English Is Our National Language

Amid all the wrangling going on in the Senate over the immigration reform bill - build fences along the border, declare illegal aliens criminals, deport undocumented aliens, allow them to work their way to citizenship, the Republicans dared to toss in an amendment that would establish English as the national language.
We think this amendment is a great idea. English is our national language and should finally be recognized as such. All this dual signage, and mandatory translating is expensive and a crutch for non-English speaking people to use so they NEVER have to learn the language of the land - English.
Our ancestors, who came from Europe and other countries overseas did not whine for English to be translated for them. They learned the language of the land, learned to read it, write it and to speak it. Plain and simple.
Nearly 100 years-ago, President Theodore Roosevelt had these thoughts on immigration in 1907.
“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birthplace or origin.”
“But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language. And we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is a loyalty to the American people.”
The current amendment to the immigration bill was written and proposed by Republican Senator James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma. It was approved by a vote of 63 to 34.
This issue of English - as the first language, the only language or as the national language - always sparks heated cultural debates in every forum. The Senate was no different from City Hall or the Albany legislature. During the debate in the Senate, the bill’s supporters said that unless there are pre-existing rules or laws to the contrary, people who do not speak English have no right to have the government translate it for them.
New York Senator Hillary Clinton had hoped that this amendment would just go away, but that was before the nearly two-to-one vote passing it.
In an attempt to soften the Republican bill, the Democrats offered an amendment which stipulates, “English is the unifying and common language.” This bill also passed 58 to 39.
We say pass the “English is the National Language Amendment,” or if it is defeated, keep attaching it to every bill you can until it passes. Remember the words of Teddy Roosevelt, “We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.” This bill has been a hundred years in the making!