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?