You’re living in America now – Speak English!

Alabama gubernatorial candidate Tim James has come up with a novel idea that I think deserves careful consideration, and not just in Alabama. It goes something like this…

This is America, and in America we speak English, and virtually all of our road signs are in English. Therefore, if he is elected Governor he will propose that all driving tests in Alabama will be administered in English. Seriously now, how can anyone disagree with that policy? After all, since our road signs are in English, shouldn’t all of the drivers on our roads know at least enough English to enable them to drive safely?

But as expected, there are plenty of folks in Alabama and around the country who disagree with Mr. James. They say that English-only policies discriminate against people who don’t speak English. I say hogwash! If I were to decide to emigrate from America to Mexico, would I expect the Mexican authorities to give me a driver test in English? Of Course not. If I emigrated to Croatia, would I expect the authorities there to be “sensitive” to the fact that I don’t speak or read Croation and administer the test in English? No!!

America has historically been a proverbial “melting pot” with immigrants coming from all over the world to the U.S.A. in order to make a better life for themselves and their families. And historically, once they got here they learned English. All new arrivals should be expected to do the same.

Liberals like to argue that the U.S. has no official language, and they are right. I think it’s high time that we designate English as such. After all, the overwhelming majority of Americans speak it, regardless of where their ancestors came from, and our government does its official business in English as well. Why on earth shouldn’t English be designated the official language of the United States of America. Besides, I’m growing weary of hearing “Press 1 for English…”