No brainer vs no bueno …

President Donald Trump made English the official language of the United States last month, but a new report showed divided opinions on the executive order.

Americans across the country weighed in with Fox News Digital on the president’s order in March, making English the nation’s official language.

“A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language,” the order reads, noting that an official language is meant to “promote unity” and “cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens.”

The Fox News report, which noted that 180 of 195 countries worldwide have an official language, concluded that while “many found the mandate to be a no-brainer, others said it flies in the face of America’s diversity.”

“I disagree with that. I think we’re a melting pot,” a Kentucky resident named Shane told the outlet.  “I mean, this is how the country was built hundreds of years ago – it was based on a group of people from different nations coming in to form this country.”

A man named Steve from Birmingham, MI, felt the president was “100 percent absolutely correct” to issue the executive order, adding that there “should be no other language” set officially.

Houston resident Junior told the outlet, “I’m Mexican, but I’m American and this is America, you know what I mean? So America, it’s English, you know what I mean?”

Some were not keen on the idea of the official language.

“I don’t think that’s fair,” Mary in Washington, D.C., said. “I think that we need to be multicultural, and I think that the more diversity we have, the more beautiful the land is, the more enriched we can be by learning something else about someone else.”

“I think there is no official language for a reason,” David, from Michigan, concurred. “We’re a polyglot country. We have nothing but immigrants from all over the world.”

David further contended that “there were probably 40 to 50 languages being spoken in the United States” at the time the U.S. Constitution was ratified.

However, Darryl  from Houston told the outlet, “I think English should always have been the official language of the United States.”

Charles of Mississippi declared, “You know, we’re Americans. English is our language.”

Jay from Knoxville, TN, offered a middle position.

“I would prefer that everybody speaks English, but I also am respectful of people and their cultures and their languages when they come to America,” he said.

But another Tennessee resident named Glen said, “Hard to say, really.”

“I don’t know that I necessarily agree with that, because we have people from all different nationalities. So, I don’t have any strong thoughts on that one way or the other,” he added.

Houston friends Linda and Trudy were no fans of Trump’s executive order.

“I think it’s wrong,” Linda said. “We’re not there. I think we were there, you know, in the 1950s. You know, or at least that’s what everyone grew up – my generation grew up thinking that. But it’s just not a reality in today’s world.”

“I think we are a mixed nation of diverse people, and we have to face the fact that not everyone is going to speak English,” Trudy said.

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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