Friday, May 19, 2006

Fiddling While Rome Burns

You gotta love your elected officials. It's either that or you'll be reduced to tears.

Two burning issues were addressed this week in Washington --

A Senate vote to ensure that English is the official language of the USA

Taking the first steps to amend the Constitution to ensure that marriage is a union between a man and a woman

Riveting stuff, that. I was really worried that foreign gay folks were going to run out and get hitched in their native language. Definitely a threat to our democracy and the 'sanctity of marriage.'

You folks are pandering again. The only danger to the sanctity of marriage is divorce. But since some of you are really troubled by a same sex couples marrying, give those folks the right to a civil union. If it's a sin, it'll get sorted out by the Head Office. If not, it's none of your business.

English the official language of the country? That's a no-brainer. It is. Yes, there are pockets of this country that speak another language. But the language of commerce is English. I expect those who come here from somewhere else to learn the language. That doesn't mean I expect you to be fluent or forget yours. Being bilingual is a leg-up in the world. I've never achieved that what with my smattering of French and Russian. If I had intended to stay longer in Hong Kong, I would have fried my brain trying to learn Cantonese.

If I ever settle in a foreign country, I will learn the language. That's the way it should be. However, that country does not need to waste time and money passing a law that tells me that Outer Googlesnap's Official Language is Marzipan. Unlike our elected officials, I suspect the Gogglesnappians will have more sense.

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