Published: June 01, 2009 11:46 am      

New law mandates English driver's license tests

In touting an English only policy in America these days one runs the risk of appearing rigid and reactionary at best, insensitive and prejudiced at worst. The unspoken law of high political correctness mandates that all be treated equally and in their own language.

We are in favor of treating people equally. But to encourage the perpetuation of a language other than English in America almost guarantees the opposite, i.e., denial of equal treatment. Immigrants from ages past realized immediately that in order to get along economically and socially they would have to learn to speak and write in English.

English is the language of business, not just in America, but in most of the rest of the world as well. To not force the issue on learning it will inevitably financially hinder our newest residents.

To that end, we applaud state legislators who passed House Bill 2252 which was subsequently signed by the governor, to require driver’s license tests to be provided only in English. For one thing, it is an expensive proposition to duplicate materials. Writing them in only one language saves thousands of state taxpayer dollars.

Too, how long would it be for someone to decide that if driver’s license textbooks are written in another language, then our road signs should be bilingual, adding additional unnecessary expense?

America’s great strength is in its diversity. We get that. But the strength of our diversity lies in the second part of the equation, i.e., that America is a great melting pot. We are all unique ingredients in the same potion, united together as one. Making ours a successful union requires communication one with the other. It is our common language, English, that facilitates that.

Mixing and matching our form of communication only serves to undermine unity.