Should English be legally designated as this nation’s official language?

First, a definition of an OFFICIAL LANGUAGE:

    An Official Language is a language that is designated as "official" by the government, usually through legislation. The use of this language (English, in the case of our country) is required in all official government communications - spoken and written.

   Some of the Official Language’s required uses would extend to laws, traffic signs, voting materials, product labels, warning signs, storefront signage, driver’s license exams, job applications, educational opportunities, court documents, representation in court, public assistance applications, and other official and legal forms.

   A country that adopts an official language does not recognize any other language as an official or legal means of communication nor does the government require or provide any translations or translation assistance in regard to products, services, or policies.

The Question is

Should English be legally designated as this nation's official language?

Those who favor English being designated as this nation’s official language would in general support the following:

Large-scale immigration from Latin America and Asia in recent years has convinced many Americans that English should be made the official language of the United States. They argue that a common culture is what holds a nation together, and that a common language is needed to convey and preserve that culture.

Additionally, they believe that it would be divisive for our government to support a multitude of languages--that this bilingual or multilingual support would emphasize the differences that drive people apart rather than the similarities that make a nation’s people cohesive.

Also, supporting more than one language might contribute to prejudice, suspicion, and inequalities throughout our society.

Consequently, they want bilingual-education programs to focus on teaching English, and programs that reinforce newcomers' native languages to be reformed or abolished. 

They believe that this will lead newly-arrived people to be assimilated much more quickly and comfortably into the national fabric and to actively contribute to and participate in what our country has to offer its citizens.

In contrast, those who oppose English being designated as this nation’s official language would in general support the following:

Those who oppose designating English as the official language of the United States argue that cultural diversity and a multitude of languages are national strengths that should be nurtured.

Those who oppose designating English as the official language believe that the government has no right to ask a person to give up part of his or her cultural identity (a particular language) in order to participate in American life.  They also suggest that the government designating English as the country’s Official Language would violate constitutional freedoms.

Further, they believe that this country’s citizens have the right and the obligation to preserve their cultures and exercise their freedom of choice, and therefore have the right to bilingual education opportunities for themselves and their children.

Finally, they would argue that it is the government’s responsibility to communicate effectively with all its citizens without requiring them to conform to an arbitrary cultural standard or language.