The Senate's Doublespeak On the Issue Of English
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Thursday, June 28, 2007
Just when you thought the immigration debate couldn't get more confusing, there's this:
Buried on Page 669 of the 762-page Senate immigration bill, English is declared the "national language." On Page 671, it is the "common language."
Which is it? Both, according to members of the World's Greatest Deliberative Body, a majority of whom voted for each designation. And what's the difference? Who knows!
Common. National. But not "official." Nooooooo. Even if Wolf Blitzer did insist on asking the presidential candidates in recent debates whether English should be the official language. (Most GOP contenders answered yes. The Democrats, not so much.)
What in the name of what Al Gore used to call "plain English" -- during his failed crusade as vice president to make the government communicate clearly -- is going on here?
Let us attempt to translate.
Immigration reform is a touchy subject, causing senators to sweat through their suits, constituents to cuss at pollsters, bloggers to practice human sacrifice. It raises heavy questions: What is the national identity? Who is an American? That's where language comes in, as a proxy for identity.
Resuscitated from near-death earlier this month, the bill faces a key test of support today and a final vote tomorrow. It incorporates an amendment by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) to make English the national language, which passed three weeks ago, 64 to 33. Another provision of the bill, an amendment by Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) to make English the common language, passed 58 to 39. Every single senator present and voting stood up for English, supporting at least one of the amendments.
(Did we forget to mention that both Inhofe and Salazar are proudly proficient in Spanish, sometimes giving speeches in that nonnational, uncommon tongue?)
Now those amendments have been incorporated into the bill.
National, common: What's the difference? The bill doesn't say. Not to get all strict constructionist here, but let's go to the text.
"Declaration of English as Language," Salazar's contribution says in a chapter heading. Yes, English definitely is a language.
