PRESS 1 FOR ENGLISH, PRESS 2 TO HANG UP & CALL BACK WHEN YOU LEARN ENGLISH

By Frosty Wooldridge
July 17, 2006
NewsWithViews.com

Press 3 for the destruction of America's most important national 'glue' if we lose our country's language: English! Nothing irritates Americans more in our country than being forced to choose between our English language and Mexican Spanish being forced upon us by millions of illegals. We suffer becoming second class citizens in our own country. Our language takes a back seat to a foreign language by foreigners that don't respect us enough to learn English. Additionally, it allows millions of others to maintain their languages in our country without honoring our society.

When a country loses its language, it loses its identity. Can you imagine the French being forced to "Press 2 for Arabic". How about Norwegians being forced to "Press 1 for Mongolian". The more people not speaking English, the greater and faster our country fractures into ethnic enclaves separated from America. If you can't understand someone, you can't talk to them. That creates confusion, conflict and violence.

If they can't speak English, they won't become what it means to be an American. We're being turned from the successful 'melting pot' into a tension filled 'salad bowl'. At what point will the phone company stop giving choices? "Press 1 for Portugese; Press 2 for Greek; Press 3 for Danish; Press 4 for German; Press 5 for Chinese; Press 6 for Arabic, etc." A nation that can't speak among its citizenry cannot remain a succesful nation.

Even in Switzerland, three distinct languages created three separate sections of the country: French, German and Italian. Separate langauges create separate people. We cannot afford that linguistic nightmare in America.

Furthermore, we cannot teach our children and hope to maintain academic standards if we allow millions of foreign students to speak dozens of other languages. It degrades education to the point of classroom chaos. Results show a 67 percent drop out/flunk out rate in Denver Public Schools, Denver, Colorado. Why? They suffer 40 different languages enough to make one in five teachers quit or transfer out every nine month cycle. Los Angeles suffers over 100 languages, so much so, students 'graduate' functionally illiterate.

The House of Representatives will vote to renew the Voting Rights Act of 1965 for another 25 years. One aspect must be changed! The mandate that forces states to provide ballots in foreign languages makes Americans strangers in their own country while allowing legal immigrants to be cut off from joining into our country.

One of the worst acts President Clinton thrust upon America before leaving office must be E.O. 13166, which forces taxpayers to foot the bill for government documents, voting ballots and other official papers to be made out in 20 or more languages. It stands as the most divisive balkanization of our country since our birth as a nation. One of the worst non-acts President Bush has committed in five years has been not to rescind E.O. 13166. It's a growing nightmare as people speaking over 100 languages can demand documents in their languages. It's down right pathetic while it costs taxpayers billions of dollars.

Representative Steve King (R.-Iowa) has proposed an amendment, co-sponsored by Representative Ernest Istook (R.-Okla.), which would strip this foreign-language mandate from the VRA. They enjoy total support of all Americans who believe this nation must remain united by a common language.

King argued, "Multilingual ballots encourage cultural divisions and burden taxpayers. They also make a mockery of the requirement that immigrants need “to read and understand English in order to become naturalized citizens. Allowing immigrants their native language effectively institutionalizes them in perpetuity in America.”

In order to become an American citizen, you must learn English. In order to realize the American Dream, you must learn English. In order to be a part of the most amazing country on earth, speak our language so we can welcome you.

In America, we speak English. We've spoken it for 230 years. We've remained a cohesive, vibrant and successful society because of our language. Our kids may transfer schools from Oregon to Maine and become successful immediately. If we're from Michigan, we can talk with someone in New York or Texas because we speak English. In our armed forces, it's imperative we speak one language for absolute clarity on a combat mission.

Our language defines us as one nation, one people, one spirit. A nation needs one language like it needs one currency, one traffic system, one weights and measuring system, one set of rules for baseball, basketball, football and tennis. English defines our success for 230 years. If we lose it, we'll fracture faster than Humpty Dumpty.
We celebrate every person speaking any variety of languages, however, when you live, work and play in America, thank you honoring our successful society by speaking our language. For more information www.usenglish.org and www.englishfirst.org

© 2006 Frosty Wooldridge - All Rights Reserved

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