country, decrease efficiency, and bloat bureaucracies with government positions that add no economic value to the country.

I enjoyed a short chat at CPAC with Robert Vandervoort of ProEnglish, who touts Rep. Steve King’s bill to address the issue.

Category: CPAC

Comments

24 Responses to “ProEnglish Is Sensible”

Thomas L. Knapp
February 11th, 2012 @ 9:29 pm

If “taxpayer expense” of printing ballots in the languages Americans use, by all means pick one language and stick with it. English makes the most sense.

Of course, “taxpayer expense” goes both ways. If the government isn’t going to serve (ferinstance) Spanish-speaking Americans, it should exempt them from paying taxes for the services they aren’t getting.
Edward
February 11th, 2012 @ 9:45 pm

1. English makes the most sense because it’s spoken by the vast majority of Americans. Choosing Sumerian is probably less likely of an outcome due to the rather improbably small number of people fluent in it.

2. English is the language of international business. You want to do business in a global economy? Learn English.

3. What in God’s name are you talking about with that “taxpayer expense” silliness?
Thomas L. Knapp
February 11th, 2012 @ 9:52 pm

Edward,

1. Having no “official language” makes even more sense. Like everything else, the market takes care of languages just fine .

2. See (1). It takes care of itself.
3. Watch the video. I’m not the one who brought up the “taxpayer expense” nonsense.
smitty
February 11th, 2012 @ 9:57 pm

exempt them from paying taxes for the services they aren’t getting.

This insistence on treating taxpayers as though they are customers, not chattel, is highly subversive. I am putting you on the no-hovercraft list right now, mister.
Thomas L. Knapp
February 11th, 2012 @ 10:23 pm

Well, as long as I’m not on the no-bourbon list …

Seriously, though, thanks to you guys for attending CPAC and covering it for us. I wouldn’t make it five minutes there before my mass defenestration programming kicked in.
English Should Be The Official Language of The United States « That Mr. G Guy's Blog
February 11th, 2012 @ 10:37 pm

[…] Smitty of TOM interviewed Robert Vandervoort of ProEnglish about his groups touting of Representative Steve King’s bill in Congress to make English the official language of the United States. I’m all for it, and while you’re at it, how about getting rid of those superfluous extra language instruction manuals one gets with any new tool or appliance in French, Spanish, German, ect., eh? […]
Anonymous
February 11th, 2012 @ 10:47 pm

If only they weren’t getting services even if here illegally…

And I do wonder how my ancestors managed….
Thomas L. Knapp
February 11th, 2012 @ 10:52 pm

SDN,

Problem solved. Read the Constitution and note not just the mere absence of, but a firm prohibition on, any federal regulation of immigration.
Adjoran
February 11th, 2012 @ 11:32 pm

I’m with Thomas Knapp on this one (the no official language thing, not the defenestration, although in some cases I would open a window in defiance of the fallacy of the glazier). This is not a federal matter, it should be reserved to the states. If California wants to publish their ballot in 117 languages and their taxpayers are dumb enough to let it happen, that’s their business. If Arizona decides their ballots and schools are all English, so be it.

Vandervoort has been denying connections to several organizations, but was he the organizer of the event in Chicago in 2005 memorializing Sam Francis, or not?
MrPaulRevere
February 11th, 2012 @ 11:44 pm

Bravo Smitty, your remark about ‘the long term cohesiveness of the nation’ sums it up quite nicely. Folks can say what they will about Michael Savage but his formulation of ‘borders language and culture’ is simple, elegant and true.
richard mcenroe
February 12th, 2012 @ 12:22 am

?????????????????????…
Charles
February 12th, 2012 @ 1:04 am

Do we really want the King’s English, even if it is Steve King’s English? The English can keep their language, their awful pronunciation, and their poor spelling. Here’s a better idea: Let’s make American the official language of the United States.
Pathfinder's wife
February 12th, 2012 @ 8:37 am

How about we adopt American Standard English (as opposed to its many and quaint dialects) as the de facto official language (and cool it with the pc crap), teach our kids better in language (American and maybe one or two others, because it never hurts — and fluency in language can translate into better scores in other subjects), and then have no legal, in the lawbooks, that’s the rules official language (I agree with Mr. Knapp on this one).
Anonymous
February 12th, 2012 @ 9:35 am

Funny, my Constitution says that when you define citizenship requirements for offices you had to have some idea that the status of citizen was a) defined, b) enforceable, and c) makes a difference.
Anonymous
February 12th, 2012 @ 10:27 am

Wooow…..
my buddy’s sister-in-law makes $68/hr on the laptop. She has been fired from work for 5 months but last month her pay was $8725 just working on the laptop for a few hours. Read more on this site….http://alturl.com/76cou
Thomas L. Knapp
February 12th, 2012 @ 1:04 pm

And your point? I was referencing immigration, not naturalization or citizenship. The Constitution clearly gives power over naturalization to Congress, just as it clearly prohibits power over immigration to Congress.
Anonymous
February 12th, 2012 @ 3:33 pm

Except that by bestowing the ability to define who is a citizen of the nation, it allows us to define who is not — and not welcome.
Thomas L. Knapp
February 12th, 2012 @ 3:48 pm

SDN,

The constitution doesn’t say what you wish it says, or what you fantasize that it says.

It only says what it actually says.

And the framers were very clear on what they meant by what it said.

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but the facts are going to stay facts whether you like them or not.
Charles
February 12th, 2012 @ 3:52 pm

Quaint? English is quaint. American is cool. Would you rather be an English teacher, or an American teacher?
Pathfinder's wife
February 12th, 2012 @ 4:27 pm

Haha, too funny — first off, I was an English teacher (grades 7 – 12, college comp and lit, and ESL, oh, and LD). I adore philology and linguistics…and I detest the term/notion/concept/mythos of “cool”.

There was a time when Americans really were “cool”, because we were ourselves and allowed ourselves to be ourselves…and then we fell victim to our own “coolness”.
We need to drop it and find our coolness again…so regional dialects and all their wonderous variation (which by the by I theorize makes Americans naturals at language if we could ever realize we are and harness it) are “quaint” (because I’m reclaiming that word for the speakers of the more original and pure English…Americans).
Bob Belvedere
February 12th, 2012 @ 5:07 pm

Between The Three Muscatels and C-SPAN, it’s been great coverage.
Bob Belvedere
February 12th, 2012 @ 5:13 pm

I believe Thomas and Adjoran are right, that this is a matter for the states. Of course, an Amendment to The Constitution could be done.

Personally, I am in favor of the national government making English the official language of the federal government. I don’t think it a very ‘American’ idea to force private persons and companies to use only English. But mandating, by law, that all government business at the national level be conducted in English passes Constitutional muster.
Full CPAC 2012 Coverage: Pictures, Videos, Speeches, and More!
February 12th, 2012 @ 5:46 pm

[…] ProEnglish is Sensible (The Other McCain) […]
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February 14th, 2012 @ 2:17 pm

[…] will enshrine English as the official language of the United States’ [tip of the fedora to Smitty]. He believes a common language is a ‘unifying force’ and: The need for English as the […]