Sunday, May 21, 2006

English? Kinda, Sorta--According to GWB

We all know why GWB really doesn't want to get into the topic of the English language.

But it goes beyond the "Late Show" monologues.

This one was started when the Attorney General said that the President does not support English as the "national language." WRONG!!

"The president has never supported making English the national language," Gonzales said after meeting with state and local officials in Texas to discuss cooperation on enforcement of immigration laws.

He said Bush has instead long supported a concept called "English-Plus," believing that it was good to be proficient in more than one language.

Later on Friday, the White House weighed in to clarify Gonzales' remarks, saying the president does not believe in English as an "official" language.

"The attorney general got caught in a linguistic snare. He took 'national' language to mean what we describe as 'official' language.

"We have no problem in identifying English, our common linguistic currency as a national language; we also view it more expansively as the "common and unifying language," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.

But whatever you call it, it is NOT THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE US.

By the way, the use of the indefinite article "a" (bold/highlighted above) is very interesting. As written, that sentence means that English is simply one of a NUMBER of 'national languages.'

We have other 'national languages?' Or we have a Press Office which doesn't understand the current "national language," which is most certainly NOT an "official language," gehr ste'he, paisan?

Mashugah....

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