Make English the Official language of the U.S?

[Calm2Chaos]

What perks? They have no representation in the Congress.

They live on an island with great beaches to start....:lol:

NO state NO rep. Seems fair to me

 

[shuamort]

They live on an island with great beaches to start

They are also strategically located for US Military interests with 5 active bases there, with military surveillance, training, and weapons testing, its closeness to North, Central, and South America is critical.

Military Uses of Puerto Rico
The US military installations in Puerto Rico are part of the US Atlantic Command LANTCOM has authority over all US military operations which take place throughout the Atlantic. Puerto Rico is seen as crucial in supporting LANTCOM's mission. Both Naval Forces Caribbean (NFC) and Fleet Air Caribbean (FAIR) are based at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station.2 NFC has authority over all US Naval activity in the waters of the Caribbean while FAIR has authority over all US military flights and air operations over the Caribbean.
US Navy's largest training area for the US Atlantic Fleet is in Puerto Rico and in the ocean surrounding the island. Every year, the US conducts several military training exercises in Puerto Rico, the largest of these being Operation Springboard and Operation Readex.2 These exercises include thousands of personnel and involve air, sea, and land operations, and include training with live ammunition. In addition to the exercises of the US military, NATO forces and foreign forces that pay rent to the US government are permitted to utilize the bases in Puerto Rico.10

On top of training exercises, the US uses Puerto Rico as a base to rehearse and launch military operations in Latin America and throughout the world. Operations launched from Puerto Rico include the 1954 intervention in Guatemala, the 1965 invasion of the Dominican Republic, the 1983 invasion of Greneda, the 1989 invasion of Panama, support of El Salvadorian military; preparation for operation Desert Storm and Desert Fox in Iraq; and preparation for the War in Yugoslavian. Further, in 1984, it was revealed that the FBI offered monthly courses to participants from El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Honduras, as well as Puerto Rico.2

Future Military Activities in Puerto Rico
Remote Over The Horizon Radar (ROTHR)
The Navy is presently planning to construct a Relocatable Over the Horizon Radar (ROTHR) in Puerto Rico. The ROTHR would be part of a surveillance network which designed to monitor flights over an area encompassing more than 1 million square miles in South America. The ROTHR, developed by Raytheon, would consist of 34 antennas and support structures, 71 to 125 feet tall. The transmitter is planned for a 100 acre plot of land in Vieques. The site for the receiver was originally planned to be located in the Lajas Valley but was changed to Fort Allen due to protest regarding the military's use of prime farmland and possible disruption of the community's irrigation system.24
US Southern Command
As part of treaty with Panama, the US Southern Command is to leave the Panama canal by 1999. The plan is to move operations to bases in the US, Honduras, and Puerto Rico. In December, 1998, the Associated Press reported that military / counter-narcotics operations would be moved to Puerto Rico as well as other sites in the region.25 The US is planning to station the division, Special Operations, South (SOCSOUTH) to Vieques.25 This would result in more military operation in this region, and an even greater risk to the civilian populations and the environment. A 1998 study by the US Army Corps of Engineers found that SOCSOUTH operations in Vieques would have adverse affects on the land, air quality, and local flora and fauna.26


That's all well and good, till we get to these parts:

Military Operations in Vieques
The US military presence in Vieques has long been a point of contention between Puerto Ricans and the US government. Vieques is of particular concern due to the large area of land the military controls, the effect of the military operations on the population, and the effect of military operations on the environment. The military controls approximately 76% of the island of Vieques. The military base on Vieques is used for practice operations including combined land, air, and sea operations, practice with live munitions, and the storage of munitions.
Much attention was focused on Vieques this past spring two 500 pound bombs, launched as part of US military training exercises for the war in Yugoslavia, landed a mile and a half off target killing a local security guard, David Sanes, and injured four others. This incident inspired several commissions to investigate the effect of US military operations in Vieques including a commission appointed by the governor of Puerto Rico and a US government commission. Following the killing of Sanes, Puerto Ricans have held a continuous occupation of part of the military base in Vieques, and on July fourth, approximately 50,000 Puerto Ricans demonstrated in Vieques, calling on the military to clean up and evacuate the base.14

While the killing of Sanes sparked particular outrage, this was not the first time citizens were put at risk by the US military operations in Vieques. In 1993, the Navy dropped five bombs a mile from Isabela Segunda, the main town in Vieques; four of these bombs detonated.15 In 1997, a vehicle in the municipal dump was struck by M-16 bullets.15 In addition to these incidents, the US military admitted to firing 263 depleted uranium shells in Vieques in February 1999.16 Depleted Uranium is pyrophoric and ignites upon impact forming an aerosol of Uranium Oxides which can travel for miles before settling on the ground. If ingested, the Uranium Oxides present health risk due to their chemotoxicity and radioactivity. While the military claimed that the use of depleted uranium shells was an accident, the revelation of their use of Depleted Uranium only came out in May as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request by the Military Toxics Campaign.17

When they released their report early July, 1999 the governor's commission concluded that the Navy has failed to fulfill their commitment to promote economic growth and protection of the environment as elaborated in the 1983 memorandum of understanding between the government of Puerto Rico and the Navy.16 Despite the Navy's commitment to promote economic growth, the residents of Vieques suffer from a severe level of unemployment and underemployment. Approximately 73% of the population of Vieques lives in poverty.16 Despite the Navy's commitment to promote environmental protection, the governor's commission found that the Navy's activities had damaged lagoons, forests, mountains and coastline.15 According to testimony by the Comité pro rescate y desorrollo de Vieques, TNT, NO3, NO2, RDX, and Tetryl have been found in drinking water in Vieques.10 The recent governor's commission also found evidence that materials from explosives, including TNT had seeped into the local drinking water.15 In addition the Navy has recently admitted to using Napalm on Vieques.18

In February, 1999, the Human Rights and Environmental Commissions of the Puerto Rican Bar Association also began an investigation into the effect of the Navy on Vieques. They found that the cancer rate on Vieques is 26% above the Puerto Rican national average and that as a result of the Navy's bombing, Vieques is being polluted with toxic materials including asbestos, lead, mercury, and nitrates.19 Referring to the conclusions of the Bar Association's commissions Eduardo Villanueva, president of Puerto Rican Bar Association, stated that "Both Commissions found that the training maneuvers of the military threaten the very lives of the people of Vieques, in clear violation of international law. The toxic materials generated by the bombings deteriorate the health of local residents by causing cancer and diseases of the central nervous system, and destroy the natural resources of this island."19

Errant Bomb in Coamo
While the military operations in Vieques have stirred a great deal of protest, Vieques is not the only region in which military "accidents" have occurred. On July 9, 1999 another bomb went off target and landed in the municipality of Coamo. The explosion creating a 4 foot deep by 4 foot wide crater.20
Coquí I and II
NASA directed projects Coquí I and II to advance research into the behavior of the upper atmosphere. Turbulance in the upper atmosphere affects radio and satellite transmissions. Though not explicitly military in nature, this field of research is of particular interest to the military since radio and satellite transmissions are used for command and control.
As part of the Coquí project, Trimethyaluminum (TMA) was released in the ionosphere at an altitude between 50 and 93 miles.21 In the upper atmosphere, TMA, which is a highly voluble, ignites leaving trails which provide a visual display of the dynamic behavior within the ionosphere. While NASA spokespeople claimed that all the TMA in the Coquí projects ignited before reaching the ground, swimmers at Rio Grande and Aguadilla reported rashes following the release of TMA above these areas following the 1992 Coquí I experiments.22 A July 1997 report titled "Technical Information Document for the 1998 Coquí Sounding Rocket Campaign, The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico" noted that residue associated with the experiments may remain in the environment for a lengthy period of time and have large scale effects.22 The report also noted that a forested area was "clearly degraded" following the Coquí I experiments, and that it may take decades for the forests to recuperate.22 The 1997 report further noted that the Coquí II experiments may result in 100 pounds of lead falling into the Tortuguero Lagoon and nearby waters.22


That's quite the perk. Bomb testings that cause death, a mysterious rise in cancer amongst the citizens too. Hmm.. Perky. :roll:

 

[Calm2Chaos]

That's quite the perk. Bomb testings that cause death, a mysterious rise in cancer amongst the citizens too. Hmm.. Perky. :roll:

OK.. stop all millitary use of the island and let them be there own government and take care of there own problems and do whatever it is that they do. I have no problem whatsoever with that. If they don't like the role they play in the hole US territory thing. Go independent, hell I would vote for it. See how green the grass is someplace else...LOL

But are they eligable for pretty much every program offered by the US government? the ones payed for mostly by us mainlanders?

 

[shuamort]

OK.. stop all millitary use of the island and let them be there own government and take care of there own problems and do whatever it is that they do. I have no problem whatsoever with that. If they don't like the role they play in the hole US territory thing. Go independent, hell I would vote for it. See how green the grass is someplace else...LOL

But are they eligable for pretty much every program offered by the US government? the ones payed for mostly by us mainlanders?

Paid mostly by the mainlanders (AND AK and HI)? It's worse than you think. The American citizens of PR do not have to pay federal income tax (by and large). Of course, the standard level of income is worse that Mississippi, so we're not missing a lot of income there anyways.

It seems that everytime I show you a point of contention in your arguments, you get dismissive. The problems that ensue with your proposal are much more complex than that. Closing 5 American bases, removing all of the Puerto Ricans currently serving in the US Armed forces, closing all business ties, removing the legal tender, losing a military stronghold and strategic location, losing nearly 4 million americans, etc, etc, all on the basis of language? Silliness.

 

[RightinNYC]

Fine.. You want to come here to live learn the language. Just a basic working knowledge. If thats to much then go back to whatever country you came from

What about people who were born here, American citizens, who were raised in a household that spoke a language other than English? You want them to "go back where they came from?" This is where they came from.

I'm always reluctant to accuse someone of bigotry because I think it's a vastly overused term, but this is getting close.

How does it hurt you if someone else speaks a language other than English?

 

[RightinNYC]

And wait a minute, weren't you the same person on another thread who was flipping out about the government making decisions for adults, and how it was unjust?

Now you want a Federal law telling American citizens what language they MUST learn to speak? That would seem to be a much larger decision the government would be making for us than telling us where not to smoke.

Absolute and utter hypocrisy.

Get your positions together and come back later.

 

[ludahai]

Do you also require that any American businessman whom does business overseas learn the language of that country 1st? I.E. Japanese or French or whatever?

I reside in Taiwan and I have made it an effort to learn Mandarin, which is the official language of the country. I am currently learning Taiwanese which is the primary vernacular of the country. Mandarin makes my life so much easier than if I couldn't communicate in the language. I find it unbelievable that people wouldn't want to take the effort to learn the local language of a country they are residing in as it makes life easier and more rewarding.

 

[ludahai]

What perks? They have no representation in the Congress.

They don't pay federal income taxes, but they benefit from federal welfare programs for one. If they became a state, they would have to pay federal income taxes. Seems a great reason for them to retain the status quo to me.

 

[ludahai]

How does it hurt you if someone else speaks a language other than English?

It doesn't and he doesn't say that people speaking another language hurts anyone. What he is saying is that official business of the U.S. should be conducted in English and at least a basic proficiency of the language should be required.

I grew up speaking two languages at home because my grandparents spoke French to be as a child. However, they could also speak English, as could most of the Quebecois immigrants of my grandparents generation. Why can't immigrants coming to the U.S. today learn at least basic functional English?!? People here in Taiwans spend lots of money and time in the effort to practice and improve their English!

 

[nefarious_plot]

Its cool if your an immigrant to speak you won langauge or to trach your kids. Thats your right.

Whats not cool is imposing your language on us. making Us accomadate you when your the new arrival or guest. Thats totaly uncool and its just beyond nuts that people insist we should have to tolerate that.

 

[sargasm]

You keep quoting thomas. The problem is it is not unjust. We are a sovergn nation and you are illegally entering it. How can you think it is unjust to want people not to just wander into your country. They are breaking laws and they are taking resources from actual americans

I don't "keep quoting thomas", this is the first quote of his i have posted. It is unjust and you admitted it in an earlier post. They are not taking resources from actual americans, the government doesnt give illegal immigrants help, they kick them out. And what do you mean by "we are a sovergn nation" ? Yeah, we are, and so is every other nation in the world (well, except for Iraq but whose fault is that...).

 

[Calm2Chaos]

What about people who were born here, American citizens, who were raised in a household that spoke a language other than English? You want them to "go back where they came from?" This is where they came from.

I'm always reluctant to accuse someone of bigotry because I think it's a vastly overused term, but this is getting close.

How does it hurt you if someone else speaks a language other than English?

I wouldn't know. I never said tey couldn't speak another ;language. Hell they can speak 30 as far as I am concerned

 

[Calm2Chaos]

And wait a minute, weren't you the same person on another thread who was flipping out about the government making decisions for adults, and how it was unjust?

Now you want a Federal law telling American citizens what language they MUST learn to speak? That would seem to be a much larger decision the government would be making for us than telling us where not to smoke.

Absolute and utter hypocrisy.

Get your positions together and come back later.

I don't see the comparison. But I rarely do with you.

 

[Calm2Chaos]

I don't "keep quoting thomas", this is the first quote of his i have posted. It is unjust and you admitted it in an earlier post. They are not taking resources from actual americans, the government doesnt give illegal immigrants help, they kick them out. And what do you mean by "we are a sovergn nation" ? Yeah, we are, and so is every other nation in the world (well, except for Iraq but whose fault is that...).

And like any other nation in the world. If you want entry you go through the proper channels. Sneaking in is not the way you enter a country, your breaking the law. They are taking resources from actual americans. They are being issued drivers licenses for god sake. There going into already overcrowded schools that don't have the resources to handle the children. And then they have to hire teachers that are bilingual to teach all the classes because these kids don't speak English.

 

[RightinNYC]

I wouldn't know. I never said tey couldn't speak another ;language. Hell they can speak 30 as far as I am concerned

So what's the problem? If someone works in a job where they have no need to speak english, how does it hurt you? Does it matter if they speak english or not?

 

[RightinNYC]

I don't see the comparison. But I rarely do with you.

Are you that ignorant? Or are you just pretending like you don't see it because you, again, have no response for your hypocracy?

 

[Kelzie]

I don't see the comparison. But I rarely do with you.

Here, let me help you out. You think it's okay for a government to force you to learn an entire language, but wrong for them to make you walk 15ft to smoke a cigarette. Make sense? Well, I mean it doesn't really, but do you understand?

 

[Calm2Chaos]

So what's the problem? If someone works in a job where they have no need to speak english, how does it hurt you? Does it matter if they speak english or not?

No it doesn't hurt me. To me they shoul dhave a working knowledge of the english language

 

[Calm2Chaos]

Are you that ignorant? Or are you just pretending like you don't see it because you, again, have no response for your hypocracy?

Because you like to compare apples to oranges

 

[Calm2Chaos]

Here, let me help you out. You think it's okay for a government to force you to learn an entire language, but wrong for them to make you walk 15ft to smoke a cigarette. Make sense? Well, I mean it doesn't really, but do you understand?

I am an american citizen the other isn't... Make sense? Probably not.....

So instead of you excersicing your adult ability to choose. You decide that the government should make your personal decisions for you and me.

But you see the comparisons between a personal choice and immigrants learning english? OK ... well I feel that one is a personal choice and the other should be a requirment. So to make it a requirment you got me. It would have to be legislated by the government

 

[RightinNYC]

No it doesn't hurt me. To me they shoul dhave a working knowledge of the english language

If it doesn't bother you, why do you care? Why do you think the government should be making decisions about everyone elses lives? Why won't you let people make their own decisions?

Filthy liberal.

 

[RightinNYC]

I am an american citizen the other isn't... Make sense? Probably not.....

So instead of you excersicing your adult ability to choose. You decide that the government should make your personal decisions for you and me.

But you see the comparisons between a personal choice and immigrants learning english? OK ... well I feel that one is a personal choice and the other should be a requirment. So to make it a requirment you got me. It would have to be legislated by the government

The other isn't? What about the millions and millions of citizens now who don't speak English?

 

[nefarious_plot]

Thre is no reason for anybody not to learn the language of the nation they choose to reside in. There is every reason why I should not have to learn theres. What they do amongest themselvs is fine. When they want to communicate to others in this country it should be english.

 

[shuamort]

Thre is no reason for anybody not to learn the language of the nation they choose to reside in. There is every reason why I should not have to learn theres. What they do amongest themselvs is fine. When they want to communicate to others in this country it should be english.

There have been plenty of reasons given for not having the official language being English, you care to refute them?

 

[nefarious_plot]

yeah. In order to be a functional you must communicate. the majority speak english. Its the the language of the founders and the majority of people. When European immigrant arrived in the past they learned. and the Mexicans and other latinos arriving can do the same. There is no reason for them to not learn it.

Amongest othe things its just plain rude to illegal arrive ina country and then make demands of the citznery that allows you to stay..if they allow you too.

They should be all thrown out until they can legaly immigrate anyway.