I am inclined to disagree. Latin, I still say, gives us the key to our patrimony as the heirs of Western Civilisation. Greek does so as well. Understandably, the average student has neither the time nor the interest to do two languages, plus a foreign language, plus English.
However, it is entirely possible, by lengthening the school day by an hour, to insist that students get, along with English and a foreign language of their choice, Latin. I choose Latin over Greek because there IS a need for it, contrary to my friend Gaia's position. And Latin, unlike Greek, is a bit easier to learn since the alphabet is the same. Also, the grammar helps one learn any Romance language with ease, and virtually any European language, including English, the only exceptions being possibly Basque, Finnish, and Magyar.
What is the need for Latin? Simple: to build a more civilised, more cultured society. We are, at least in the USA, turning more and more into a nation of Couch Potato Blobs. All most Americans do is sit on their fat tuchuses watching football, putting on the pounds while eating Ho-Hos and Dingdongs and drinking beer. With Latin, we can be a nation of readers, studying everything from the Gallic Wars to Virgil. IN THE ORIGINAL LATIN! Who wouldn't want to do that!
