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Official Language
May. 19th, 2006 10:04 pmYou know, this whole uproar about illegal immigrants and multiple languages has gotten me thinking on the subject. Honestly, as in most things, I can see both sides of the issue, though I think I may be swaying more one way than the other. I have honestly no opinion about deporting the illegal immigrants, though I think it's not really feasible at this point. However, I do seem to have a thought about the whole language issue. On the one hand, it's almost cruel not to try to help people understand the basic necessities of life. When any of us travels to another country, we expect a certain level of understanding and help. However, when we want to live in another country, we're expected to at least try to learn the language (it does help that english is currently pretty much the common language of the world).
I think it's rather arrogant of anyone to come live in a country and then expect the country to start drastically changing everything to fit you. I definitely think it too arrogant if someone disobeys the law of a given country, sneaks in illegally, and then has the gall to expect the country to change for it. In the case of the U.S., I really don't know how fair our immigration laws are, but they are still laws, and as such, should be honored. I don't think we should flat out say english is the official language, completely removing all spanish language assistance, but I do think it's rather ridiculous that we have to go out of our way for their convenience.
I acknowledge that there is an increasingly larger population of perfectly legal mexicans, but I also know that there's a population of what, several million?, illegal immigrants here as well. I think it's a perfectly rational assumption that when one comes to another country, one tries to learn the language. I don't know though. It just seems to me that something's not right with every option.
What I do know, and this is just my personal feelings on the matter, is that I dislike a group of people moving to where I live and demanding that I accommodate them by learning their language and adding it to everything I do or make. I also don't appreciate the attitude I've gotten on several occasions, the one where basically someone barely knows enough english to carry out my request or order, and then gives the attitude that they don't care and I'm lucky just to get that. Though I suppose that's more dicks being dicks. A dick is a dick in any language.
I think it's rather arrogant of anyone to come live in a country and then expect the country to start drastically changing everything to fit you. I definitely think it too arrogant if someone disobeys the law of a given country, sneaks in illegally, and then has the gall to expect the country to change for it. In the case of the U.S., I really don't know how fair our immigration laws are, but they are still laws, and as such, should be honored. I don't think we should flat out say english is the official language, completely removing all spanish language assistance, but I do think it's rather ridiculous that we have to go out of our way for their convenience.
I acknowledge that there is an increasingly larger population of perfectly legal mexicans, but I also know that there's a population of what, several million?, illegal immigrants here as well. I think it's a perfectly rational assumption that when one comes to another country, one tries to learn the language. I don't know though. It just seems to me that something's not right with every option.
What I do know, and this is just my personal feelings on the matter, is that I dislike a group of people moving to where I live and demanding that I accommodate them by learning their language and adding it to everything I do or make. I also don't appreciate the attitude I've gotten on several occasions, the one where basically someone barely knows enough english to carry out my request or order, and then gives the attitude that they don't care and I'm lucky just to get that. Though I suppose that's more dicks being dicks. A dick is a dick in any language.
