wa’s opinion is this: “We can speak any language we want at the dinner table, but English is the language of public discourses.” Senator Richard C. Shelby, a republican from Alabama, sponsors a bill requiring that government business and public documents are carried out and published only in English. The exceptions to his bill are in the areas of public health and safety services and judicial proceedings. If English were to be made official, it would only be required for use in Federal government operations and public commerce. English as the official language of these processes would make everything run much more smoothly in many ways. Success has been noted in most cases where “English Only” laws have been passed in individual states (“English Only” 1). Twenty-five states have some form of legislation stating that English is their official language (“U.S. English” 1). Only one case has been reported where the “English Only “ law of a state was overruled. On March 25, 1996, the Supreme Court ruled against Arizona’s law that required government business to be conducted only in English (King 3). Some may say that declaring an official language violates a person’s right to freedom of speech, or that it means forcing them to give up their heritage, but that is not the case. Declaring English the official language in which government and business operations are conducted does not limit a person’s freedom of speech. We are not saying you will be punished for speaking any language other than English, nor are we taking away the cultural backgrounds of immigrants. Celebrations and beliefs will still be preserved. We are only providing immigrants the means for a better chance of inclusion and success. Supporters of the English Only movement remind the public that immigrants have, in past years, been able to learn English successfully. In order to become a natural...
