English Sensibility
(In response to Anna Bethancourt’s Aug. 31 column “Going bilingual is bueno.”)
The U.S. is an English-speaking country, not a bilingual or multi-lingual speaking country. Our government conducts all business in English. Our military communicates only in English. Can you envision military commanders giving commands to attack in numerous languages? One of the many strengths of this country is its outstanding communications system.
All roadside signs, instructions, business correspondence, school classes and general communications should be in English, with no references to any foreign languages.
Immigrants have to learn English, and our children have to be proficient in English.
It can be beneficial for people to be fluent in a second language such as Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, etc. Our country needs expertise in foreign languages, but this should be subservient to fluency in English. U.S. citizens who cannot speak and write English as a primary language are probably placing themselves at a disadvantage on the ladder to success in this country.
We should not promote language diversity, because it will lead to divisiveness.
Donald A. Moskowitz
Reader
A united nation
Last week we witnessed a nation coming together. Politicians, leaders of all faiths and philosophies and millions of citizens came together to condemn Pastor Terry Jones' “Burn a Koran Day.” We witnessed a people stand up for all the peace-seeking Muslims around the world. As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I would like to express my sincerest thanks to all the people in this great nation who supported our cause.
Saad Ahmed
Reader
