# English as the official language of the USA

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-as-the-official-language-of-the-usa/411186>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 10, 2007, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-as-the-official-language-of-the-usa/411186 "2007-07-10T13:15:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-as-the-official-language-of-the-usa/411186/81 "2007-07-11T20:52:58Z")

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[QUOTE=Bridget Burke]  
But some people keep insisting that _these_ immigrants are different from the ones who’ve been coming here for centuries.  
[/QUOTE]

Yeah. On a different messageboard awhile ago, I actually encountered someone complaining about why couldn’t the Mexicans be more like their own Italian ancestors who came here all law-abiding and learning English and assimilating and stuff? I linked him to information about 19th century Italian newspapers and the like, and he never posted in the thread again :).

Daniel

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**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-as-the-official-language-of-the-usa/411186/82 "2007-07-11T23:14:49Z")

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[QUOTE=tomndebb]  
This is way too close to launching personal attacks in **GD**. You may directly challenge the arguments, but you are to refrain from the sort of oblique (but transparent) insults of other posters in this Forum.  
[/quote]

Okay. I saw it as just saying **magellan01** doesn’t know what he’s talking about. His posts in this thread (and others) and the responses to them do show that to be the case, IMHO.

> [@](#):
>
> Calling a poster a liar in **GD** is (reluctantly) permitted. Calling a poster a coward (even if placed behind the fig leaf of an “if”) is forbidden.
> 
> Do not repeat this. If you feel insulted, use the Report button.

I was under the impression that we could call the poster’s posts lies, but we couldn’t call the poster a liar. Thanks for the clarification.

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**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-as-the-official-language-of-the-usa/411186/83 "2007-07-11T23:22:41Z")

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Missed the edit window to add something to this paragraph (added the last sentence below).

> [@](#):
>
> Okay. I saw it as just saying **magellan01** doesn’t know what he’s talking about. His posts in this thread (and others) and the responses to them do show that to be the case, IMHO. Next time, I’ll just come out and say it instead of trying to be cute about it.

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