FT 14-07-Fremont Official Language Amendment (Passed, awaiting referendum)

[Roblox]

AN AMENDMENT
to avoid chauvinism and to recognize linguistic diversity within our region

Section 1 (Title)
i. The title of this amendment shall be, the "Frémont Official Language Amendment."

Section 2 (Amendment)
i. On a regional level, the Commonwealth of Frémont shall not recognize any language as official.
ii. On a statewide level, the individual states of the region are permitted to recognize their own official languages.

Sponsor: KoopaDaquick

[PSOL]

I like this bill, as it gives states the option to implement their own policies to the best fit of the local conditions. I will be voting aye here.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

Thank you very much for moving this to the floor, Mister Speaker. Frémont is a very linguistically diverse place, full of many different tongues. While everyone can generally agree that English is definitely a regional lingua franca, not everyone observes English as their primary language, and not every Frémont family speaks it at home. Also, Frémont is home to more Indian reservations than both of the other regions combined. How would you feel if a language that is native to your community and a keystone of your daily conversation was given no official status whatsoever, meanwhile some Germanic language from the other side of the Atlantic was the main official language? And how about immigrants from Mexico who primarily speak Spanish, and immigrants from China who speak Mandarin?

However, no one language other than English can be considered to be as regionally universal. On a statewide or municipal level, however, a language could have much more significance. The Spanish speakers of New Mexico. The Chinese speakers of California. The Yupik speakers of Alaska. They should have their languages recognized at a statewide level where it would make more sense. I urge the parliamentarians and voters of this great region to say YES to the Official Language Amendment so that we can put the power of deciding the official languages of Frémont in the hands of those who have a better idea of what they're talking about.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

This just enshrines what is already the de facto situation both in RL and in Atlasia. I see no issues with this whatsoever.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

This just enshrines what is already the de facto situation both in RL and in Atlasia.

True, and I understand what you mean here. However, the reason why I decided to write this bill was because I don't want an "Official Language Act" to show up to the floor with a list of a small amount of languages (or Dave forbid just English) that would be recognized as official. I've already seen it happen before during an earlier parliamentary term of mine, and I wouldn't be surprised if this has happened other times in different regions. Putting this amendment into place would prevent a bill like that from showing up in the future.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

This just enshrines what is already the de facto situation both in RL and in Atlasia.

True, and I understand what you mean here. However, the reason why I decided to write this bill was because I don't want an "Official Language Act" to show up to the floor with a list of a small amount of languages (or Dave forbid just English) that would be recognized as official. I've already seen it happen before during an earlier parliamentary term of mine, and I wouldn't be surprised if this has happened other times in different regions. Putting this amendment into place would prevent a bill like that from showing up in the future.

Instead most states will enshrine, or continue to enforce their existing official language laws, which establish English as the sole official language.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

This just enshrines what is already the de facto situation both in RL and in Atlasia.

True, and I understand what you mean here. However, the reason why I decided to write this bill was because I don't want an "Official Language Act" to show up to the floor with a list of a small amount of languages (or Dave forbid just English) that would be recognized as official. I've already seen it happen before during an earlier parliamentary term of mine, and I wouldn't be surprised if this has happened other times in different regions. Putting this amendment into place would prevent a bill like that from showing up in the future.

Instead most states will enshrine, or continue to enforce their existing official language laws, which establish English as the sole official language.

Depending on the state, that makes sense. Do you really think that there would be a language (besides English) big enough to warrant marking it as an official language in Nebraska? Iowa? North Dakota? They're different from states like California and New Mexico which are far more linguistically diverse.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Naturally, I will support this. The people of Frémont speak with one voice in a thousand tongues!

[Roblox]

Gonna add to the chorus of those who support this. This amendment is common sense really. What unites us as the people of Fremont is something deeper than the dialect we speak.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

This just enshrines what is already the de facto situation both in RL and in Atlasia.

True, and I understand what you mean here. However, the reason why I decided to write this bill was because I don't want an "Official Language Act" to show up to the floor with a list of a small amount of languages (or Dave forbid just English) that would be recognized as official. I've already seen it happen before during an earlier parliamentary term of mine, and I wouldn't be surprised if this has happened other times in different regions. Putting this amendment into place would prevent a bill like that from showing up in the future.

Instead most states will enshrine, or continue to enforce their existing official language laws, which establish English as the sole official language.

Depending on the state, that makes sense. Do you really think that there would be a language (besides English) big enough to warrant marking it as an official language in Nebraska? Iowa? North Dakota? They're different from states like California and New Mexico which are far more linguistically diverse.

Yet English is the sole official language of California.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

This just enshrines what is already the de facto situation both in RL and in Atlasia.

True, and I understand what you mean here. However, the reason why I decided to write this bill was because I don't want an "Official Language Act" to show up to the floor with a list of a small amount of languages (or Dave forbid just English) that would be recognized as official. I've already seen it happen before during an earlier parliamentary term of mine, and I wouldn't be surprised if this has happened other times in different regions. Putting this amendment into place would prevent a bill like that from showing up in the future.

Instead most states will enshrine, or continue to enforce their existing official language laws, which establish English as the sole official language.

Depending on the state, that makes sense. Do you really think that there would be a language (besides English) big enough to warrant marking it as an official language in Nebraska? Iowa? North Dakota? They're different from states like California and New Mexico which are far more linguistically diverse.

Yet English is the sole official language of California.

California's state government knows better for California than the regional government does. Besides, New Mexico has Spanish as one of its official languages alongside English, which addresses my point. California and New Mexico are two seperate states that have different language situations, why should we treat them the same way?

(excuse the past deletions and errors, posting to atlas on your phone at KFC isn't the easiest task in the world)

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

Does any MFP want to make a comment on the amendment, or should we move to a vote?

[PSOL]

Let us move to a final vote, all that could have been said has already been.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

Alrighty then, let's see a vote soon (probably) within the next 24 hours.

[Roblox]

Now opening up a final vote.

Aye.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Aye

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

Aye

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Aye!

[PSOL]

Aye

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

With five members in favor and none opposed, the resolution carries. A referendum to ratify the amendment will proceed Friday, January 10.