Got an opinion? English only, please!

A language that should be common to most of mankind, and it’s not English or music, is common sense. There’s a move afoot to teach Pidgin in Hawaii’s schools because, after all, Pidgin is a true language, not merely a dialect.

Such subtleties were lost on Joe Vento, owner of Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia. He put up a sign which said, ‘This is America. WHEN ORDERING PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH.’ Apparently Joe was concerned that local residents were lapsing into their native tongues when ordering his famous Philly cheesesteaks and he couldn’t understand what they were saying.

Fair enough.  It’s common sense, right?

Not so fast, Will Rogers. Philadelphia’s Commission on Human Relations found Joe’s sign to be a violation of anti-discrimination laws, though he says he did not refuse service to anyone who spoke anything except English. He just wanted them to speak English because that’s what he understands. English. Later, the Commission charged him with posting an ‘offensive’ sign. Common sense prevailed after the U.S. Senate voted to approve a, here it comes, ‘common-sense amendment to a bill which would bar federal employment regulators from suing a business that requires employees to speak English.

Whew. That was close.

Pidgin, like ebonics, and many others, is a delightfully engaging, rhythmic, entertaining, and suitable language, or dialect (I doubt if it matters which) and it has a place in our local society. Those who predominantly speak pidgin or ebonics or any other language just outside of mainstream English add much to our rich and diverse culture and are to be both commended and respected for their contributions.

Let a little common sense prevail on both sides of the linguistic fences.

If you want a good job, mobility in society, and respect from others, it pays to learn and use appropriate English, just as it pays to learn math and science. When our children hit the public school system the first thing they brought home was Pidgin. Our rule was simple. No Pidgin at home. Not ‘no Pidgin. Only ‘no Pidgin at home.’ It was not a rule meant to disrespect Pidgin speakers, but a rule meant to broaden our children’s horizons, their knowledge and their abilities. They learned to speak English and Pidgin and they know when to use both.

It won’t kill anyone if the school systems teach Pidgin. Hopefully, they’ll also teach when to use Pidgin and when not to.