English as a Second Language

In many parts of the country, job applicants who aren't bilingual are often asked to look for work elsewhere. Just last week my daughter was offered a job in Missouri, only to lose that opportunity a moment later when asked if she spoke Spanish. Wake up people! Kansas City, Missouri is located in the frickin' geographic center of the United States. Why should anyone in Missouri have to speak anything but English to get a job?

I think we've gone far enough to accommodate the Hispanic community ("...press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish...", anyone?). Instead of expecting us to learn their language, why not expect them to speak ours? What nerve. Do Hispanics think they're the only non-English-speaking group of people migrating to America? Or, do they honestly believe they're the only culture so special that they can bust down doors, go anywhere they want, and expect people to address them in their native tongue?

People from other cultures come to the United States, learn to speak English, and do their best to fit in. They apply for visas and work permits, wait their turn, and then enter our country legally (what a concept). They learn our language, accept our culture, and for the most part assimilate fully into American society. Why is it so difficult for Hispanics to do the same? And why don't the American people expect them to do the same?

Me? I am not a xenophobe. Nor am I a racist, although I am sure some who read this post will label me as such. Fact is, I don't care what they think. I just want my country back!

With the economy as weak as it is right now, with unemployment pushing record numbers, how insane is it to deny able-bodied, otherwise fully qualified American citizens the right to work simply because they can't speak a foreign language? It makes no sense to me.

It's time we stop the insanity. I say it's time we make English the official language of the United States.