James Frank Solís: All the half-truths fit to broadcast

19 May 2006

All the half-truths fit to broadcast

9:08 AM

Reporting the not-exactly-the-news, is just in some journalists’ blood, I guess.  As I mentioned in my previous post, the House passed an amendment making English the official language of the union.  Just this morning, as I was driving in to work, listening to Denver’s KOA-AM radion, April Zesbaugh referred to it as the latest in the “English-only” debate.  Now, I listen to KOA-AM almost daily—when I listen to Denver radio.  I know that April isn’t stupid; she knows very well that no one in favor of our union having an official language is at the same time in favor of having a requirement that only English be spoken.  What it does require is that people who participate in our political process do so in English.  Frankly, I don’t see the big deal: my family have been doing that for several generations.  Even today, I take a sick pleasure in saying, “Speak to me in English, please,” when those DNC and RNC pollsters call my house.

Now, it’s true that other nations have more than one official language.  The Swiss Confederation (a.k.a. Switzerland) has four: French, German, Italian and Romansh.  No doubt we have those here in the U.S. who think we should do likewise.  These are the sort of people who seem always to preface certain comments with, “Well, in Europe they….”  Yes.  Well, it’s like I’ve told my sister-in-law a couple of times:  If you want to live like a European there’s a simple way you can fulfill that desire without bothering the rest of us.

Now, I wonder why April, who certainly knows better, wants to call this an “English-only” debate.  I’ll hazard a guess: to motivate the uninformed but well-intentioned to oppose official English, by calling it English only.  (Really: who would seriously argue that no one be allowed to speak or write any language but English even in private conversation?  A few, perhaps.  But that isn’t what the rest of us are talking about.)  I would imagine that, having worked for NPR, April is quite accustomed to mischaracterizing and caricaturing Rightist positions.

When are these people going to learn?  We’re onto them; it isn’t going to work for much longer.

You know, it occurs to me that what we’re seeing here on the part of mainstream media is their Operation Nordwind.

English only.  Give me a break.

All the half-truths fit to broadcast

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