Bill D and M.Ted,

America is one of the countries of the world that is not bilingual. There is a resistance
to learning another language, here in America as evidenced by the lack of emphasis
in school curricula. If we insist on English being the predominant language, here in the States then I think it is incumbent upon every American to learn a foreign language and
to be adept at more than one if they can. In the inception of this country, the first European immigrants spoke English, German and later Irish, Hebrew (Yiddish), Spanish and now Asian.

Where is it written that English has to be the official language of this country? This is only
because of the tyranny of the first immigrants dictating their linguistic policy to the exclusion of Native Americans. The problem of the lack of language communication skills is directly proportional to the provincial attitudes of many Americans who forget that their ancestors were not the only immigrants here.

If we want to avoid problems in the future, then Americans should become bilingual. It's predicated on the ideals of the inscription below the base of the Lady of the Harbor.

American slang has picked up wonderful expressions from those non-English speaking immigrants of all kinds.

Ron is right. We have to give up our provincial thinking on this issue.

Frank