America is facing a rapid erosion of its national identity. Followers of the left-leaning political correctness movement are daily chipping away at the time-honored traditions and customs that are foundational to our country and to our way of life. Their push for a multi-lingual society threatens our cherished English language and our American culture.
The English language is a defining characteristic of our nation. Our forefathers fought for an America united by a common language. Those who came from other countries seeking a better life, including my grandparents and others like them, knew they had to learn English to succeed in their new homeland. They understood that their future depended on their ability to communicate and that the American dream was widely available to those willing to make the effort to become full-fledged citizens.
Unfortunately many of today’s immigrants have a different attitude. Rather than adopt our English language to better communicate with the rest of us, some now demand that we accommodate them in their native tongues. Even law-breaking illegal aliens have come to expect this, and many misguided politicians reinforce that wrong-headed attitude by calling for special accommodations for government-sponsored services.
The English language is a defining characteristic of our nation. Our forefathers fought for an America united by a common language. Those who came from other countries seeking a better life, including my grandparents and others like them, knew they had to learn English to succeed in their new homeland. They understood that their future depended on their ability to communicate and that the American dream was widely available to those willing to make the effort to become full-fledged citizens.
Unfortunately many of today’s immigrants have a different attitude. Rather than adopt our English language to better communicate with the rest of us, some now demand that we accommodate them in their native tongues. Even law-breaking illegal aliens have come to expect this, and many misguided politicians reinforce that wrong-headed attitude by calling for special accommodations for government-sponsored services.
Worse yet, Senator Glenn McConnell is being harshly criticized as a "xenophobe" for saying that the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles should stop giving driving tests in foreign languages, since by law English is the state's official language. It is incredible that government bureaucrats responsible for road safety would ever implement such an impractical policy in the first place. For the safety of all drivers, should we not require that all drivers be able to read road safety signs and warnings?
Our national language should not be undermined. Rather than print government documents in a patchwork of languages, we should expect those seeking services to communicate in English. Call it tough love, as it can only help those who want to become viable and functioning members of our economy and our society.
The importance of communicating in English was underscored a few months ago at a Columbia restaurant. A non-English-speaking worker, unable to read labels, mistakenly served customers a highly caustic cleaning powder in place of sugar. Unfortunately, several customers consumed the poison and were hospitalized with internal injuries.
As tragic and unlikely as this example seems, there are many other scenarios that could easily produce more disastrous consequences. For example the airlines industry relies on clear, concise communication. Imagine the tragedy that might occur if a pilot and an air traffic controller were unable to communicate. Worse yet, think of the absolute absurdity of trying to arrange for multi-lingual communication among U.S. military troops on the battlefield!
Patriotic Americans must take the high ground in this debate. We must make every effort to strengthen the fabric of America rather than to unravel it like some wish to do. Our commitment to our common culture and our shared language should not be sacrificed to satisfy some misguided socially engineered view of multi-culturalism and ethnic tolerance. America has always been a diverse nation, but historically our common English language has helped us understand each other, overcome differences, and draw us together.
Our hope should be for the United States to remain united. To achieve that end we must insist that English is our only national language and that everyone on our soil continues to respect our country’s rule of law. Anything less would be a disservice to our common heritage and a disgrace to those who toiled and sacrificed to make the United States of America the greatest nation on earth.
Our national language should not be undermined. Rather than print government documents in a patchwork of languages, we should expect those seeking services to communicate in English. Call it tough love, as it can only help those who want to become viable and functioning members of our economy and our society.
The importance of communicating in English was underscored a few months ago at a Columbia restaurant. A non-English-speaking worker, unable to read labels, mistakenly served customers a highly caustic cleaning powder in place of sugar. Unfortunately, several customers consumed the poison and were hospitalized with internal injuries.
As tragic and unlikely as this example seems, there are many other scenarios that could easily produce more disastrous consequences. For example the airlines industry relies on clear, concise communication. Imagine the tragedy that might occur if a pilot and an air traffic controller were unable to communicate. Worse yet, think of the absolute absurdity of trying to arrange for multi-lingual communication among U.S. military troops on the battlefield!
Patriotic Americans must take the high ground in this debate. We must make every effort to strengthen the fabric of America rather than to unravel it like some wish to do. Our commitment to our common culture and our shared language should not be sacrificed to satisfy some misguided socially engineered view of multi-culturalism and ethnic tolerance. America has always been a diverse nation, but historically our common English language has helped us understand each other, overcome differences, and draw us together.
Our hope should be for the United States to remain united. To achieve that end we must insist that English is our only national language and that everyone on our soil continues to respect our country’s rule of law. Anything less would be a disservice to our common heritage and a disgrace to those who toiled and sacrificed to make the United States of America the greatest nation on earth.
