English as Official Language
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, February 2, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
After several attempts to pass a law declaring English Georgia’s official language, it finally passed in the 1996 session. Issues those days were pretty much the same as they are today, so I’ll quote the very wise Democrat Senator Steve Langford, who co-authored that 1996 bill and, during the debate, explained in three short sentences why English should be declared our official language.
His first point was: “If society is to thrive and communicate at an ‘optimum level,’ we must speak a common language.” Then, he said, “Society is recognizing so many cultures that few common interests remain.” I think he must’ve paused a few seconds, sighed, shrugged his shoulders and ended with this: “Language is the easiest interest to keep in common.”
That was 1996, but, evidently, he was aware that, already, many immigrants were avoiding America’s “melting pot” to create their own culture here. Today, 22 years later, the United States is suffering from English-resistance and massive fragmentation under full-blown multiculturalism.
Legalizing English as our declared state language was a good start in 1996, and it’s past time to do the same in the State Constitution. So, two bills have been introduced in the Senate to do just that. S.R. 587 and S.R. 613 do not infringe on anyone’s right to communicate in another language, but it does require English to be used in official state actions that bind or commit Georgia or appear to present official state views. That’s already Georgia law, but it needs to be declared in the State Constitution. Continue reading