Should the US make a push for nationalism by making English the official language?
A place for students to engage in academic discussion, the discovery of myriad points of view on history/current events, and the elusive, yet worthy pursuit of truth. Warning: The brightest and best students enter here.
Do the positive aspects of nationalism outweight the negative ones?
Teacher
Mr. Houston
About Me
- Chip Houston
- Est. 1976
Mr. Houston's Book Recommendations
- Visioneering by Andy Stanley
- Lincoln on Leadership
- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
- The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene
- The Founding Brothers by Joseph J Ellis
- The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz
- The Old and New Testaments
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5 comments:
A common language would be beneficial to current Americans and empower immigrants alike. That is my succinct stance, but for now I have to study for the test. I'll give more detail later.
I think the US should. If we (as in, Americans) went to another country, we'd likely be pressured to conform to their standards, so why shouldn't they conform to ours, at least on the language.
Just because we are a country that advocates diversity doesn't mean you can immigrate here and bring your entire country along with you. You have to assimilate, at least a little bit.
Our country is already divided by race, religion, and politics. Do we really need a language barrier?
We should have everyone speak English because it creates unity and continuity in civilization. As discussed in class, of the pillars that contribute to a nation, a common language is vital so that we can all communicate with one another. Without communication, society can't function as evident by today. Immigrants aren't forced to learn English, so they don't. By not learning English, they can't contribute to our society and end up weighing it down. We are failing to meet many of the other pillars that create a strong, centralized government and as of now language is one of them. We should be doing what we can to making America stronger, and a common language would definantly help.
Tolerance is an important virtue, but like all things, tolerance has a limit. It is not intolerant to expect a common system of communication for all citizens, rather, it is the very foundation of a nation. It is most important to do not what others think, but what needs to be done in order for the whole to grow. If we do not all speak English, then how can we truly expect to develop as a society? Without a common language, accomplishing a goal is akin to herding cats; since all will go in different directions, it is impossible.
I feel like contradicting.
Sure a common language would be beneficial to the nation as a whole, but who are we to force people from other countries to learn our language?
They would be helping themselves if they learned English, but I see no reason we should force them to learn it. They would face a lot of trouble on their own if they didn't learn it, so they should be able to see the benefits of learning our language, but why should the nation who calls themselves a mixing of all cultures force others into assimilating to their "culture."
Yes, our nation is divided in so many ways already, but we do still all live under this basic net that makes us American. We live in a country where, if you're born here, you are a citizen of the United States. They might learn it the hard way, but English is a part of the American way of life. They should have the choice to learn it on their own instead of us shoving it in their face.
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