Speaking English

To begin with, you need to know that I am multi-lingual. I speak Russian, Spanish, Japanese and German, as well as my native tongue. I believe in the diversity of mankind and feel that different languages around the world are a great thing to have. If everyone were the same, and spoke the same language, what a horribly boring world we would live in.

HOWEVER, with the above caveat in place, I truly feel that it is deplorable that people come to the US and refuse to even attempt to learn the language of this country. It is even worse that we, as citizens of the United States of America, where English is the national language, facilitate the capability of individuals not speaking the language here.

We have the drivers license test in every language known to man. We have all of the voting information available in multiple languages. Our street signs and store signs are "foreign" to its native speaking citizens. We even have interpreters present in our public schools for those that cannot understand the language that they are supposedly being taught.

I personally feel that absolutely no voting information, nor the drivers license test, should be given in any other language than English. If you cannot read, write and speak the target language of the country you are in, you should not be able to possess the ability to vote there. A drivers license could be given on a temporary/provisional basis to non English speakers that could prove their ability to actually manipulate a vehicle to a decent degree.

When I lived in Japan, I didn't expect people there to speak English.