Jillmz · Blogging in Tongues Against HB477

June 10th, 2008

The Ohio House passed HB 477 a couple of weeks ago. It is a bill that would make English the official state language of Ohio. Blogging in Tongues is an effort to demonstrate and explain why HB 477 should be opposed, for many reasons. Ohio blogs that are participating in this effort reach more than 10,000 readers daily.

If you would like to read about why HB 477 is bad law, please visit these posts:

And this blog, with all the English translations. For an explanation of the logic behind the effort, you can read more here.

Category: BFD

8 Responses to “Blogging in Tongues Against HB477”

  1. Jillmz Says:
    June 10th, 2008 at 2:18 pm

    Buzzing myself - TIME magazine’s Karen Tumulty calls this “an ingenuous protest.”

  2. J Murray Says:
    June 10th, 2008 at 4:32 pm

    But if you went to Poland, would you expect to be able to conduct official government business in English? Or Korea? Or anywhere where English isn’t the native language? Oh no, that would be cultural imperialism, wouldn’t it?

  3. Jillmz Says:
    June 10th, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    Cultural imperialism?

    Jonathan, you know you aren’t making a comparable argument. And you also know exactly what this bill aims to do - use immigration as a wedge issue.

    Please - you do yourself and your very good brain no good by obfuscating.

    You are excellent at debate - so debate the issue. But don’t use an example that has no resemblance to the U.S.

  4. Daniella Says:
    June 10th, 2008 at 7:38 pm

    This is very nice, languages open one’s mind to other people’s culture.

    So many of us enjoy ethnic foods and music, perfume and spices, how bland life would be if we were all the same.

    The first step is often to understand, I am totally devoted to Italian culture. I love their clothes, food, wines and architecture & design. If I could retire in Italy. I would but I can’t so I admire in silence and ecstasy all that this very tiny country has produced and continue to offer the world. I get “Italy”.

  5. Daniella Says:
    June 10th, 2008 at 7:47 pm

    I do business with Hungary and France. We do conduct our meetings in English but speaking a bit of Hungarian, even if it is only to say “hello” helps to make the meeting more open. With the French group it is even more obvious that trust is establish quickly if you can show them that you understand their language, speak it and is willing to listen to them.

    Many international satellites of American businesses do not trust America because they have seen too many instances where profits take precedence over ethics and understandings.

    Having people who can establish strong bonds does facilitate business even if it involves speaking a foreign language.

  6. Shannon Okey Says:
    June 11th, 2008 at 12:27 am

    Daniella’s right — even the tiniest pleasantries in another language make ALL the difference. Heck, when I lived in the Czech Republic, I was taking an overnight train to Hungary and encountered a ridiculously rude Slovak border guard. He saw my blue American passport and automatically assumed I was like the rest of the English-only backpack brigade. When I answered his questions in Czech (the spoken languages are very similar), he suddenly changed his tone altogether, sat down, had a chat, smiled and smiled and smiled and later, brought me a coffee. My future mother-in-law taught me an ultra-formal polite greeting phrase in Hungarian, and you should SEE her clients light up when I’ve used it visiting her at work. Multilingualism is NOT something to fear.

  7. Derek Arnold Says:
    June 11th, 2008 at 8:51 am

    It’s nice to know that our state lawmakers are spending time on important legislation like this instead of things that don’t really matter like our unconstitutional school funding apparatus.

    Thanks Ohio lawmakers.

    I didn’t even know a state had jurisdiction over a thing like this. I would think that whatever language(s) is/are the national language(s) would also trickle down to the states.

    Making English the official language when we can barely teach our kids (not just the ones who immigrate here from a place where English is not their first language) English is laughable.

  8. Jillmz Says:
    June 11th, 2008 at 5:45 pm

    Agree 100% Derek, thanks.