by Catherine Wayburn

Created on: July 14, 2008

It's easy for English speaking people to say that "English should be the only language spoken in America" and I, myself, who doesn't know any other language than English, would, of course, like to see it that way, but is it realistic thinking?

Think of all the different language factions in this country and how people that speak their own language would feel if that freedom was taken away from them. It would be like taking part of their culture away. If you went to italy and was told you could not speak your native tongue and only speak Italian, imagine how that would make you feel. America is a melting pot of different nationalites, religions and peoples that speak all kinds of different languages. I think most people living in America do try to learn English and should know English, but I don't think they should be "made" to learn it.

Some nationalities like to keep the "old ways" and there is nothing wrong with that, but they should make an attempt to learn to speak English since America is a predominately English speaking country, or at least I think it is. It might not be any more with the influx of illegal immigrants who speak Spanish and other languages. I say yes, to people living in America learning to speak English, but no to making it manditory. Thast would seem to take away some freedom and America is not about destroying freedoms.

I have to admit, I do find it an irritant to buy a product and have to search for the English on it as the Spanish seems to be printed on it first. This isn't right. Even if I went to Mexico, I would find it easier to find English on products than I do here, right in my own Country. The same as in Canada. Everything has French printing on it. Only Quebec is French and it is just one province that speaks French, yet all products in all provinces have to have French on them and the children of Canada have to take mandatory French classes and yet, in Quebec, they are not told to speak or learn English. That's not right either. Why should all of Canada learn to speak and read French because one province speaks it?

Quite honestly, I doubt that there will ever be a totally English speaking America, if anything we will end up like Canada with Spanish everywhere and our children will have to learn Spanish in school even though millions of the Spanish speaking people aren't even here legally. We just want them to buy our products and spend their money, even though it's illegally procurred. Well, that's another topic.

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