After many long years of dealing with the fabrication of creative vocabulary, the fascination with multiple language forms, and the modification of the King’s English into thumb-ready bits and pieces from its wholesome original, it is an exciting precipices upon which we now stand. The incoming president’s use of the language, both in the verbal and written medium, has already initiated the process of renewal. It will be important that he and his leadership team establish a strong example for the rest of us. My hope is that the days of “strategery” are gone. I no longer want to read about the flood of cultural-centric English and the growing use of a bilingual message in our common, public arena. And please, let us have the courage to teach our younger citizens that English is the language. Later is not “ltr.” If we do not uphold our language, the President-Elect’s ability to galvanize the nation around a common mission will be lost. We must give and receive our communications in a single dialect. Because of this I believe our probability of overcoming our many woes will indeed increase.
The sitting president has not necessarily hurt us in our attempts to rally around a common language, but he has not helped us either. From “strategery” to “nucular” (I don’t even know how to spell it) we have allowed our chief public relations officer to mangle not just the language, but the intended and desired result of delivering the message. The incoming president has done much to allay my fears about this, but must be careful that he continues on the path he has forged thus far. He must uphold the language. It is important that we learn other languages. It is understandable that there will be different accents, different forms of speech, and other variants from the common language. The government must settle on a common language and not make exceptions to the norm. “You betcha” is an immediate disqualification.
With that being said, I continue to grow tired of being asked about English and Spanish. I grow tired of the improper use of the language and the notion that because of the color of one’s skin so too goes their language. Our school children must not be allowed to graduate without complete comprehension of the written and spoken word. We must make a stand that English is indeed the national language and in order to apply oneself in our United States of America, one must learn this language sufficiently, regardless of age, race, national origin, gender, or sexual persuasion. It is politically correct to demand this from our citizenry. I also believe that our citizens, in order receive certain public benefit, must be able to speak and write the language. Personal responsibility is the standard and it is the responsibility of each and every member of our union to incorporate English into their lives.
With this, I must say that there is too much slang in our daily lexicon. With the current Supreme Court argument pending, we must all endeavor to use slang less and less in our daily work and personal lives. It is unbecoming of an American. It undermines the common purposes we all embark upon every day. It marginalizes the human being in all of us. It detracts from the marrow of each and every dialog. It turns us into monsters of hate.
Finally, texting is out of control. The language is, bit by bit, being disassembled. It will be the youth of today that become the leaders of tomorrow. Parents and children alike must exercise some discipline. I know that is easier said than done. Just look out our current financial crisis. However, we must make an honest attempt. Why do 9, 10, and 11-year old children have cell phones? What is so important about shortening words? Are we that lazy? Are we that crunched for time? The proliferation of texting and other forms of communication like it will lead to a complete failure in communication. Communication that should uplift us, teach us, and guide us will be reduced to nothing but mere checks in the box.
Our common potential and our common future demand that we unite on this front. We must all learn to make better use of the language of our country and that language is English. A declaration saying so would be a wonderful first assault on the politically correct environment we currently inhabit. The President-Elect would send a message to all Americans that it is your personal responsibility to learn our language, use it, and teach it to others. The cost of printing multiple documents in multiple languages is only making our fiscal situation worse. The cost of teaching in multiple languages in our schools inflates the cost of public education. Let us stop this madness today.
3 years ago
