What do the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, all State of the Union addresses, the naturalization Oath of Allegiance, and road signs have in common? Each of these are reasons why English should be the official language of the United States. Most people probably think English is already our official language, but that is actually not the case. Right now, America has no official language unifying our people. As the liberal drumbeat of multiculturalism grows louder with each passing year, making English official should be an issue of great importance to all of us.
Calling for English as our official national language is not a position of hate. On the contrary, we want to bring every American in on the full American experience whether they are native or not. Why would we want to deprive anyone of the ability to read and understand the Constitution? All of our important founding documents are written in English. All of our laws are written in English. We owe it to every American to teach them how to communicate with their countrymen.
Opponents of codifying our preference for English like to defend their view with scare tactics. Making English our official language would not make it illegal for people to speak other languages in America. It would not make it illegal for public schools to have Spanish and French classes. Actually, codifying English would be a tremendous benefit for students. Right now, some left-leaning school districts actually have separate classes for foreign students to learn subjects like math, science, and history in languages other than English, effectively making it possible for them to graduate without having a working knowledge of English. Instead, we need to teach those students how to learn alongside their English-speaking peers in regular classes.
Without a doubt, knowing multiple languages can be a great benefit to anyone. However, when we let American students slip by without learning English, we sabotage their future and hold them back from the full American experience. In a nation of differing backgrounds, skin colors, and lineages, we should be able to come together with a common language. American English should be embraced as the official language of the United States of America.