A couple of weeks ago I went to Radio Shack to buy some discs for my computer. At the check-out counter, I noticed there were some applications for a Radio Shack credit card. I pulled one of the applications out, but the application was in Spanish.

“Hey,” I asked the cashier, “Do you have any of these in English?”

“No.” He said. “I guess we’re out of the English ones.”

I couldn’t believe it. “You mean I can’t apply for credit because I don’t know Spanish?!” All the cashier could do was promise me they’d have some more English applications in soon.

Unfortunately, this is not the only run-in of this sort I’ve encountered in my life. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in New York City cabs trying to explain where I want to go to a cab driver who did not speak English. I also know people who live in Miami who say that just about the whole city is assimilated to Spanish speaking people. I’ve even heard that there is an FAA Aviation Communications rule that states pilots do not have to speak English to fly over the United States. Now that sounds real safe!

And how many of you at NIU have heard the complaining and moaning that arises each semester about TAs and professors who don’t speak English well? A lot of you, I’m sure.

Currently, there is a movement to make English the only official language of the United States. In a nation of immigrants, it is, needless to say, a hotly debated proposition.

More than half of the nations of the world have recognized in their constitutions their own official language. In the United States we have a proposed constitutional amendment that states “… the only language in which government operates, should be English.”

In addition, California has passed Proposition 63, which is an admendment to their state’s constitution making English their official language. This was passed in a state with a huge Spanish-speaking population. Does this mean they supported the amendment or that they just didn’t understand it?

As citizens we are given the right to vote and access to public schools. But is it required that those rights should be administered in the language of our choice? Are we going to use federal funds to promote every native language that exists in the United States? The answer to these questions will effect the way we elect public figures, our schools and many more aspects of life.

For instance, are we going to provide ballots in all of these native languages? Why stop at just Spanish? Why not French? German? Polish? or Italian?

And what about education? Should we also provide education in all these languages too? It seems that this could eventually produce nations within a nation.

The argument against English as an official language is that the government should be able to help those on their way to learning English by having things like bilingual voting ballots. But what then is the incentive for those who lean on these governmental crutches to go on and actually learn English?

People say there is nowhere to learn English. Hog wash. Even NIU has an ESL program (English as a Second Language)!

I am a firm believer that all cultures should be preserved and nurtured, but this is simply not the United States government’s concern. It is, however, the concern of the home, private school, churches and ethnic celebrations.

Some say the “Pro English” advocates are racists. This is simply not true. If I moved to Germany, I would expect, and be expected, to learn German. I would not expect the German government to put English on their voting ballots or put bus schedules up in English. And I would certainly not consider them racists against Americans if they didn’t do these things.

What the United States needs is one official language for the purpose of business and government. And who should speak English? That’s easy. Citizens of the United States should.