English Only
How can there be free speech if it’s only English? Even though 97 percent of this country's population speaks English, some lawmakers find it necessary to implement legislation declaring English the U.S.'s "official language," even going so far as to propose legislation that bars the use of any other language in certain governmental functions.Combine this with the fact that the national debate on the use of Ebonics, or black English, made its way to Capitol Hill earlier this year, and it makes one wonder: if such a large portion of our population speaks one language, why do we have such heated debates on the issue of language rights?
On Dec. 18, the Oakland school board passed a resolution to treat Ebonics as a second language. The board voted to recognize Ebonics as the "primary language" of many of its students (black students form a slight majority in the district) and to teach students in this language so they will better understand English. The board described Ebonics as "genetically based," suggesting that schools might seek federal funds earmarked for bilingual education.
After receiving a backlash from the media, policymakers and just about everyone else under the sun, the board restated its position a month later. It dropped a reference to African-American speech being "genetically based" and eliminated a proposal that students be taught in Ebonics. Instead, it called for teachers to learn "African-American language systems" so they can help "move students from the language patterns they bring to school to English proficiency."
For some Washington lawmakers, however, the changes in the Oakland school board's position weren't enough. In a Senate subcommittee meeting on Jan. 23, only three of the 16 members of the subcommittee that oversees federal education spending attended the hearing, and two stayed only briefly. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the subcommittee's chair, said he called the hearing in part to...
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