I was working on an unrelated topic, and came across two interesting comments on a CNN transcript.

Journalism professor and syndicated columnist Miguel Perez, appearing with CNN anchor Rick Sanchez yesterday:

SANCHEZ: OK, speaking of heated, we’re going to into the whole bilingual debate now by starting it off with this. This is also something that Newt Gingrich said during his commentary. Let’s take a listen together, guys.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINGRICH: It would be very powerful for us over the next 18 months to draw a line in the sand and say, everybody who believes that English should be the official language of the government, you’re over here.
Everybody who believes the left-wing concept of a multilingual America, in which nobody has a clue what’s going on, you’re over here.
The elites in this city will go crazy. They will say, you’re not allowed to talk about that. Well, we just did.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Good speaker, smart guy.
But, back to what your argument is, he’s throwing the red meat at them. There you go.
PEREZ: Look, this is the only country in the world where a politician can come out and promote ignorance, learn only one language, and get away with it.
In Europe, people laugh at us, because they speak several languages. You know what the joke in Europe is about the monolingual people? What is another term for a monolingual person?
GIORDANO: An American.
PEREZ: An American.

Let me get this straight: Our new standard in lawmaking is that we must change our policies and our society at a fairly fundamental level because Europe makes jokes about us?

Look, a monolingual culture is not necessarily an ignorant one; linguistics is only one measure of knowledge. A monolingual culture is, however, almost always a unified one. If you want to learn a second language, great. Bueno. Guzel. Tres bien. Be my guest. But don’t insist that all Americans do what you did, and don’t expect everyone else in society to change for your preferences.

Also, notice Rick Sanchez called Newt “good speaker, smart guy.” Shhh! Don’t tell the lefty bloggers. And don’t tell the people who insist CNN is monolithically unfair to conservatives; they just wouldn’t know how to react.