Is America starting a period of a Civil Revolution? Ideological differences are seemingly tearing this country apart. Racism still exists. Class warfare is a hot button issue. Who is paying for what: taxes, immigration, healthcare seems to what everyone is talking about today. There's just so many to list. Donald Trump even looks like he might win the Republican Primary bid. Most people would not think that would be a serious statement if it was written a year ago. People are fighting outside campaign rallies and protesting. Even Trump himself has told CNN that, "I think we have a very divided country". When people start throwing punches at rallies, there is a problem. It doesn't matter who instigated it, but it needs to be stopped.
A country divided within itself cannot survive. America is a melting pot, therefore, many different cultures are put together. During the Guided Age, people wanted to become American and live in the "streets paved with gold". Obviously, immigrants realized that the streets were not paved with gold when they got here, but many of them had hopes and dreams. These people left their home countries with one goal: freedom, whether it be religious or free speech. Language, borders, culture are the foundation of a country according to Dr. Michael Savage. These three things are very important to a country because without it, can we be a true sovereign nation?
The United States does not have a national language. While English is the most commonly used, it's not the national language. E pluribus unum, is a phrase that is on the official seal of the United States. Translated to "Out of many, one" and dates back in American history to the 1782 U.S. Continental Congress. America is a fusion of ethnic diversity, but one thing ties us together as a nation and that's speaking a common language. Different accents or dialects may exist while traveling to various parts of the country, but English is the one thing that ties us all together.
This leads to questions like should English be the language that voting materials and such are printed on? The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services report that one has to pass an English test in order to become a naturalized citizen. If someone is over 50 and have lived in the U.S. as a permanent resident for 20 years, or if over 55 and have lived as a permanent resident for 15 years they don't have to have an English language requirement. By then, shouldn't an individual know English when they have lived in the States for so long? Not necessarily, when certain parts of the country will speak a language other than English because it's more comfortable or easier for them.
The U.S. Census Bureau released data in 2015 that shows over 350 types of languages and language groups are spoken in the America. Speaking economically, imagine how expensive it is to translate and print government documents to help accommodate people who prefer a specific language that is not English. Should voters be able to fully comprehend in their native/first language what propositions and who candidates are? There is always the gamble that some of the information is not translated the same.
Language is apart of the culture, but it is only one component. Would a national language bring commonality between people? Could it bring higher economic opportunity and better quality of life? University of Huston economics professor, Aimee Chin, reports that immigrants have seen their wages rise by 30% who go from speaking English "well" to "very
well". One being a productive member of American society, doesn't just benefit themselves, but everyone for the greater good.
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