I've just watched an programme on BhBC na h-Alba. It about "New Gaels" its given me a well needed boost after the inital doom of the last census,( as too did the class posts left by Phillipa, moran taing a ghraidh!) but then again I'm a bit of a gloomy person to begin with, why? I'm a A Scots gael. Anyhoo.
If I had my way, which some of you should thank God I do not. Gaelic would have a national status as the "First" language of Scotland, not the "First language of Scotland" if you see the difference? In the parts of Scotland where it was spoken (and that includes the South west of Scotland as well) there should be the outlet for people to learn and speak gaelic if they so wish. I would not like to see gaelic being forced upon people that have now wish to speak or learn the language. We need to make the language attractive enough!?!
But there are problems and sadly they apear to come from the "native camp" We are still not brave enough to stand up for what is ours and too ready to equate Gaelic with sack cloth and ashes, Why? beacuse we have had three hundred years of being told we were the barbarians.

As for teaching Urdu, and other languages, what can they tell us about the country we live in? What can Arabic tell me about Ossian, Aoibhir Aluinn or Cu Chulain and Aifa?
will Urdu give me more of an insight into how the landscape around me came to have its name? By turning our backs on Gaelic we loose over 2000 years of history and culture. And that is not to mention the art and culture being produced to day!

I've now rambled too much and need to sit still for a while.

Oidhche mhath

Aodh