Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!lll-crg!rutgers!clyde!cbatt!ukma!ukecc!wes From: wes@ukecc.UUCP (Wes Morgan) Newsgroups: sci.lang Subject: Bilingualism: A negative viewpoint Message-ID: <783@ukecc.UUCP> Date: Mon, 17-Nov-86 12:47:10 EST Article-I.D.: ukecc.783 Posted: Mon Nov 17 12:47:10 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 18-Nov-86 03:32:56 EST Organization: Nuke the Gay Whales, Inc. @ UKentucky, Lexington Lines: 62 Considering the current movement to render the United States a bilingual/multilingual country, certain points need to be made. If these points have been mentioned previously, I apologize; I only recently began reading this group. 1. With immigration to the United States continuing at its present level , the United States is fast becoming a true "melting pot"; a wider variety of national- ities are represented in today's population than ever before. This brings the concept of national identity to a critical point. Should these immigrants be assimilated into the American identity, or should they maintain a separate enclave along the lines of Chinatown or Little Sicily? I prefer the former option. 2. An American of some repute (I cannot recall the name) once claimed that language was the great unifier in any nation. This can be his- torically affirmed by such civil conflicts as the Basque minority in Spain and the tribal problems in numerous African nations. It is critical to a nation's survival and prosperity to employ a single, relatively universal language. 3. Effecting a national bilingualism/multilingualism would create an inestimable myriad of bureaucracy in both governmental and private actions. Imagine, if you will, a bilingual Army in the next war; communication drops to zero, effectiveness drops to zero, casulties increase exponentially. Also consider the day-to-day operation of any sizable industry. Could you deal with, say, eating in a public restaurant and being unable to converse with your waiter? Think about the parallel effects in dealing with law enforcement or medical opera- tions. Surely, you can grasp the inherant chaos in such a scenario. 4. Setting this type of precedent can prove dangerous. Suppose that in 20 years or so, another minority language rises to the position current- ly held by the Hispanic languages. Would we then effect *another* offi- cial language?? Certainly, the argument could be made, but there must be an end to the process. That end should be, as it has so far in American history, with the original language. ENGLISH is, should be, and hopefully always will be the official language of the USA. NOTE: It should be noted that I personally am bilingual; I have been a student of the Spanish language for 7 years and consider myself fluent. It is my experience in Spanish-speaking environments that leads me to the opinions stated above. Flames to personal mail, rational opposing viewpoints to the group. -- Wes Morgan UUCP: !cbosgd!ukma!ukecc!wes BITNET: CS0270A9@UKCC CSNET: wes@ecc.engr.uky.csnet ARPANET: wes%ecc.engr.uky.csnet@csnet-relay.ARPA " Disclaimer? Huh? You mean this was supposed to be *MY* opinion?"