Posted by Ihor Solovey on March 24, 2000 at 19:33:07:
In Reply to: Re: Language Debate posted by Alex on March 23, 2000 at 19:34:32:
:
: Hey you smar Dirk why dont you make English language official in Germany. I 100% sure German wouldn't like it. Also its not that, that we don't like Russian language. Its Russian people who live in Ukraine. They don't have any respect to Ukrainians. They never did and they never will. Because thats the way they are. SO, why should we give them Russian language in Ukraine? If they like Russian lanaguage so much they can go to Russia.
Alex, people have a right to speak any language anywhere, it's in Human Rights convension. The other thing is demanding that everyone else around you should speak the same language (in case it's non-official) or trying to create such an atmosphere.
: Also I don't understand why they live in Ukraine and don't like Ukraine. They are really bad people. They killed millions of Ukrainian.
Some of Russians in Ukraine are a part of Ukrainian society and speak Ukrainian. I think you're generalizing and exaggerating a bit.
:Ukrainian will always remember that. And I will never agree to make Russian language official in Ukraine. If that happened then we will lose our Ukraine. I think that we have to forbit Russian lanugage in Ukraine.
It's not possible, unless Ukraine wants to remain a democratic society. The rights of minority should be respected, but minority should respect the rights of majority too, and in some Russians in Ukraine we're seeing the lack of second. But again, it's mistakeable to generalise. Besides, a Ukrainian and even ethnic Russian person from Eastern Ukraine may not have studied Ukrainian, but would die for Ukraine. One person from Kharkiv of Russian origin became a member of UNA-UNSO and was killed by Russians in Chechnya after voluntairly going there along with ethnic Ukrainian members of UNSO to fight on Chechen side!
: If they like Russian so much they have to go to Russia. There is their homeland.
Again, for some people it's not true. Ukrainian person may speak Russian but love Ukraine more than some Ukrainian speaking people.
: Russian you are the couse of misfortune in Ukraine. And not just in Ukraine, but in all former USSR countries.
: To all Russians who will read this: Please leave Ukraine. Go to your country that calls "Russian Federation" or "Moskovia"
That's a fascist method. I think Russians may (and should!) stay, since they happen to be a part of Ukrainian nation, but they should also treat Ukraine and it's official language with respect. It's not that much to ask.
Ihor Solovey