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The Spectacle Blog

Sad News for Our Mother Tongue

By Quin Hillyer on 1.17.09 @ 6:22PM

I am very distraught to hear that Jim Boulet, of English First, has died of cancer. This is a great loss to the conservative movement and to the country. Jim was a wonderful man, kind and generous, and absolutely dedicated to the cause of protecting our common culture by protecting the English language as its official language and the tongue of everyday life and commerce. He had nothing against other languages, of course, but felt, correctly, that having one language as the accepted and official one is an essential factor in keeping a nation as ONE nation no matter how many ethnicities or prior nationalities comprise it. He was always a usefol font of information, and very persistent but never pushy. I had no idea he was sick, so this comes as a very sad shock. Please say a prayer for him and for those he left behind. I just said one now. Jim, we will miss you. R.I.P. -- and in God's everlasting love.

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Jeremiah| 1.18.09 @ 3:11PM

"English only" impulses among conservatives resonate badly with other tendencies out on the right wing's fringes.

There is no real threat to English: in fact, English has come to dominate world trade and is now the de facto planetary language.

Here in the U.S., some immigrant groups take longer than others fully to assimilate, but eventually they learn to speak English.

When the Declaration of Independence was signed, the majority of people in Pennsylvania spoke -- German. There were no "English only" movements that we know of among the founders.

Best to be patient and see immigrants as the blessing to this country that they are.

Hon. Eugene Delgaudio| 1.19.09 @ 9:46PM

Jim Boulet was a humble man who devoted his life to a very important cause that required this capable leader to travel and visit with other leaders as well as working the legislative battles in Washington and around the country. In spite of his work, the liberal elements in our country spend millions on promoting English Last.