Urge Congress to defend English Your Congressmen Current Legislation State Profiles Petition
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July 28, 2004 Mr. Terry McAuliffe Dear Chairman McAuliffe: I am writing to urge you to ask the delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Boston to adopt a platform plank endorsing English as the official language of the United States. Although the draft platform being considered by the platform committee commendably endorses the need for more English classes for immigrants, there is no mention of official English. English is now the official language of twenty-seven states, and public opinion polls show the American public is overwhelmingly in favor of making it the nation's official language. Yet, the draft language is silent on this major public policy issue. This is unconscionable in a democracy such as ours. Our country has thrived as the most successful multi-ethnic and pluralistic nation in the history of the world. But today the unprecedented immigration of large numbers of non-English speaking immigrants threatens to unravel the linguistic and cultural unity of the United States. This might not be so serious if government and other institutions
put the same emphasis on encouraging immigrants to learn English that
was true in earlier times. But under pressure from special interest
groups public policy leaders today are increasingly willing to abandon
the melting pot ideal that has characterized American public policy
in the past. Sincerely, K.C. McAlpin
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