UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISION
Alexander
vs. Sandoval
Decided April 24, 2001
STATEMENT
By: Edith Hakola, Executive Vice
President, The
Center for American Unity
Maintaining national communication in one language is the key to
maintaining American unity. In
a five to four decision, the Supreme Court reversed the lower courts’
erroneous rulings in the most important language case to ever come before
the High Court.
This was a close and narrow decision which turned on the procedural issue
of whether an individual can sue a state directly.
By deciding that Mrs. Sandoval had no right to sue, the majority was
able to avoid deciding the official English policy itself.
However, the bitter dissent written by Justice Stevens on behalf of the
Court’s minority - - and read from the bench - - encourages judicial
activists to continue their efforts to prohibit American government from
adopting English as America’s official language.
The key to permanent victory lies in alerting the American people to the
threat to their national language. While
it has the effect of upholding Alabama citizens’ right to decide that
English is their official language, this procedural decision does not
provide a clear explanation of what is at stake.
However, with this initial victory under our belt, we’ll go forward
with more ammunition to influence this crucial debate that so affects
America’s future.
