:: Towards a United America ::
The historic British leader Winston
Churchill once said that the gift of a common tongue is a priceless
inheritance. In the early years of our nation’s existence, we
experienced a large and continual flood of immigrants from all over
the world. Millions of individuals and families enthusiastically
lined the country through the doors of Ellis Island to make their
way into the United States of America—they were eager to do
everything they could to become a part of our great nation.
And not only at Ellis Island, but continually throughout our
history, we have experienced movements of people from other
countries to America. The Louisiana Purchase brought French-speaking
individuals and culture. The Mexican American War brought
Spanish-speaking individuals and culture.
"Immigrants Landing at Ellis Island" By Brown Brothers, New York,
NY, ca. 1900
Photo
courtesy of the
National Archives
From our nation’s birth and throughout all of this movement, the
single common thread that has made one nation out of millions of
immigrants is our English language. The English language has always
been an important emblem of national pride for America. It created
and has sustained our national identity.
But never before has the English
language been under attack as it is today. There is a push from some
immigrants and some American citizens to recreate our country as a
multilingual nation. Unlike with the immigrants of days gone by,
there is a growing lack of desire to learn the English language.
There is a decrease in motivation for assimilation, despite the fact
that it is often the quickest and most efficient way to become a
part of America. Instead, we are beginning to hear cries of
discrimination when state and federal governments and schools
require the use of the English language on documents and forms and
in classrooms. But without knowledge of our common language, there
is a non-unified social reality and a lack of ability to
communicate.
That’s why I have cosponsored two important pieces of legislation in
the 110th Congress. The English Language Unity Act of 2007 would
declare English as the official language of the United States and
would establish that, throughout the history of the United States,
the common thread binding individuals of differing backgrounds has
been the English language. It would also require English language
testing standards for immigrants. These tests would be required to
show that the individual can read and understand generally the
English language.
Additionally, the National Language Act of 2007 would require that
the U.S. government conduct all official business in English,
including any publications, income tax forms, and informational
materials. The purpose of the National Language Act is to preserve
and enhance the role of English as the official language of the
U.S., and promote the idea of assimilating by learning the unifying
language of America.
The purposes of these pieces of legislation are not to say that
immigrants to our country should abandon their native roots. It is
important for immigrant families to teach their children the
importance of where they came from and encourage knowledge of their
native language. Likewise, it is equally important for young
Americans to study the language and culture of other nations so that
they can become well-rounded and knowledgeable citizens. The purpose
of the English Language Unity Act and the National Language Act is
to encourage all residents to become fully proficient in English as
the official language of the United States.
As a nation of immigrants created by a common thread of language, it
is important that we protect the unity that the English language
affords us. Without it, we will cease to be
e pluribus unum—one nation out of many.
:: Digital Television Transition ::
Strolling down the streets of Virginia
on a breezy summer evening can be a relaxing diversion after a day
of packed schedules and simmering heat. Shortly after sundown, the
sky lights up with fireflies, and the only sound in the night’s air
are the voices of families sitting down together for dinner. From
the streets, one can see the faint glow of television seeping out of
the windows of each house passed. In fact it is a rare occasion to
pass by a house that does not have a television running in at least
one bedroom. Television has become an entity in the lives of most
Americans. Not simply for entertainment, TV is used for business,
sports and provides an important news source.
Regardless of the ongoing debate over television’s impact on our
lives, it is true that television has proven to be a dependable
communication source, and recent legislation has taken measures to
better present our media. Last February a bill was passed through
Congress which will make television technology of the past obsolete.
Digital Television Transition will eliminate the use of all analog
televisions, to incorporate digital broadcasting, beginning February
17, 2009. Digital Television (DTV) technology, more flexible and
efficient than analog, will become the new source for television
broadcasting.
This impending switch to DTV will provide a sharp, high definition
picture quality, and will enable multicasting, which provides
several program streams simultaneously. Additionally, DTV offers a
better signal reception and many new features that will come free
for those who are affected in the conversion. Probably one of the
most valuable things DTV will do is open valuable broadcasting
frequencies, as analog television will be removed from the airways.
This newly freed space will greatly advance other important services
to our communities. Police, fire and other emergency rescue services
will receive additional airspace for their emergency broadcasts and
frequency communication, enabling more efficient and direct
communication to assist those in need sooner.
The
Digital Television Transition bill will also grant additional access
to wireless equipment. Although this improvement will provide many
benefits, it may cause a slight inconvenience to those who own
analog televisions. Most people have television sets connected to
cable, satellite, or other pay television service, or own
televisions with a digital tuner. These televisions will fair well
in the exchange. However, if a television has “rabbit ears” or
requires another type of antenna, and has been purchased prior to
2002, it may need a digital converter. A digital-to-analog converter
can plug into any analog television, and allow it to continue
functioning with the new technology.
Although the new legislation will not be enforced until 2009 to
provide people adequate time to update their televisions, a
government program, the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration, has been established to assist those who are
financially unable to afford the converter. Beginning January 1,
2008, this program will be supplying $40-off coupons to applicants
for the basic converters. Up to two converters may be requested per
household. Requests for coupons will not be taken before January,
and will expire after 90 days.
For more information about DTV, including a FAQ section, visit
www.dtv.gov.
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