(Long Island, NY) It is quite difficult to believe that there is an actual political controversy over what language the National Anthem should be sung in. The answer to this question is quite simple and requires no debate whatsoever. See the end of this screed for my simple answer. Until then;
The real issue here is not whether or not patriotic songs, oaths, pledges of allegiance and the like should be given in English; the actual question is how much political pandering is necessary to maintain good standing as a member of local, state, or federal government.
This is not to imply that most politicians on either side of the debate—any debate—are empty-headed boobs without so much as a single original thought to their names. Nor is it a wholesale indictment of the shameless, pathetic way American politicians have conducted themselves since the days of Teddy Roosevelt.
This article should not be taken as a call for wholesale voter dissatisfaction, expressed by a complete rejection of all incumbent candidates, nor should it be viewed as a call for sweeping changes in the structure of American politics, which would eliminate such pandering on both sides of a given issue.
After all, that would be silly.
Immigrants to the United States should be given fair and equal treatment under the law. Having said that, immigration to this country is a privilege and not necessarily an inalienable right. There is a system; however ill-equipped, poorly run, badly managed and woefully under funded. America must not become the only modern industrialized nation on the face of the earth to jeopardize its very existence in its current form (for better or worse) by allowing wholesale, unregulated immigration from ANY other nation. Unfettered immigration is not only pure folly, it is also completely unsustainable.
The real immigration issue in America is twofold; American lawmakers are unwilling and unable to properly enforce existing laws. They legislate new laws, which add to the morass of bureaucracy, red tape, and inequality in the immigration system. Our current setup is just as unsustainable as unlimited access.
Lawmakers demonstrate their cowardice by refusing to fix the system. The lack of proper enforcement, re-regulation, or a complete overhaul, is killing people who try to cross into America illegally. The cowardice of our politicians turns into death at the border crossing. America’s politicians are too afraid of NOT being reelected to keep their fellow humans from dying.
That is not to suggest that Americans should take to the streets in protest over the apparent unwillingness of our elected officials to properly address the most widely discussed and publicized human rights issue of the day. Nor should this article be construed as an endorsement of the protests that have already occurred—or an encouragement of further protests until the matter begins to get serious attention by members of Congress.
After all, that might be a bit TOO constructive, eh? America should do what it does best. Stay complacent. Sit tight. Do nothing, and just watch television until our eyes bleed.
“Careful,” I caught myself muttering aloud, “somebody might actually believe that I actually MEANT that last bit.” It could happen. After all, there are people who actually AGREE with Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson about…well, anything at all.
I said all that, rambling on and on about everything and nothing all at once, as a sort of preamble to my main point, which is this;
The National Anthem was written in English, and therefore should be sung in English. If that isn’t bloody simple enough, I don’t know what is. All the other problems, issues, and concerns will have to be debated further, preferably in any language our pinhead elected officials best understand.
