Mother’s Day, A New Coffeemaker & Theodore Roosevelt
Posted by debi on May 14th, 2007 filed in Gedunk, Scuttlebutt
Theodore Roosevelt speaking, circa 1907
I couldn’t stop thinking about Teddy Roosevelt this morning. Amazing how a president who spoke his mind a century ago on the subject of immigration could make so much sense all these years later - especially since I wasn’t able to make any sense of the operating instructions that came with my new Mother’s Day coffeemaker.
How in the world can you even begin to read these things intelligently when there are at least two - if not more - languages printed in those little booklets that come with every kind of gadget now.
Somewhere in the midst of all those languages, I found it: Ta da! Brewing instructions…in English, even! Trust me, it felt like a real accomplishment at that murderous hour of the morning.
Maybe it’s just me, but when you’re trying to read a manual at O Dark Thirty with one eye half open and the other half shut, would it be too much trouble to ask that the use instructions didn’t include anything but good ol’ English in order to be able to operate the thing correctly?
To tell the truth, I’ve been contemplating this whole “Americans Speak English” controversy for awhile now. Ever since a friend forwarded me an email containing this photo of T.R. giving a speech.
That photo accompanied an excerpt detailing his intense beliefs on the subject of immigrants taking up residence in the United States and how important it is for them to commit themselves to language conformity (learning English and using it) and avoiding hyphenated nationality affiliations (like “Latino-American), while adopting the ways of all true Americans.
The excerpt reads:
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. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. 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.” *
Sounds pretty reasonable to me.
What do you think: Is it too much to ask those who come here seeking a new life and a new way of life to use our language? Wouldn’t it be nice to get only one set of use instructions written in English with gifts and purchases, because it’s the language Americans actually speak?
Perhaps most importantly, is it possible we’ve become so touchy-feely about political correctness and trying not to offend anyone that we’ve forgotten what a privilege it is and what it honestly takes to be an American?
* Re: Excerpt. A copy of the original letter in its entirety, obtained from the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress, can be read by clicking Here
3 Responses to “Mother’s Day, A New Coffeemaker & Theodore Roosevelt”
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May 15th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Hear!! Hear!!!! I HATE having to press one for English. When I lived in Japan, I learned Japanese, to get along. When I lived in Italy, I learned Italian, to get along. When I lived in northern Florida, I learned to speak southern to not be an outcast.
If they want to be Americans so bad, they need to learn the language, become citizens, vote and pay taxes. Only after they are citizens should they be allowed to get unemployment, medicare and social security. That’s my plan.
Can you imagine what this countrry would be like if we hadn’t all tried to meld back in th 1700s? We would actually have, like 25 little countries — Italy, Germany, Poland, England, France, Spain, Japan, and so on — you get the idea. And the border wars would still be fought. We would not give a whip about Iraq, or Dafur or Vietnam — we would still be fighting for Texas, Montana and California. Hhmmmph, we would look like Europe!!
20 different monies, 8 different languages, all those flags. Border crossings, differnt speed limits, driving on different sides of the road, different time zones. Some democracies, some monarchies, some occupied states. Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Mason — all rolling in their graves because we didn’t want to communicate.
Bring back the great Melting Pot. Let’s all get on the same page. Please.
And pour us a cup of coffee, please, Debi.
Thanks
May 16th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
I hear ya thelmattt!!! I am so glad that someone has come out and said this when we are all walking around on egg shells trying not to insult people who are lucky to even BE here in this country!
I mean God, people…when did we get so mealy mouthed about everything? Maybe we would have less pepole running here if they knew that it was actually going to take some WORK to be an American.
No more Easy street. And no more illegal immigrants, what is up with that? They all need to get OUT.
May 21st, 2007 at 12:28 pm
YOU ARE RIGHT ON!!!! Thank you for a good one.
God bless, Patsy C.