Yes, I realized that English was only the “unofficial official” language-I was just wondering what difference it was going to make for it to be a legal proclamation. Just what you said?
Could some of the costs associated with making this happen, as well as the costs of reporting how much is spent preparing materials in languages other than English, be applied, instead, to offering/requiring FREE English classes so a person would have a basic command of the language before, for example, someone could get a driver’s license, own a business, etc? These people should have some knowledge of the language because of the necessary communication with official agencies.
I do know-as would anyone who has ever tried it, that learning a new language as an adult can be very difficult. Some seem to think that anyone who comes here and can’t speak fluently (and prefer using their own language among others who speak it) do not deserve to be here. I just wonder how many of these “English only” speakers would find it easy to learn to speak another language fluently, and in sometimes less than ideal circumstances. Have they even thought about it?
garyprimer-I agree with what you say about lightening up (and sometimes even with what you say about a subject), keep those little novelties coming.

RUserious, there is no official language in the US. English is just the common language. If it was made official, then there wouldnt be any reason to print any government document in spanish also.

I'm just trying to lighten things up a little bit here. Some of these comments get so heavy and personal. I feel that everyone is entitled to express their opinion as long as they do so without malice and and with an open mind. If everyone agreed on everything, there wouldn't be much point in making a comment and sometimes it's fun to throw something out there and see what comes back. Just be ready to duck.

Well, garyprimer, kudos to you for saying so.

gazette fan ... as garyprimer would say, may the force be with you.

Is that what they say in the movie?

Is it okay to be high while we blog here?

Well, garyprimer, if you don't know, I doubt if anyone else does, but at least 96.5 of the US population can understand the words you're saying it in ;-)

Seriously, I don't know what I'm talking about most of the time. I thought maybe some of you might know.

"The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. You will find it a powerful ally."

Another irony is when I don't carefully proofread my own posts!
Go ahead and laugh. I am.

I think that some of us who are engaged in this discussion just find it ironic that some who would insist on English-only don't appear to have much command of it.

Let me assert right here that I couldn't care less whether you know the intricacies of grammar, spelling, punctuation and so forth. I once believed that it reflected on WHO a person is, but that is long in my past. You are no less valid or intelligent than I am; it is likely that we simply know different hings.

But still, it's ironic -- don't you agree? And after all, you sort of oopen up your command of the language to scrutiny when you so vigorously defend it.

It's a good thing we don't have enough of a draw to this community to make it an international destination. Place would be crawling with those darned foreign-speakers.

How do people who can't bear hearing another language handle a day in Chicago?

OK, garyprimer, so you're not "afraid" of people who speak a foreign language in your community.

What exactly is it that you "don't like" about it, then?

When I've asked you in the past to defend your position on these boards, you disappear. I'm genuinely interested in hearing what it is that offends you.

What's a Jedi? I don't get a lot of pop culture at my house. Has something to do with Star Wars, if I remember correctly? I wouldn't mind being filled in on what it is I'm being called.

Mar.13 11:27:::NVgrf,I don't think U have much room to talk,throw stones if you must,but i don't think anybodies taking a spelling bee test here!! Maybe i haven't mastered the spelling thing,but me & the wife go fishing she always says i'm the best baiter,so i guess i mastered something!!!!

garyprimer:’ And, please, lay off the tired old Jedi mind trick of assuming a position of power and superiority by declaring that anyone who disagrees with you does so out of fear. Sometimes people just don't like things.”
It’s a deal garyprimer, if you do the same.
I’m not sure I understand this “official language” concept, though. You don’t mean that other languages should be outlawed, do you? It seems that any reasonable person would realize that English already IS the official language of the entire U.S., but that other languages might be spoken commonly, by region. Not necessarily just Spanish-but are there not still native peoples in Hawaii and Alaska who might speak their native language-maybe some that are far removed from the hustle & bustle of the big city areas? I’m just asking, not stating a fact, because I don’t have time to research it to my satisfaction right now (even though I’m taking the time to post here).
May I politely disagree with your statement that those who want to advocate different languages want to weaken the nation (without you thinking I’m using Jedi mind tricks? I don’t even know any of those.) I think a nation that is very familiar with other cultures, and even incorporates them when it is beneficial and practical, is a stronger nation. It might also keep us from alienating some who might make up this country of ours. Not to mention that if we are going deal affectively with other cultures, and nations, who are we to decide in which language those dealings should occur (in the case of other nations?) Why can’t it be dual language exchanges?
It seems obvious, of course, that if we need to call a language an “official” language, who could argue that it would be English?

Hey woodsman.....You should give mastering English a shot before you worry about this issue.

GAZETTEFAN::People do jump to conclusions,i agree everyone isn't the same,and have there own oppinions,but you do have to admitt certain things don't set very well for vets,disrespect of our flag & our country. Not a one time did i vote for the dodger's,MOS is 52B20,quit school at 17 to do my part R.A. is my prefex. I didn't get shot over there,i waited untill i got home and got shot by a deer hunter, sometimes thats a war out there too!!!!!Wellcome Home Brother::::

It is a practical matter for a nation to use only one language. It all comes down to the matter of communication and unity. I believe that if it went to a vote, English would win. Those who advocate additional languages want to weaken the nation. And, please, lay off the tired old Jedi mind trick of assuming a position of power and superiority by declaring that anyone who disagrees with you does so out of fear. Sometimes people just don't like things.

deucerider, I'm not sure we DO all know what the Constitution says. It sure doesn't say anything about speaking only English.

jvldude, it happens that many of the products you are buying in the grocery store are also sold in other countries. You'll see a lot of French on those packages these days, too. I really don't think that's a nod to the swelling French-speaking population in the U.S. (hint: In Canada there are French speakers.) If you prefer that they increase your prices by also manufacturing English-only packaging, write the company and suggest it.

unknown, the reason we should all learn other languages (Spanish or other) is because whether we like it or not, we're part of a global marketplace now, and our students have no competitive edge in that marketplace if they can't communicate with those we do business with. Learning another language also, like learning any skill, expands one's ability to learn OTHER things. It also, unknown, teaches us a bit more about our own language, like proper punctuation, spelling and grammar ...

woodsman, our last TWO presidents found ways to evade serving in Nam. Including the one running the show right now. Clinton got an education. Bush bought his way out.

All this English-only talk is based on nothing but fear. And I wonder what it is that so many of us fear. It's a LANGUAGE. How can it hurt you? People who are paranoid enough to believe that someone speaking another language is either talking about them or planning a terrorist attack while in the grocery aisle are paranoid about a lot of things. If you're worried about illegal activity, the exercise of declaring an official language is wasting a lot of time our lawmakers could better spend on issues of security.

woodsman, I left the world and was wounded twice. My MOS was 11B40. What was your MOS?

We don't all think alike. Bush is a draft dodger; how many times did you vote for him?

I hope you don't believe that the anti-war movement here ruined the war effort in Vietnam. It was General Westmoreland and his crew of ignorant, careerist, elitists who didn't care any more about the ground troops there than Clinton did.

A required second language in the schools of this country can only enrich our culture.

Bienvenido al mundo

Let the people of Wisconsin vote on it.

#1- Implementation of this law will cost the taxpapers money.

#2- Currently the US has no official language. By making English an official language we are opening ourselves up to making other languages official languages as well. This costs the taxpapers more money.

#3- Its irresponsible to come to this country and not learn English. Its also irresponsible to believe that just because someone is speaking to a friend in another language that they must not know English.

#4- This is a divisive sideshow- there are real issues that need to be addressed. The budget for example.

Wow, I have to say that this is a very depressing thread. I am saddened that so many of our community members are so incredibly xenophobic. I love our country, but I also appreciate other cultures, something few posters have echoed here. I have many friends from other countries who all speak more than three languages. I am looked at as the silly American because I only speak one. Educating our children in more than one language would do nothing but make America a better competitor in the global market.
Also, if you are going to push pseudo-racism and insist on only speaking English in America, the least you could do is learn to speak/write it properly yourselves.
I just had to add my humble opinion, thanks.

Better watch it UNKNOWN, GAZETTEFAN dosen't seem to like us vet's,oops maybe he's one of those that never left the world,maybe he's a clinton fan,the one that draft dodged and became pres.,still makes me sick to think about,maybe he got his votes from the civilians,i never met a vet that voted for him!Sometimes you have to yell to be heard over deaf ears.

LOL...gary chewing on Chinese toys...pass the beads...

Uhhhh if they didn't vote on this what would the language have been?

my understanding of the Constitution and Bill of rights is that they were written to protect American citizens? If these people are not leagal citizens why are we so eager to share our rights with them. They haven't earned them by obeying our laws or paying our taxes!

Its about damn time. I cant even go to the store anymore either and buy something that has English on the package. This is just plain silly. READ OR SPEAK ENGLISH. or at least learn and if that fails. LEAVE the country

We all understand what the constiution says but let me give you a first hand example of how this is needed. I was working in a restaurant kitchen who employed many hispanic people. one morning while doing prep work a non english speaking employee injured herself. It took 15 minutes to get her proper medical attention due to the language barrier. What if she never got medical attention or didn't have 15 minutes to explain what had happened? I know we have our rights and nothing we buy is actually made here but when health or even life is on the line in the workplace we need a common means of communication. What would you do if you needed help and nobody understood you?

Those of us posting in foreign languages were having a little fun. But I'm fairly sure that the Constitution protects my right to free speech. Nowhere does it limit that freedom to English. That would be silly and isolationist. And I remember what happened the last time THOSE guys took over.

OMG, why don't we just call ourselves Canada II and have a split nation with half speaking English and the rest speaking Spanish? Oh wait, now I remember! It's because in the USA, we speak ENGLISH! Silly me!

Sorry, chop has been disabled by site staff.

good one chop... seems like all of the hot topics get removed. Just waiting for this one to be next.

My feeling is that if you are in Wisconsin and are not speaking English you are hiding something, talking about me or my fellow Americans, or are just a terrorist and should be dealt with by the police. "Our fore fathers braught forth to this continenet a NEW nation....." that nation speaks English join the club.

woodsman, as the Little Labowski said to John Goodman in the movie, The Big Labowski:

EVERYTHING ISN'T ABOUT VIETNAM!!!!!

Come on, I think everybody knows that most of our crap comes from other countries. That's why everything falls apart in a couple of months. And for some reason, I just can't seem to stop chewing on these delicious hand-painted toys from China. Some of you might view that as an explanation for a lot of things that have been posted.

Geez Woodsman, quit shouting.

dini: I know this is off the topic but in regards to what you just posted most of that comes from all the jobs being outsourced to other countries for cheaper labor. If all the companies keep sending our jobs elsewhere, how is anyone here going to buy their products if they have no money because they no longer have a job? My mom lost her job. The company moved all their work to Mexico. My husband's company is in the process of building a plant in China so who knows how long he will have a job? But I do see the point you are making as far as the real topic.

Evidently, the Republicans had nothing better to do with their time and my tax dollars.

TO VOTE ON A OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IN WISCONSIN, YOU GUYS ARE NOTHING BUT A JOKE. YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ SOME LAWS BY YOUR FOREFATHERS,UNITED STATES OF AMERICA'S OFFICIAL LANGUAGE " IS " ENGLISH,IS WISCONSIN IN AMERICA??? BUT YOU MIGHT THINK THAT ALOT OF THESE SO CALLED LAW MAKERS IN MADISON "ARE" FROM ANOTHER PLANET,SO THATS WHY THIER LOST: HOW DO YOU GUYS SLEEP AT NIGHT,SPENDING "OUR" HARD EARNED TAX MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T EVEN BE A THOUGHT IN YOUR HEADS,JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF GOVERNMENT WASTING OUR MONEY,JUST THINK ABOUT ALL THE OTHER WASTED PROJECTS THESE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE A LIFE,ECCEPT TO MAKE OURS MISERABLE. AND FINE EXAMPLE IS THE COMMENTS POSTED HERE IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE ,DON'T WATSE YOUR TIME OR MINE,IF YOU CAN'T,OR WON'T WRITE IN ENGLISH,I'M SURE NOT GOING TO GO OUT AND BUY A TRANSLATION BOOK TO SEE WHAT YOU WROTE,I DID THAT ONCE WHEN I WAS IN THE VIET-NAM THING,BUT I WAS IN ANOTHER COUNTRY,NOW THAT I'M HOME,YOU HAVE TO BUY BOOK TO UNDERSTAND US,JUST THE WAY IT IS,LIKE IT OR NOT.

All you U.S. of A. -or-nothing boosters: STOP: Go into your kitchen and pick up the first small appliance you can find. Or maybe you could check the backs of your computers. Where was it made? Go ahead. Any article in your house would do. Wait, you don't even have to get up: Check the label of your jeans.

12 sign58 says it best. Everyone should go back to school and learn about the Constitution of our great country and what our forefathers did to make it a great country. Anytime one of the dummies in Washington decides to add to it makes me furious! The government is too soft.
Listen to Crash99 also. The English speaking bill makes excellent sense. Pass it!!

Teddy Roosevelt said it best.
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith, becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American… There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag… We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language… and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”—Theodore Roosevelt, 1907

Yo quiero Taco Bell.

If historical forces are pushing toward some kind of a language change here, then those forces cannot be stopped. And I believe that's the case.

That doesn't necessarily mean that Spanish will replace English.

When enough time goes by some sort of hybrid language will form out of the two.

That's the way it works. English is mostly a combination of German and French. French is from Latin. And on-and-on.

If anything is going to under-cut what our culture or society is, that under-cutting will come from certain forces that are already in place here. We should be worried more about being a culture of carp, forever chasing after shinney objects.

A mandetory second language in school, at the very least, would be a healthy mental exercise for students, or anyone else for that matter.

crash -- I might have slipped up. Perhaps you meant Indian as in, from India. Either way, good for you for keeping your culture close. It's not like we don't have room.

NVgrf, Yoay noay conozcoay.

I inkthay atthay Igpay AtinLay ouldshay ebay hetay niversaluay anguagelay foay hetay niverseuay!!

It would be nice if they offered a native american language in school. I wish I could have taken it in school. All I ever knew of Navive American indian languages was that Navajo was used durring WWII as code words.

But as it is now, and not the past I do believe that english should be our official language, and that if you intend on living here that you should at least learn basic english. My mothers friends came from Germany, and never once did they think thatthey could go without learning the language of their new country. Although every now and then they slip into speaking German when they get excited,LOL but hey they at least can speak english to begin with.

Megwetch.
I'd give up a couple teeth to learn more.

El veterano de Edgerton en la otra blogo no quiere el espanol.

!Juanita Thompson es muy bonita!

crash, the greatest American "idea" has always been -- until recently -- that we welcome all who aspire to our values and ways of life. (That was plural, deliberately.)
If what you say is true and you do know your cultural heritage, I can assume you have learned the native language that is your heritage.
What's next -- making laws to force Natives living on reservations to speak English?
Oh, sorry -- we already did that in the middle of the last century, by way of kidnaping those kids, removing them to "white" schools, and beating them -- literally -- until they had to "forget" their heritage.
Is that a part of the culture that you're aware of?
Why DO we feel threatened when we hear people conversing in another language in the grocery store? This seems to be our problem, not "theirs."

MiquelF, interesante, piense toda la gente aqui viene de Footville. O pieville.

To all the "speak my language or get out"ers...
The first languages spoken in North America were actually Inuit as Alaska is where the first human settlers were. And prior to coming into there, they were in Russia. Prior to Russia, they were in the Middle East, but the oldest human remains are actually from Africa.
So I guess, we should be speaking Inuit, Russian, Arabic, or tribal African...depending on how far back you want to go with this "original" language thing.
Speaking as an Ojibwe descendant, I will settle for Anishinaabe, so start learning it now, OR GET OUT! :)

i am of indian background i know my culture but know english because i am an american and love this country i served in the military to defend her and her ideas this is our country all of ours and people need to speak the language, and take up the american way of life if they want to stay here other wise leave there are a lot of places in this world u could go but watch your step and mouth because some other countries are not as great as the USA

!Carumba! !No es una problema!

todo que pregunto es por favor no envíe a la policía grammer después de mí.. Es bastante difícil escribir a máquina y mantenerse al corriente del blogs en inglés, sin mencionar la tentativa ello en el español por un traductor. Los LOL para No mencionar cosa no son a veces traducidos directamente en estos sitios.

twerp13, bueno, toda la gente pueden entender espanol de este blogo.

bel..... bienvenidos a los estados unidos. Mi gente de la inglaterra. Yo hablo mi lengua nativa.

all thanks to a online translator, although I am remembering more and more of my highscool spansih as I read the posts.

Tu HABLAS espanol mayor que me.

twerp13, Tu habla espanol meyor que me.

My Grandmother moved here from Portugal around 1916. When I was about 10 I asked her to teach me Portuguese and she refused. She said she was an American citizen and now spoke English. Once she learned English she never spoke Portuguese again. On the one hand I'm sad that she left behind a lot of her culture and became a true American in every way. I have a few family recipes passed down from my Great Grandparents, but that's about it. I wish I knew more about my Portuguese roots but my Grandmother has since passed, many years ago. On the other hand, I fully appreciate that my Grandmother wanted to be 100% American when she moved here. Her family was searching for that "American Dream" and found it. There are many other cultures pursuing that same dream, but I find it very annoying that some don't share the same outlook my Grandmother did. If you live in the United States and plan on staying here, you should learn the English language.

din...yo estoy incorrecto. ....por partes DEL cuerpo.

Por favor inglés. He olvidado la mayor parte de mi español y esto me toma para siempre para traducir lo que está siendo dicho. LOL

El Senor garyprimer:

?"W T F": Donde estan los federales?

World Trade Federation.

Good Greif......this america speak english or get the heck out ........... i'm boycotting any thing with english and the spanish on it if it is made here in AMERICA than use only ENGLISH!! sheeeeeeesh
STAY SAFE!!!!!
Chuckie

gotthat, ?que es "W T F"?

twerp13, buen idea, la lengua segunda en escuela.

Things that make you go.... W T F

Sad, I wonder if this has ever happened anywhere overseas.

din....., verbos reflexivo son usar por partes de cuerpo. No son usar por otra cosas. Por ejemplo:

Lavo el automovil.

Me lavo el pelo.

I also like the idea of english as our official language, but it would be nice if other languages were at least offered to elemntary students. They could take it as a extra, just like band or orchestra is.

Please type english...or at least translate. I feel like I am missing some good comments on here.

Why don't y'all talk American?

They do nothing all session and then put this ridiculous bill to a vote? What a joke!!

pues, gazette fan, ?que se yo? (Where are those punctuations on here?) Yo pensaba que "le" -- o "les" -- refiere a los dientes, pero hace muchos anos desde que hablaba mucho espanol. sera obvio. Pues, desculpeme. Pero un poco es mejor que nada, ?verdad?

Anyway, gazettefan, true enough -- crash should have been around these parts three hundred years ago to defend the Ojibwe languages. And people. And culture. We did a fine job of beating those things right out of them.

Another proud moment in U.S. bully-history, and here we have another upon us now.

Coma caca. Tres millones de moscas no pueden ser equivocados.

Just a friendly recommendation.

din.... hillbilly le hace falta la palabra "los" y no "mis". No es verbo reflexivo. Verdad?

crash99, by your criteria, you should leave, until you can talk indian.

din..., lo siento, pero, "le" es la palabra. Es verbo reflexivo.

if u dont want english move out of my country all of u

Dini- I like your way of thinking. I for one would be all about kids learning another language along with english. It would give them the upper hand in a lot of careers.

pablo, what's logical about spending legislative time on a useless law that won't get passed (and the Assembly Republicans KNOW it won't get passed) when there are serious concerns in this state, including a budget shortfall, infrastructure problems, and services in more demand than ever due to a wobbly economy?

gazettefan: you mean "les."

Bluebirds, the sad fact is that most foreign countries DO teach their citizens English ... and at least two other languages. A better law would be one that requires all students in the U.S. to become proficient in at least two foreign languages by the time they hit the sixth grade. If we're talking about being competetive workers in a global society. THAT would be logical.

And signage in other countries? Almost all include English ... and at least two other languages not native to those countries.

Mostly that's for stupid Americans who insist on traveling to other countries without being able to say "Where's the bathroom" or bother with rudimantaries like "please" and "thank you." I've seen it in action. Way too often.

gazettefan, yo soy un hombre sincero, de donde crecen las palmas.

Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mi.

This law going nowhere, like a bridge in Alaska? Das ist eine scheise.

Je parle une pue france.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Ich kann nicht Spanisch verstehen.

No soy marinaro. Soy capitan. Soy capitan.

About time.

Me gustan los animales curiosos in mis pantalones.

Holy cow !! here I thought that english was the offical language all along.Why even consider anything else. if it comes to a vote I'll cast mine for German.My grannie would be happy and proud

Excuse me. Le lava los dientes con Gleeeem. Ahora es correcto.

Try going to most foreign countries and have everthing in English. Sorry, but if you want to live here, learn the language. No more special tests for new drivers. No more Spanish and English on signs.

Le lavo los dientes con Gleeeem!

Gobernador Doyle le gusta empujar una para Inglés.

Mas vale tarde que nunca.

Esta es una excelente noticia!

Of course the Democraps aren't going to pass it. That would be too logical.

Isn't it sad that we live in the United States and we have to "declare" English as the Wisconsin official language? Guess they're covering all the bases?