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Jewish World Review July 15, 2008 / 12 Tamuz 5768 Hold your (native) tongue! English embarrasses Obama By Michael Graham
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Embarrassed again.
First it was Michelle Obama, who had never been proud of American democracy until her husband's electoral success.
Now Sen. Barack Obama says his fellow Americans are "embarrassing" him. Why? Because we don't speak enough French.
"It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe, and all we can say is, 'merci beaucoup,' " Obama told supporters on Tuesday.
Just "merci beaucoup"? C'est dommage! ("That's too bad!" for those readers not currently serving as Massachusetts' junior senator).
And why is it a big deal to hear French and German spoken by Europeans (i.e., people from France and Germany)? Show me a Frenchman fluent in Klingon, and maybe then I'll be impressed.
America's language gap isn't French, German or Swahili (currently being offered by Wellesley College). It's English. Most Americans are annoyed by how many people living here can't - or won't - use it.
Obama disagrees:
"I don't understand when people say 'We want English only.' Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English - they'll learn English - you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish!"
If Obama just wants more American toddlers watching "Plaza Sesamo," that's fine. But that's not what he's saying. Like his open-borders allies at the MIRA (Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy) Coalition, Obama is rejecting the idea of a single, national language. Forget "English Only." All we need, according to Obama, is "English Maybe."
As it happens, Obama is wrong on the facts. He may say dismissively that all immigrants will learn English, but the left-leaning Pew Hispanic Center reports that only half of all Hispanic immigrants who have achieved citizenship speak English well, or even somewhat well.
And that's the number for citizens.
As anyone who shops at home improvement stores or has tried to order a McBurger can tell you, the English skills of the larger immigrant community are even worse. According to some estimates, 40 percent of all Hispanics in America live in "linguistic enclaves," where English is unheard and unnecessary.
Obama's reaction? Have American kids learn Spanish. After they finish their "French For Liberals Who Want To Impress Euroweenie Tourists" class, of course.
He's not alone. The same day the Democratic nominee was urging a revival of Esperanto, the MIRA Coalition was on Beacon Hill, advocating full "civil and human rights for all illegal immigrants."
Civil rights? Aren't those for citizens?
Where did amnesty supporters like these get the notion that life is tough for illegal immigrants in America? In Massachusetts right now, illegal aliens can receive free medical care, access to our public schools, subsidized housing and, if they want, jobs that pay 10 times what they would make back home.
All this, plus the privilege of living in the world's most prosperous nation. And now Obama wants us citizens to pick up Spanish, too? What's next - a free tank of gas with every border violation?
There are many legal immigrants who know how fortunate they are to live in America. They are happy to learn our language and obey our laws for a chance to be part of this great country.
One key ingredient to that greatness is a common language for our common civic business - elections, schools and the courts. Obama says "non." Another is the rule of law, also rejected by amnesty supporter Obama.
For the record, Obama speaks English and "a passable Bahasa," according to the Indonesian ambassador. But in whatever language, Obama's feelings about us typical Americans are coming through loud and clear.
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JWR contributor Michael Graham is a talk show host at 96.9 FM TALK in Boston and author of the highly acclaimed "Redneck Nation: How the South Really Won the War." To comment, please click here.
© 2008, Michael Graham
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Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||
