Las Vegas Sun

December 1, 2009

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Letter: Narrow-minded people resist second language

Wednesday, July 18, 2001 | 9:02 a.m.

Letter writers Susan Huff and Fred Schrumm are the kind of people who live their lives while wearing blinders. Spanish and Italian are languages based in Latin. Latin is the base for most terms and words used in law and medicine.

Since our schools no longer teach Latin, students are going to college unprepared to deal with any of the sciences. Learning Spanish will give the students some understanding of root words. It will most certainly give them a bigger market in sales and service if they stay in the Southwest. It will give them access to that big world they face after leaving home.

As the Hispanic students learn English and the Anglo students learn Spanish, a gap will narrow between the cultures. That will manifest in less anger and fights at school. English is a trash language, meaning it is made up of words from hundreds of languages. If you don't believe that, look in Webster's. It will tell you where a word originated.

People who think English is the only language we should speak in this country are the same types who embraced "Manifest Destiny." Oh, Lord, as a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant, I am tired of self-centered, narrow minded people who think only WASPs can be right.

GARY LOVE

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