Wednesday, April 28, 2010

"we speak english"

Damned straight.

I'd vote for him, on this issue alone. 

After all, road signs are in english.....

If you live here, and are taking this country for your home, then learn the dominant language. ENGLISH.

I am descended from immigrants. Many of my maternal relatives are hispanic. I am proud of what they have made for themselves in this country. They all speak english, even if only as a second language.

I worked for an italian gentleman when I was in high school. While it was obvious to anyone with one working ear that he and his wife had not been born and raised in the midwest, THEY SPOKE PASSABLE ENGLISH (at least until they got excited).

The point is, if you are taking this country as your home, you need to adapt to the country, not expect the country to adapt to you.

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

These words, on a plaque at the Statue of Liberty, which greeted those immigrants arriving at Ellis Island for processing, are part and parcel of what makes this country great. But nowhere does it say that you get an easy ride, nor freebies, nor that the country should learn to speak your language.  Many thousands of peoples from all over this world have arrived in the US, eager to make their lives in "America!". Few failed to learn at least a part of the language and culture. (at least those who were successful). They became part of the country, in part, because they had to learn the common language. And to the country's benefit, they amalgamated in a generation or two, to not be asian-american, or irish-american, or italian-american or whatever-american, but just plain american.

By allowing those folks who have arrived to not learn english, we fail them in their integration and amalgamation into citizens of this country.

ETA: related thoughts HERE. 

Note that he lives in Indiana, not a border state.

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