Bilingualism the way of the future

The idea that this country was founded by white people, for white people is a statement most people would consider to be backwards and repulsive. It implies this is nation designed for the advancement of whites over people of other races. This is a statement that, if said by a politician, would probably signal the end of his or her career. \nBut let me ask you this. How much different is the above statement from this one: This country was founded by English speakers, for English speakers?\nThis is a statement many people support, although it is the same fundamental argument that all people are expected to conform to the predominant power. Historically, it's a good idea to speak the language of the person with a gun to your head. But we have evolved, and no longer think like cavemen. No, we think like businessmen, which means that how you present something is more important than what you present. \nWhat's the difference between a redneck in a sheet with a burning cross and a redneck in a suit with a law degree? \nThe school system in areas with high populations of Mexican immigrants should have classes taught in Spanish, and I think all U.S. children should be taught the Spanish language along with the rest of the curriculum. Maybe I'm a hypocrite in saying this. After all, my proficiency in Spanish is limited to the phrase "I'd like a chicken burrito, please, amigo." There are only two Spanish words there, but I count three if I use an accent. \nBut I'm willing to learn and try to change. After all, this isn't my country.\nIf that sounds strange, then you don't understand what the United States is. The United States is the greatest nation that ever existed. We are the most charitable, the most forgiving (who else has won wars and instead of taking over countries actually gave them money to rebuild themselves?); we are the only nation to ever give people freedoms because it was right. The United States is much more than a land set between two oceans. It is an ideal. \nAmericans don't believe in having privileges that are intrinsic from the luck of birth. We change. Why should the location of one's birth take away his or her right to exist? Why should Mexican children be put to an immediate disadvantage just because they were brought up to speak Spanish? Is it just because it's different, or is it just too much of a hassle to change? \nLet me tell you something: The Civil War was a hassle. Desegregating schools was a hassle. Marching for women's suffrage was a hassle. Training teachers in the Spanish language and adding Spanish to a few of the road signs isn't that big of a problem. \nIt's not my country because it isn't anybody's country. Our very Constitution speaks not of American rights, but of human rights. An American is not one who lives in the United States, but is anyone who believes in the intrinsic rights of human beings to have freedom. \nOpponents of bilingualism ask, "where do we stop? When will it all end?" They cry, "Will we have to represent all the languages now to accommodate every single immigrant?" \nTo these very heartfelt and intelligent questions, I reply "No, you morons." I think it's obvious when we have enough people in this country speaking a certain language that it benefits us all to learn and implement that language into our society. But I don't expect to see Finnish road signs any time soon. \nUntil we realize that American rights are in fact, human rights, and not just reserved for those born on red, white and blue soil, we can't advance as a society. It is our duty to try and change with the times. \nSpanish-speaking people are just as deserving of the self-evident truths that we hold for U.S. citizens as anyone. The right to freedoms is universal. We should be able to grant for other people the very rights that we demand for ourselves. Anything less is a return to times when the color of your skin or the "highness" of your birth regulated your place in society. We will change, and we will benefit from it. \nAnd that's as American as baseball, mom, apple pie and a chicken burrito. Right, amigo?