If the president’s own writing represents the “official language,” the executive order he signed March 1 was a bad idea, writes guest columnist Erik Jensen, the Burke Professor Emeritus of Law at Case Western Reserve University.
Immigrants have historically been expected to assimilate into American society. They could continue to feel connected to their home countries, of course; live in neighborhoods with other immigrants for a while; and eat traditional food forever.
But speaking the language of everyday discourse in America was part of assimilation. As the order puts it, “he United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language.” Besides, individuals aren’t entitled to have all governmental pronouncements translated into their native languages. Governments should try to be as understandable as possible, but immigrants need to make efforts too. That’s part of becoming an American. president issuing a directive on language. His Truth Social postings show no comprehension of the rules of written English. In 2015, I wrote an op-ed for The Plain Dealer wondering what had happened to the teachers who complained when, during the mid-20th century,No one seems to care about grammar anymore, but we should. Good speaking and writing require attention. Yes, even purists could live with Diz’s linguistic difficulties; it was part of his charm. But the president’s illiterate missives are charmless. Among his failings, President Trump capitalizes nouns and other words for no good reason. For example, “We have massive Financial Deficits with China, the European Union, and many others. The only way this problem can be solved is with TARIFFS, which are now bringing Tens of Billions of Dollars into the U.S.A.” And: “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’ Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST.” As those quotations show, he also sometimes capitalizes every letter in words. Possibly the worst example from the unedited president: “This Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, was not elected President - - He didn’t WIN the popular VOTE . . . . I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!” Both style and substance in that rant are embarrassing. “Oh,” you might say, “he’s busy. He has to write quickly.” Well, the person once considered leader of the free world shouldn’t be writing for public consumption at all if he can’t do it correctly. If you feel a tantrum coming on, Mr. President, sit down until the feeling passes.Why does he do this? Here’s a theory to explain one suspect practice: In German, nouns are capitalized, even midway in a sentence. Maybe part of the president’s capitalization fixation reflects the norms of his German ancestors. If that’s so, President Trump, it’s time to assimilate. On the other hand, the president doesn’t capitalize only nouns, and I can think of no justification for routinely capitalizing all letters in a word. Doing that for emphasisIf the president’s writing represents the “official language,” the executive order was a bad idea. Erik Jensen is Burke Professor Emeritus of Law at Case Western Reserve University. This essay reflects his personal views. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, atIf you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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