The American Dream

The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Those words are etched on a plaque inside the Statue of Liberty.  Nashville, TN desires to make English the official, and therefore only allowable, language of the government.  Similar measures have been attempted across the country.  This is quite possibly the most un-American ballot issue ever proposed.  While it is true that a common language is most helpful, it is also true that in 232 years of American government we have allowed people to speak any language they so desire.  If there is a sufficient population in a city, county, state, or district to make the government think that a Spanish, Korean, Japanese, or to go so far as Ebonic version of the form would better serve the citizenry, why should we limit the future government's ability?  Just because many in the city of Nashville don't like the emergin latino population, it should not be acceptable to have this covert racism pass.  We used to have literary tests to prevent African-Americans from voting.  Key word in that sentence is 'used.'  We realized that just because a person can't read, or in this case comprehend, the local language doesn't remove that person's rights to service and representation.

WASPs aren't the only people who are guaranteed the American dream which is precisely why we are the greatest country in the world.