Tim James is probably going to get a lot of votes this election year. That's because in Alabama, they speak English! The recent commercial released by the candidate talks about making it so that there aren't so many accommodations made for non-English speaking residents. Tim James is singlehandedly going to rid his state of diversity.
I know all of the Patriotic and average Americans who don't really think about this stuff will stand up and shout that as Americans we should speak English and if people don't want to learn our language, well they can just get out! But here's some points that I think people should really examine before they start getting angry.
First: People say "Well, when you go to Russia, you don't speak English there!" Actually, how many Americans GO to other countries not knowing the language and still manage to get around at restaurants, hotels, and different sightseeing destinations? Why is that? Could it be because in most countries, people DO speak more than one language? Maybe it's not so far-fetched to think that our lack of language diversity is something that's restricted to us.
Second: The last I checked, when the British didn't know how to speak the language of whichever native tribe was here, they didn't try and learn. There were hundreds of tribes massacred for their land. The only reason we speak English is because of the British. If anything we SHOULD be speaking Spanish, since the Spaniards (Juan Ponce de León people) was the first documented European to arrive here.
Third: As far as I can see, we're probably one of the most diverse countries in the world. That means that we have people from ALL OVER the world coming and living here. And guess what? That's how it has always been. If the United States is changing, it wouldn't be the first time. And we're not the only ones that "accommodate" to this change in our country.
And most importantly, in the long run, seeing more than one language isn't really hurting us. If you look around the world, most people KNOW more than one language. People were surprised by how well my parents spoke English. Well, it's because we're taught it in Pakistan since childhood. And guess what? Studies show that bilingual and trilingual children are usually smarter than those who only speak one language.
Maybe, just maybe, it would've helped Tim James to know another language.
