Nous Namlok Ein Problema.

Earlier this week I saw a news story that baffled me. In a nutshell, an Iranian couple filed a formal complaint against the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. They wanted to take their driver's license exams in Farsi, their native tongue, and the state refused their request. The couple does not understand English well enough to pass the normal exam. The complaint accused the state department of "unlawful discrimination based on national origin."

Um, excuse me, but last time I checked, all of our street signs are in English. I'd hope someone could understand enough English before being issued a driver's license. (Just so happens the couple went across state lines to Kansas where they were allowed to take the test based on symbols and not language. They then crossed back into Oklahoma and exchanged their Kansas licenses for Oklahoma ones.)

I heard the young man who filed the complaint on the couple's behalf in an interview a few days ago. It was his belief that every state should provide driver's tests in any language requested. Can you imagine the administrative and financial burden this would place on the government (and in turn, your tax dollars)?

Now, I have no problem with legal immigration. It's how this nation started and one of the many reasons for its greatness. We've been able to draw from the strength and creativity of so many different cultures, and that is beautiful. But it is my belief that in order to maintain the unity and functionality of a nation, you need at least two things: BORDERS and COMMON LANGUAGE. We need to make English the official language of the United States, and people should be expected to learn it if they choose to make their home here.

What do you think? Should English be made the official language of our nation?

The Buck Stops...Where?

As I listen to the promises being made by the Democratic Presidential candidates, I can’t help but wonder at the worldview inherent within their ideas. They seem to be doing everything possible to eradicate the idea of personal responsibility and replace it with a government of god-like proportions.

Take, for example, their proposed response to the so-called housing crisis. In different ways and to varying degrees, they would, in essence, have the government bail out those facing potential foreclosure. This may sound good and compassionate, until one looks at the implications of such a notion.

Say, for example, you too are a homeowner. You may have done everything right: bought a house you could afford even if its not exactly what you want, made the sacrifices necessary to live on the required budget, maybe even worked two jobs when things got tight. Meanwhile, down the road lives someone in a mansion far beyond their means. They may be completely irresponsible with their money. And who’s to say if they really are working as hard as they could to make the payments? Would it really be right for the government to use your hard-earned money to bail out this neighbor? And what about people who have chosen to forestall buying a house until they know they can afford it? Is it right to use their money to help those living an unearned life of luxury?

Many people these days have a strange sense of entitlement. They think they have a right to a certain lifestyle, even if they must use credit cards to finance it. And if all else fails, well there’s always the government, their virtual savior. But tell me, what would be the harm in people actually facing the consequences for the actions? Isn’t that how we learn and grow?

Now I’m not saying there aren’t people in legitimate need, people who made good decisions and just had some tough breaks. But my husband sees far too much of the other in his line of work as a carpenter. Just the other day, he was working in the home of a young couple in a multi-million dollar house. Their TV’s alone are worth thousands of dollars, and yet, although they’ve already lived in the house for a year, they still owe the builder a sizable chunk of money they claim they can’t afford. Who knows what they owe the bank.

Are you okay with your tax dollars footing the bill for them and others like them? You decide.