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Tag(s): Civil Rights; Ethnic Cleansing; History; Human Rights; Immigration; Immigration Deportation; Language; Media; Mexico; Pennsylvania; (more...) Right Wing Media; Right Wing Mindset Culture; Talk Radio (less...)
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July 5, 2006 at 05:00:43

Food for Thought

by Walter Brasch Page 2 of 2 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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During the 1790s, with Germans the largest ethnic population in the state, the Pennsylvania legislature narrowly defeated a bill that would have made German the state's official language. More than two centuries later, Americans are debating laws to make English the official language. Perhaps more American communities could follow Pennsylvania's original belief that there were better things to do than to decide on an official language.

Every language, every culture, has helped contribute to what makes the United States unique. As the nation begins to accept immigrants, they do learn the American language, often becoming more fluent in it than do native-born speakers. By "rephrasing" our linguistic and cultural base to demand an ethnocentric America, we destroy a nation founded upon liberty and developed by immigrants.

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Walter Brasch is an award-winning journalist and university professor. His current books are America's Unpatriotic Acts: The Federal Government's Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights, and 'Unacceptable': The Federal response to Hurricane Katrina, both available at amazon.com, borders.com and most major on-line bookstores.

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6 comments

Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as o...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rob KallRob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as o...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Immature is right

The whole right wing movement is composed of immature people, mostly little boys. I love your mexican restaurant example. Of course, it might go over the heads of rednecks who really only do eat American food. Small minds don't try out new ideas or new foods-- for thought or stomach.

by Rob Kall (809 articles, 3927 quicklinks, 333 diaries, 1707 comments) on Wednesday, July 5, 2006 at 5:18:10 AM

Walter Brasch is an award-winning journalist and university professor. His current books are America's Unpatriotic Acts: The Federal Government's Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights, and 'Unacceptable': The Federal response to Hurricane Katrina, both available at amazon.com, borders.com and most major on-line bookstores.
BraschWalter Brasch is an award-winning journalist and university professor. His current books are America's Unpatriotic Acts: The Federal Government's Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights, and 'Unacceptable': The Federal response to Hurricane Katrina, both available at amazon.com, borders.com and most major on-line bookstores.

salsa--

I can't tell you how many people I run into who would be classified as rednecks who now believe salsa is an American dish. It passed ketchup in 1991 as the best-selling condiment in America.

by Brasch (63 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 48 comments) on Friday, July 7, 2006 at 12:18:24 PM

A writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Mark SashineA writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...

to see more of bio, click on member name

How familiar

In the period of 1946-1956 when Russia was in the peak of the cold war here is what was done THERE:

1. Suddenly all the original German names of the surgery instruments were abolished. That resulted in many fatalities on the surgery tables. I am not kidding
2.The food, like French bread was renamed ( in that case to City Bread). So were the names of many eateries such as the famous Nord Cafe in Leningrad became the North Cafe
3.Suddenly all the foreign science and lit. names disappeared and replaced by Russians. It was a joke at that time that Russia was a birthplace of even elephants.

And so on...

Now, in support of the correct statement about that every language and culture is valuable and contributive:
The best possible Russian Dictionary is compiled by a Danish, Vladimir Dal
The most popular and famous Russian poet is Alexander Pushkin, partly Ethiopian and also called Frenchy at school.
The most famous US engineer in the Civil War is Erikson. He was Swedish.
The best book about American English is written By HL Menchken. He was German.
The most famous German author and philosopher is Johann Goethe, partly of French origin ( he said it himself)
The person who wrote the best patriotic poem of Russia Michael Lermontov was of Scottish origin.

Bottom line- if people are not pushed to some standard they adapt to what is best for all. And then we all benefit. But if someone pushes people that someone will be oushed back.

by Mark Sashine (51 articles, 19 quicklinks, 244 diaries, 3465 comments) on Wednesday, July 5, 2006 at 11:48:50 AM

Mal Burns is a semi-retired designer and producer with a history in counterculture, art, comix and creative technology. He is based in London, UK and writes regular diatribes at http://malburns.blogspot.com and http://www.bloglines.com/blog/malburns.
Mal BurnsMal Burns is a semi-retired designer and producer with a history in counterculture, art, comix and creative technology. He is based in London, UK and writes regular diatribes at http://malburns.blogspot.com and http://www.bloglines.com/blog/malburns.

Extra Food For Thought

To those of us here in the UK, it is debatable whether "english" is actually spoken in Amerika at all. The language Bush refers to is a trans-atlantic bastard offspring of the real thing and his understanding of the original seems highly limited. As limited as his eloquence in rendering it in fact.

Mal Burns

by Mal Burns (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 7 comments) on Friday, July 7, 2006 at 10:59:15 AM

A grouchy but well-informed know-all with much experience of the low-down low-life infesting and animating 'high-finance', and what to do about it, Keith P. occasionally emerges from the obscure depths of the Youreapeon forests to eye the current world, growl a few obscenities and lurch back into the darkness whence he came.
amazinA grouchy but well-informed know-all with much experience of the low-down low-life infesting and animating 'high-finance', and what to do about it, Keith P. occasionally emerges from the obscure depths of the Youreapeon forests to eye the current world, growl a few obscenities and lurch back into the darkness whence he came.

'American' English

The American use of language by the established Americans until as late as the 1920's was generally the acceptable use of English by a generally articulate people.

If you read the Dearborn book inspired by Henry Ford, you will see a good and reasoned use of language. What was predicted and warned against by the book has indeed come true. Those taking charge of the media then trashed both the language and the minds using it, consigning them both to the almost-post-Neanderthal period.

So the average Joe now has four hundred sounds which he uses in bunches in a mish-mash of trivial colloquial jargon and 'in'-expressions meaning different things in different situations. This, like the binary code, is unattractive and at first sight incomprehensible, and, rather than the speakers being clear in their meaning, it is the hearers' responsibility to know what they mean. Got that?

Sure. Right. Got it.

So we got GW and don't know what to do about it.

by amazin (34 articles, 0 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 400 comments) on Saturday, July 8, 2006 at 4:17:46 AM

evolving language

Language, alas, is an evolving process. There is no one correct language. For example, the language of the colonials was much different from the language at the Civil War era. There was more German and British English in 1760 than 1850. As America spread, so did ghe development of dialects. The worst we can do is become "prescriptivists," telling everyone what the "right" language is. There ARE certain rules, however, that do apply. And,there is a certain literacy that is expected of our leaders. Texas dialect is acceptable. W's butchering of that, however, is just downright wrong!!!

by Brasch (63 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 48 comments) on Saturday, July 8, 2006 at 4:32:08 AM