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"I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English, and I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English."
-President Bush...
Because why? Because English is our "National Language"? Oops, we don't have one. Because Spanish is not a very populous 2nd language in America? (Is 12-13% a lot of people?)
Because Plato came down and said so- "I deem English as the FORM of language in the U.S."?
Because it's not a free country, and we get to dictate what languages people can speak?
Oh, I know why.... because we want to ostracize foreigners and take away reasons for them to love the United States.
Who is it that Spanish speakers owe it to to learn English, and when did they incur this lingual debt?
Luke
p.s. NOT THAT IT WOULD BE EASY TO TRANSLATE WITHOUT RUINING IT... it was just the "to be an American, you have to speak English" part that bothered me. Maybe people should have to buy jeans at the GAP too, and like apple pie in order to get in.
see related:
Daily Kosand
"Yup. We're here. We are the ones called by many names: redneck, backwoods, biker trash, trailer trash, hillbilly, cowboy, hick, tex, trucker, good ol' boy, beer drinkers & hell raisers, etc, etc, etc. We are the descendents of those who fought this mexican invasion once before. Our family's blood was spilled from Goliad to San Jacinto. While the politicians debate endlessly, the lawless illegals and their conspirators attempt to wedge themselves into place. We are the ones to stop this. We are ready. ------ We are the Texas Independence Revolution. And we don't play fair." From : Americans For Legal Immigration
posted by Luke A Welch @ 11:30 AM
4 comments
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4 Comments:
Road signs, commerce, education, the Constitution, etc. are all written in the language that brings our culture together in unity as a commonality amongst us all. English isn’t a prerequisite for being a human being, but in order for someone to succeed in the United States of America they must know the language that ties us all together.
President Bush didn’t declare that the world should speak English or that any foreigner would need to stop speaking their native tongue. Simply put that in order to drive our roads, in order to participate in our economic prosperity, in order to get properly educated in our schools and to read, understand and fully appreciate the Constitution of this country – one needs to be able to understand the language that ties us all together.
Of course that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.
In response to the previous comment -
I think the problem is not that knowing English would be helpful to everyone; rather, making English requisite for the protection of citizenship or of residency seems to me to be a way of dismissing foreigners with another strike against them.
We don't require a specific language for citizenship in the church - I have a problem kicking the same christians out of my country that I would accept in my church, merely over language.
Luke
There is no guarantee of unlimited citizenship in either the Constitution or the Gospel. Certain criteria must be met for both to occur, does it not? How is meeting the requirements of government different from the call of the Holy Spirit?
Heavenly citizenship does not know geographical, language or cultural boundaries and transcends the falleness of this world. Earthly citizenship to a country is defined in large part by geography, language and culture. The role of government in defining that citizenship is given by the very God who allows the Kingdom to transcend those boundaries.
Why is expecting someone to learn the language of the culture they are trying to become a part of so offensive?
Dear Fellow Blogger,
Since I don't know you, I truly desire not to argue (I appreciate your discussion happily), but I am not up to the emotional tax of a sustained debate right now.
Here's why:
I just had to discipline students for drawing racist pictures of burning down houses of Mexicans on my dry-erase board. Students in my school have dressed up as KKK members whipping a Mexican for halloween this year, and others have refered to Africans as "wild dogs."
This is disappointing behaviour for a Christian school populace.
To top off my emotional weakness, my father is deathly ill....
I am sure you love foreigners - your Christianity seems vital (I checked your blog). I am thankful for your comments and engagement. I included a sarcastic blog because, I guess because that is what blogs are like.
But, honestly, I don't know the answer to the immigration question. But I just don't think that languages people speak (beyond the ability to function in official documents) is the governments business, neither for restricting nor for enforcing. I ALSO think it is basically natural and unburdensome for our Government functionary system (documents, phone systems...etc) to function availably in Spanish as well as in English. Because we have ALWAYS have a large populace of Spanish speakers, and have ALWAYS been a multi lingual culture, (including starting a country wherein many spoke little to no Enlglish - CITIZENS from Europe [the Dutch, the French, the Spaniards]) and people who SHOULD have been Citizens (those kidnapped from Africa)...to start the sentece over: Because we have always had serveral or many tongues, and no national enforcement, or requirement of English, then it makes sense to AT LEAST keep giving some preference to the people who have developed into our largest pocket of Non-English Speaking, the 12-13% spanish-speaking.
If we say, "that is not OUR language," then we have defined "us" as "English Speakers." If we define "our" language as the primary one of our citizens, then, "us" begins to include Hispanophones.
My basic question about the whole legality of immigrant status question is this:
How do we, as Christian thinkers, you and I, determine what is a good and godly policy for allowing in or prohibiting new national citizens?
What do you think?
Luke
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