> Not until the sizeable Klingon-speaking minority in Europe is mentioned...
> [ "Omnis enim res, quae dando non deficit, dum habetur
> et non datur, nondum habetur, quomodo habenda est." ]
On this topic, is there a translation somewhere of the Latin statement above?
I learned 6 long years Latin at school, but am not able to translate it.
I thought we use English as the new "lingua franca" (which is almost a
contradiction in itself), simply because in many fields it happens to be the
language everyone uses. So why must our motto be in Latin, a dead language
after all? I see that that avoids some political intricacies, where most
opposition to an English motto would probably be coming from Englands
immediate neighbours, or even from within England.
However, I feel the spirit of the FSF(E) would be more easily conveyed in
English (or any living language) rather than Latin.
In any case, I suggest to keep communication as far as possible in English, in
order to allow as many people as possible to participate. Local issues can be
handled in any language, preferably on a local mailing list, but as Georg
said, the FSFE is here to unite not separate.
Obviously not everything falls easily into the category of "state", or
language for that matter. I see the necessity to address the legal issues on
state level, at least as long as Europe is still quite fragmented legally, but
would vote for as little fragmentation as possible otherwise. This is not in
order to deny the differences that do exist, and often even render Europe more
interesting than a homogenized Europe would be, but simply because we have
more of a chance to meet our objectives if we are united.
- Josef