English Spoken Here?
Friday, May 12, 2006
By Gabriel Garnica
As a Latino I am disgusted and ashamed of the pathetic victimization of Hispanics perpetuated by liberals and their MSM pets and embraced by most Latinos in this country. Between the idiotic “Nuestro Himno” anthem and the whole debate about bilingual voting booths, this country is sliding from Cinco de Mayo to Cinco de Mayo Clinic.
Learn English!
This entire language mess is built on the rejection of a premise so basic and rational to any sane person that the fact that it has even been questioned is nothing short of imbecilic. Simply put, if someone wants to become a citizen of a country, that person should learn the language of that country. If someone wants to demonstrate a willingness, a desire to integrate into the fabric of a nation, learning the language of that nation would seem to a given and a minimum “sacrifice” to make.
Not only is learning English beneficial to anyone’s educational and career aspirations, it is critical to fully applying and enjoying the rights and privileges offered by this great nation. It seems nothing short of idiotic to suggest that someone can truly be a citizen of a country without having at least a basic knowledge of that country’s language.
Furthermore, any system that actually allows someone to become a citizen and to vote without having at least that basic knowledge of the language is a flawed, misguided system indeed. Assertive national identity and policy should require potential and current citizens to improve themselves toward qualifying and deserving full participation in the national and political process. If you want to vote, you should be willing to at least make sure you understand not only how to vote but what you are reading when you vote.
Misguided Absurdity
The basic premise of those who oppose any measure to enforce and demand that voters and citizens have basic English knowledge is that Hispanics and others will be offended by such demands. This ridiculous concept fits nicely within the whole liberal victimization construct and likewise turns common sense on its head.
Even the most clueless parent knows that the only way to get people to learn something is to make that learning necessary and vital to their welfare. Hundreds of years ago riding a horse was a much more vital ability than it is today, and so many more people knew how to do it. Likewise, many people today learn to drive out of transportation and personal necessities. If we provided limo service to everyone the motivation to learn to drive would be greatly reduced. The only people who would still learn to drive would be those who seek the independence and autonomy of driving their own cars. A greater percentage of Los Angeles residents drive than residents of Manhattan because driving is much more necessary in L.A. than New York City where public transportation services are significant.
If it is true that “necessity is the mother of invention” then clearly making people learn English can best be accomplished and motivated by creating and maintaining a system where learning English is necessary for achievement and full political participation.
The proverb that you can bring a horse to the river but you cannot make it drink the water has been twisted into you have to bring the river to the horse otherwise it will be deeply offended by your lack of sensitivity and compassion!
What Next?
At this rate, we will see many if not all of the following nightmares. Perhaps all traffic signs will have to be posted in various languages lest we offend someone who does not know English or cause an accident when a driver tries to take out his translator while driving. All songs will be required to have Spanish versions lest we alienate any Hispanics who want to shake their groove thing their way. Perhaps all announcements in sporting and other public events will have to be made in a number of languages lest someone who does not know English miss who’s batting next or not get the name of the next song.
Maybe tombstones will be required to use various languages lest anyone trying to read them be offended or feel left out of the eternal message inscribed therein. Perhaps anyone who does not know English will be allowed to escape contract liability on the grounds that they did not fully understand what they were doing. Never mind any notion of personal responsibility, common sense, and the rule of law.
From Melting Pot to Melting Not
It seems to me that part of this nation’s greatness lies in its ability to fuse multicultural and multiethnic groups into one integrated yet diverse people. A key ingredient of that ability is the willingness of those groups to maintain their rich backgrounds while embracing their new home and language for the sake of national unity and the common good.
Everything about what this country is becoming speaks of division, disunity, isolation and arrogant rejection of common ground. The tragic irony is that in its misguided and twisted obsession with not offending, this society is permanently and perhaps irreparably offending the very foundations and principles on which this country was built. This nation is no longer about respect and loyalty for those foundations and principles. Rather, it is increasingly about arrogant selfishness, insolent ungratefulness and rampant laziness.
Many years ago the melting pot represented the fountain from which this country derived its richness and beauty. Today that pot is melting into glorified street gangs each waving their version of America at each other. Language is a powerful and practical symbol of either unity or disunity, and the pervasive theme of subjugating English to other languages is a deadly brew to national identity.
Conclusion
There are many Latino writers like myself who write for various journals, magazines and websites and hold our own with the English language. I for one reject the imbecilic victimization and patronizing notion that poor little Hispanics need to be handed everything in Spanish lest they be offended, vote incorrectly, or make fools of themselves. We can learn English, thank you very much, and we can even learn it well enough to write circles around most native speakers coming out of public schools who think that a preposition can get you into jail for soliciting prostitution.
I am not alone in thinking that the best way to encourage success and progress is to demand standards rather than demand entitlement or patronizing measures. I for one do not think that it is offensive for this country to expect me to put two English words together if I want to have a voice in this society. I for one turn my back on liberal and MSM hypocrisy in exploiting rather than exposing ignorance.
If you want to drive you learn how to drive. If you want to learn the guitar you practice. If you want to eat cheaply and healthy you learn how to cook. If you want clean clothes or unwrinkled shirts you learn how to do the laundry and iron. If you want to be a contributing and participating American citizen or resident, you learn English.
Personal responsibility and initiative built this country and an imbecilic system that cuddles and condones a lack of these two virtues will ultimately bring this country down.
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For further information please refer to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
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