Another great common sense article written by a citizen.
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http://www.bdtonline.com/letters/local_ ... 65153.html

English must be required for immigrants

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

I'm appalled when I walk through stores and see all the signs that have the Spanish words under the English. Particularly, Lowes and Home Depot, have every sign and even the Gift Cards have the Spanish words. I feel that if anyone desires to come to the United States, they should learn our language as I feel we should do if we went to live in their country. I wonder how soon the Spanish words will supercede the English.

My father was born in Italy and came to this country at the age of 18 not being able to speak a word of English.

He began to study and learned the language, became a U.S. citizen, and became an Italian American.

He was so proud to be an American citizen, he did not force us to learn the Italian language; but I do wish he had encouraged us to learn the Italian language. I am very proud of my Italian heritage, but I am an American and I live the American dream.

I think Theodore Roosevelt had the right idea 100 years ago in his speech about immigrants being Americans and I quote: “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 Americano 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.”

Nick Ameli, Jr.

Bluewell, W.Va.