You said, in part, " . . . And no one else has a right to place the ability (or the willingness) to speak English, or any other language for that matter, as a condition of citizenship, . . . ."
That is where you are wrong. This is America. We speak English. It is the common language that binds us together as Americans.
And, just as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico and every other country has the right to (and does) establish an "Official Language," so does the United States.
I enthusiastically support English as the only official language of America, and will resist with every fiber of my being any and every misguided attempt to force America into a "multi-language" country, officially.
If you want to speak Spanish, or Creole, or Bulgarian at home, that is just fine. But the languge of America is English.
IMHO, until a person can speak, read and write the English language, that person ought not to be able to enjoy the privilege of U.S. Citizenship. Used to be an absolute requirement, and I'll tell you what: It ought to be an absolute requirement today!
This business of trying to accomodate all the world's languages in our schools and government has certainly played a significant role in the Balkanization of America, and I, for one, am damn sick and tired of it!
Bi-lingual and multi-lingual programs should be abolished immediately! English, and only English, should be the language of the schools and the government, by law.
The sooner we Americans eliminate the Liberal/Socialist/Marxist Bastard's "Kiss the ass of every minority in the world when they move here" mentality, the sooner we can get on about the business of America!
I will readily agree that the immigrant population in America has added to the "mosaic" in a positive way. But I will argue that those immigrants who have accomodated to this culture by learning English have added even more.
No long term benefits will accrue to any person or to the country if, somehow, those who would destroy what and who we are as a people succeed in forcing America to become a multi-language Tower of Babel!
Remember, impose an English only rule, and it stands for all, not just immigrants.
As long as I am able to function in our society, what language I speak is not the government's business, and the fact that you may not understand me while conducting a conversation with others, be it conducting business transactions, enjoying music, or simply conversing, is no excuse to set about the task of invalidating the First Amendment.
Please note that while the Founders were obviously Christians, there is no argument of imposing a "unifying" religion on American citizens.
Why question one part of the First Amendment, and not the rest of it?
As conservatives, it would seem to me that we would have a natural aversion to the government finding "solutions" such as this. After all, I thought that the idea was less government intrusion, not more.
More government is never the solution. If you don't believe me, watch what happens to the stock market if and when the government decides to involve itself in policing it, in the wake of the last few corporate scandals.
So then, a new-born baby with any luck will be able to consider themselves a citizen upon graduation from High School?
Where exactly would you deport illiterate native-born Americans to?
Is Ebonics not acceptable?
Taxman is correct. A country has an official language, and ours is English. We do not need to do our official business in another language. It ends all cohesiveness of our country. If a group wants to translate something in a diffeent language, it should not be on our dime.
This doesn't have anything to do with more government. Indeed, it is less government by not having to accommodate other languages in government business.