I believe that around 1900 the Pres at the time made English the National lang. I think it was Roosevelt. Not sure though.

Anyone who thinks the promotion of English in this country is somehow "RACIST" is racist him(her)self. Were I an immigrant, I would be insulted by the insinuation.

Why?

It pre-supposes that the newly arrived are somehow fundamentally flawed as human beings in their inability to read, write and speak English. Or that learning it creates an undue burden for this class of people.

Maybe learning to speak English (or any language) is an undue burden for children under 2???

The person from Doug MT he said amouth full and he's right ROSE IS RIGHT ALSO TO A POINT THAT WES THEN THIS IS NOW American's made this country what it is American's and if you take us out of the equation then were would you go then

English is THE language of the United States period. Get used to it - or go home. I resent having to select a alternative language when using my visa. Also the phone computer message asking in spanish or English. I don't hear any other language being a choice and it never should be a choice - English or else. High time English was made Officially the Nations language and the government and state governments should not have to provide any other language for people from other countries. Learn English - or go HOME. Time to protect our values and our Country. Obey the LAW.........Close the Borders and protect this wonderful Country before it is to late.

If you want to be an American learn English! I don't care how many names you liberal, upper income, upper west side New Yorkers call me, this bi-lingual nonsense is OFFENSIVE. And you folks in the "Drive By Media" wonder why people call you out of touch with ordinary Americans. I don't watch your network and only came here from a link at Newsbusters http://www.newsbusters.org/

I am a 68 year old American. I am also a Cajun in South Louisiana. We speak English in South Louisiana but sometimes it is peppered with mispronounced words & bad gramer & words that are unknown to others, like "couion". It was embarrising & difficult for me when I left the area after graduation from College to work for an international company. I struggled to learn better English quickly.
Later, wife & son visited Canada. It was unblelivable how unproductive & devisive English & French was everywhere we went. It was the worse part of a beautiful country! Dick St. Romain

English is the language that should be the only language in the U.S.A. they should make all ATM machine's English only !!

This is for Steven who writes he is a legal Mexican born in the USA. I've got news for you. You are an American. People born IN Mexico are Mexicans.

For the other people who write that they were the real natives and spanish was the first language you forget that Mexico is a land of immigrants and their ancestors came from Spain.

I've always wondered why Mexico citizens haven't done more with their country when they had at least a couple hundred years head start on the USA. This country started with people that had not much more than a dream.

While I support the idea that all government activities and publications should be in English, maybe even only English, and English is our common, unifying language, to make any language the official 'national' language of the US is extreme. It makes no sense to me. It's a 'red herring' issue, unnecessary and divisive, given the real problems we have.

David from NH has it pegged. I agree 100%. I think the official language of congress is Pig-Latin! No one is addressing the real problems and issues facing the citizens of this country.

I am a first generation immigrant and when my family moved from Germany to Los Angeles we spoke English and assimilated "the great melting pot"!! We became productive and contributing residents. I can't believe that English as the national language is even a debate! As an immigrant first you are a guest and how dare one comes to this country with entitlement to change U.S. laws and language, not to mention taking advantage of the welfare program. As an immigrant parent by not assimilating you are only crippling your child’s chances of success and living the American dream. I believe by promoting law to undermine the English language is COVERT RACISM and holding back Latin or other immigrants from advancing in our society.

The goal is clear and undeniable. To take America steadly by invasion and breeding and without firing a shot. They are winning and the numbers prove it. 20 million will become 200 million and on. What congress is doing is attempting to preserve what's left of our great nation 20 years from now when spanish will be the majority. God bless congress and God bless America. Enjoy her now because what is happening in Texas, Arizona and California is coming to your state soon...

Being the opinionated person that I am ( as is everyone of us as individuals) I have my own comments to make. Foremost I would simply like to reply to : rosas,pablo el paso tx
Rosas, you have some anger management issues. You fail to provide any proof in any of your attacks on the American people. First of all, Brazilians are not Americans....they are Brazilians (I dare you to call any Brazilian an American, I'm sure they'd either slap you, or capoeira kick your face). The same with Argentinans and Ecuadorians, Colombians, Mexicans, Peruvians, El Salvadorans, Costa Ricans, Nicaraguans, Paraguayans, Canadians, etc. The only country in the North & South American continent where the citizens are truly "Americans" are those citizens born in the United States of America. Comprende? Esta claro? Hence the reason we are termed "Americans". It's the title of our nation.
I completely 100% agree with those of you who believe that the government is wasting its time, proving that it has nothing worthwhile to do for our nation on its agenda, with this "deciding the national language" English is obviously our national language, not just some common and unifying language. Our constitution is in english, our national/state/local laws are english. Our nation is founded in english. English was, is, and will be our national language.
I earnestly hope that our government officials take the time to read posts such as these. They seem to be losing touch with the American public and only concentrating on the "needs" of illegal immigrants. Let's put the focus and the pride back in being Americans. There's no reason for these debates over illegal immigration. It's wrong. If someone comes into the US illegally, then they have no regard for American law when they came, and they certainly won't have any regard for it while they stay. There are a great number of people waiting to immigrate into this country the legal way, and citizenship should be granted first to those who wish to come in respectfully and lawfully. I am married to a man attempting legal residence. If he is not successful we will try again. I am not the only one in this situation. It is ignorant of those who come here illegally and demand citizenship. Forgive me, but everyone has to wait their turn, respect our American laws, learn our native language (english), and respect our nation. If you don't want to learn english, speak english, and be an American, then please leave.

I enjoyed the article and enjoyed reading the comments, just a few of my own:

1 - Several people made the comment that English is a Latin based language (otherwise known at a Romance language) and this is actually not true. English is a Germanic language (look it up) that was influenced by French (a Romance language) during the Norman invasion of Britain. The straight Latin quotes so often used in America actually come from the fact that back in the day all educated men could read, write and speak Latin to some degree.

2 - Getting back to the real issue, I believe that if you come to America you should be required to speak English. Almost every other country in the world requires it of their new citizens so why shoudn't we? Communication in the States would be so much easier if all those who wanted to live here had to speak English in addition to their own native tongues. Case in point, I am currently living in Israel studying medicine, they require all immigrants to take at least one year of Hebrew class, EVERYTHING here is in Hebrew, because it is their national language and they have ever right to do so! And they don't require ballots be in more than one language, in their mind, if you want to really get into things and vote you need to learn Hebrew to understand the debates and the issues anyways. I say English first, if people want to know and speak other languages then good for them, but English should be required.

I am writing from CANADA. My mother was English, my father was French. I think I can speak with a certain measure of objectivity about languages. Language DIVIDES Canada into 2 separate people. Because the French were allowed to keep their language they never really assimilated, and even today the prospect of Canada separating into 2 separate countries is an eternal obsession which paralyzes and poisons the political process

I wonder what "official language" God uses to communicate with George Bush.

for the last month or so, I have been reading blogs and comments concerning illegals. In all this mess I have read both sides. Almost everyone who blogs or comments on different issues almost 95% say the government has no buisness voting on issues on people who come here illegally. It is a shame that racism always seems to be brought up everytime the Americans disagree with what the latino's are doing. I have never seen anything so idiotic as a bunch of politicians argruing about whether to make English the language of America, oh pleaseeee.Are they that bored. It is uncanny to pick-up a phone and call a buisness and it says push 1 for english 2 for spanish, then if you have noticed alot of products on the market have half english and half spanish. This is no ones fault but the American companies who cater to these people to sell their products. This is just enabling these people, they will never want to learn english as long as the companies are doing this. And as for the government if they would just stop using my tax dollars to give the illegals all the freebies the illegals think they are entitled to. With the politicians doing this idiotic debating to give the illegals more or less amnesty, and we should be the ones voting on all this because after all it is our tax dollars at work, all this blogging and all this anger, people we need to let the politicians know one way or another that we are not going to sit here and let them tell us what we have to do. The people who hire them and the government should all be ashamed to call themselves Americans. In my eyes they are all traitors. all this for money and votes. Just like I have read some of the other webs who have blogs alot of people are saying, that Bush could be using our tax dollars for our country. Hurricnae victims, the one million people right now who are out of work, the 50 million or so Americans who dont have health insurance, of which some of us make 50 dollars to much a month to get help from the government, but look how many illegals have insurance.The cfrime in this country is getting so out of hand that it isnt safe anymore to go outside,. The money that is being wasted could go for harsher penelties for sex offenders who are literally coming out like a plaque. Now we have to teach our children right from wrong, we teach them that lying is wrong. We teach them to follow the rukles. Now our kids are listening to the tv and hearing our president has lied, that the politicians dont have to follow the rules that they took an oath for, they expect us to folloiw the rules. The government has forgotten about one thing here, the kids our future, This mess the Bush administration has created in the last five years will take OUR children and maybe their grandchildren years to clean up. All I can say is write, call- email your congressmen. Kep telling them that this is our country and we are the ones who are paying for this mess. And please. please get out and vote in Nov. Remeber the traitors when you go to vote. This is one way to let the back stabbers know we can have as much control as they can. Because with out us where will they get their money and votes.

I think if the founding fathers had any idea that we would be troubled by this topic and have so many ethnic non-english speaking people who come here for a better life and then when they get in they try to force us to learn their language they (the founders of our great country) would have made it known in the "Constitution" that we should be an english speaking nation. As far as I am concerned learn it or leave it is a good motto just like love it or leaqve it. The democratic party is so after any vote they can get they are willing to give up what our forefathers fought for with out so much as a good debate.

This is a huge waste of time and tax payer dollars. There are far more important issues that Congress should be addressing.
This is nothing but more of their incompetent behaviour.
As usual, they accomplish nothing except fill the halls with hot air.
They ALL should be impeached.

why is everyone picking on mexicans. not all immigrans are mexican. And no, we don't speak mexican we speak spanish. And you don't speak american, you speak english. ignorants!!!!!!!!

I think the real issue is that MSNBC needs to get writers who can use logic and not just point out quaint, unrelated references to Latin. I have much respect for the work ethics of Mexican-Americans and Arab-Americans. I have lived in Mexican-Village in Detroit and Dearborn and I do see that peoples of other ethnic backgrounds, who do not have a good command of English, have limited opportunity for advancement. Let's make all Americans learn English, Arabic, Farsi, Spanish, German, French, Chinese, Indian, Portuguese and Japanese, so everyone has an equal shot. We are doing a disservice to EVERYONE in this country, by not making English mandatory.

I think the real issue is that MSNBC needs to get writers who can use logic and not just point out quaint, unrelated references to Latin. I have much respect for the work ethics of Mexican-Americans and Arab-Americans. I have lived in Mexican-Village in Detroit and Dearborn and I do see that peoples of other ethnic backgrounds, who do not have a good command of English, have limited opportunity for advancement. Let's make all Americans learn English, Arabic, Farsi, Spanish, German, French, Chinese, Indian, Portuguese and Japanese, so everyone has an equal shot. We are doing a disservice to EVERYONE in this country, by not making English mandatory.

I am starting to wonder , ( DO racist know they are racist ) I guess when they feel they are patriotic , They gte caught up in the moment and can't see how they are acting, Im glad I am in that 9% , Going along with the crowd can be dangerous sometime . thanks

English is the national language. Will "they" be changing the language on our currency, how about the roads signs ? Who are these people who want to turn everything into a rasist issue. Has this country gone completely nuts ?

i agree on your blog i think that people should be able to speak whatever they want i think that congress should worry about more important things like: darfur,hurricane katrina,starving children, or GAS PRICES or things that are happening to animals and people