Posted by Ihor Solovey on March 24, 2000 at 20:49:24:
In Reply to: PIDHA MOBA posted by YOUNG NATIONALIST on March 24, 2000 at 11:39:17:
: THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE OF UKRAINE SHOULD BE UKRAINIAN. IT WILL TAKE AT LEAST THIS NEW GENERATION OF UKRAINIANS TO CLEAN UP THE UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE. WHY GIVE UP AND MAKE A BILINGUAL COUNTRY WHEN THE PURPOSE FOR TRUE UKREAINIANS WAS TO HAVE A FREE COUNTRY WITH OUR OWN BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE WHICH IS UKRAINIAN. I AM ASHAMED OF THOSE WHO SAY THEY ARE UKRAINIAN AND WANT RUSSIAN TO ALSO BE A NATIONAL LANGUAGE OF UKRAINE. I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY SPEEK THE LANGUAGE OF OUR FORMER OPRESSORS, BUT WE NEED TO STAND BY OUR BELIEFS. UKRAINE IS A FREE COUNTRY NOW AND HAS THE OPPROTUNITY TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE IS OUR POWN, NOT THE RUSIANS. UKRAINIAN SHOULD BE THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE AND THERE IS NO OTHER EXCEPTION. THE DIASPORA NEEDS TO HELP OUT IN THIS CAUSE. WHY LOOSE WHAT WE HAVE GAINED AND WHAT OUR BRETHEREN SHED BLOOD FOR. PLEASE, IF YOU ARE A TRUE UKRAINIAN, SAVOR OUR LANGUAGE.
Generally speaking, you are right, but keep in mind that a person may speak Russian, because he wasn't taught anything else and still be a Ukrainian patriot.