"I AM sure a common language, as Lizzie Cornish notes, would help...if it was voluntary instead of manditory, that's even better. Now...how do we get there?"

Well, we do have a "common" language - that is English.

Let's cut to the chase. What would be accomplished by having an "Official" language?   By law, would that mean your grocery store would be required to speak English???   I guess our descrimination laws would need to be changed to avoid lawsuits. IF we have an offical language, would we need to have bilinguals signs?   Why would a taxpayer need to help fund signs in any language other than English?   So when someone who does not speak English can't read a street sign and goes the wrong way on a one way street or goes through a stop sign and kills someone, who goes to jail or gets sued? If a ballot cannot be read by someone who does not speak English, then they do not have the right to vote?   Sounds like a great way to fix an election.

Better still, we make efforts to teach English. I'm sure all tax payers would be happy to pay extra to fund programs to teach English to our immigrants who are working jobs that others aren't taking.

Of course we have not addressed regional accents.   I've talked to some people from Maine and some people from Georgia that speak a language unlike any other. Let's train these yokels to speak!! And lets not forget Junior, who fell asleep in English class and cannot construct a sentence - or the handicapped. Would they be considered lawbreakers? What do we do with tourists, send them home unless they can speak English?

Here's the thing - I'm all for encouraging people to learn the dominant language in the country they choose to live.   it would help everyone to be able to communicate clearly.   I will tell you a story. My son loves Burger King chicken tenders. I realize they are not healthy, but he is doing okay and I don't mind getting him a treat. They have a dollar value menu - 4 chicken tenders for $1.   I thought I purchase 4 orders of 4 pieces chicken tenders. That is exactly what I said to the woman who took my order. I get to the window and she hands me a single order.   I tell her again what I want, and she points to the bag and with a thick Spanish accent she says "Four".   I repeat my request, she calls over another woman. They say something. The other woman asks me for the order, which I repeat yet again. She then asks me for $17 as she believes that I asked for 4 of the more expensive chicken sandwiches.   I again repeat my order. Another woman comes over. She then asks me if I want #4 on the menu. I repeat my order again (I've lost count). She then nods her head - hands me the 4 orders of chicken tenders, and takes the proper money.

Sure I was aggravated. In the end, I got my order and we had a laugh. I should also say that I've had my order screwed up by teenagers who are white-anglo saxon and really do not give a crap about getting it right. They are talking to their friends and the customer is a distraction.   The three women I dealt with, while they had limited command of the language, at least tried to satisfy my order.

The bottom line is that Burger King should spend time training individuals to serve their customers. If language barriers will hurt their business, that is an issue they must deal with.    The very idea that the problem should even be considered an issue for our government (and we the people) to decide is absurd.

I'm sorry if you think my bringing up the constitution is a distractions, but I feel it is important to fight for. Our country was built by immigrants, and our current crop of diverse cultures continue to expand on those ideals. It is one thing to encourage communication, it is another to alter our freedoms.