WHAT LANGUAGE DO WE SPEAK?

Why do we have to press 1 on a phone maze to speak in what most people (though perhaps not officially yet) is the tongue that has been steadily rising to predominance for 388 years. It would seem that we are catering to the plethora of Hispanics, many of whom are also illegal aliens. The judgment on that can of worms has not been handed down yet, to my knowledge.

Somewhat more understandable may be the English and French signs above Eastern NY, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. However, considering the cost to the taxpayer of bi-lingual signs, no one should be given a US driver's license who is illiterate of signs in English.

There had been many generations of European immigrants who took great pride in learning English and becoming citizens. They welcomed their new country in which they felt safe and found work. While they kept their religion, culture, values, ethic foods and all, when out of their homes, the tried to behave as Americans. They did not ask for welfare but extended families took care of one another and everyone tolerated deprivation of privacy and long, arduous hours at work. They were proud of the education they helped make available to their children and the greater life opportunities to which they exposed them.

Barack Obama's speech, as he accepted the nomination for President, was brilliant. It was not the time or the place for him to expand on the people who call themselves Americans but do not behave as such. The flagrant violation of our laws in the name of religion and ignorance is appalling to me. There is a common language of English but, more importantly, their is the greater language of humanity and integrity that has been missing for the last eight years. History will laugh at those who impeached President Clinton for a strictly personal act that hurt no one but himself and his loved ones while allowing President Bush/Cheney to flaunt laws, violate the Constitution and for personal reasons enter a war that killed more people than the worst despots, murderers and dictators in history. We can only hope that we will start speaking in the same voice and language, as a untied nation of people, once again with respect for all Americans, not just the greedy and wealthy.

WORDS AND CONCEPTS

We live with a strange language. We call it English, but the English call it American. That there is a real difference in pronunciation cannot be denied. Whether the vocabulary is different is less obvious, in our international day of communications. However, that our words are confusing can leave no doubt in anyone’s mind.

In a crossword puzzle I was doing, the word was ‘scale’ called for a five letter word. To me the natural association was the weighing machine. Wrong! The answer was climb. And so it goes. A four letter word for sewer had me ready to toss in the towel for lack of the proper language for water conduits. It turned out to be ‘Ross’ as in Betsy Ross, indeed a great American sewer!

Pronunciation to those who don’t know the language must be equally difficult to comprehend. Why does the ‘u’ change sound in ‘put’ and ‘putt’, but not in ‘but’ and ‘butt’? Why, in fact, when a butt is 'head-on’ does it also refer to the human rear? These ar, indeed, ponderous thoughts when your head seeks answers constantly to all the questions no one else think to ask....or answer!

How do we come to call the offspring of our children ‘grand’ when we would scarcely have referred to their parents as such. Why are we interchangeably referred to the children of our nieces and nephews as ‘great’ or ‘grand’ aunt? Why are some relatives ‘once removed’ when they are still hanging around?

These questions are as profound to me as the mutual use of Hope and Change when spoken by Obama or McCain. What can they mean if what they propose in their respective platforms is truly intended? Are Hope and Change truly such ambiguous words that people give them their own definition? We accepted Bush’s promise to bring morality back to the White House but, though he didn’t display sexual immorality, he lied and caused the deaths, poverty and suffering of thousands of people (actually millions). Yet there are those who do not accept this obvious inequality of offense and are still unable to let go the brainwashing offered as to the sins of Clinton versus the sins of Bush. Are our choices to come down to Obfuscation versus Results? The future of America is certainly not clear, is it?