Winston Churchill once said, "The gift of a common language is a priceless inheritance.” Churchill's words remain true today. It is our common American language, English, and the "melting pot” process it supports, that has made the United States the most successful multi-ethnic nation in the history of the world.
Today, however, our priceless inheritance is under attack by those who stand to gain by dividing America into separate communities that do not share a language and have little in common except geographic location.
That is why I have authored Senate Bill 163, which will make English the "official language” of Oklahoma. I think we have an obligation to defend our common language and safeguard it as an inheritance for future generations of Americans.
Critics claim we are overreacting by taking this step. But those opponents are turning a blind eye to national trends. There are real warning signs our melting pot is breaking down.
Several years ago the town of El Cenizo, Texas, adopted an ordinance making Spanish its official language. Last year the federal government sued the Salvation Army for requiring its employees to speak English on the job. The owner of a "Philly cheesesteak” restaurant in Pennsylvania was charged with "illegal discrimination” for simply posting a sign asking his customers to order in English.
And here in Oklahoma, the federal government has launched an investigation of the Department of Public Safety because the agency does not provide written driver's license exams in Farsi, the dominant language of Iran.
Oklahomans have good reason to think that the demand to accommodate other languages is getting out of hand with a potentially catastrophic impact on our budget.
If we fail to make English our official language, the state could be forced to provide services in all 322 languages the Census Bureau says are spoken in the United States, not just Farsi. Furthermore, we need to make English our official language to help legal immigrants who play by the rules and want to achieve the American dream.
Census data show that learning to speak English is a near guarantee that immigrants will increase their earning capacity. Success in Oklahoma and every other state rides on your level of English proficiency. Those who would block incentives for immigrants to learn English are effectively condemning those individuals to a life of financial struggle and isolation.
Senate Bill 163 deals only with government speech and will not infringe on the private speech or actions of anyone. It has common-sense exceptions for using Braille and sign language, protecting public health and safety, teaching foreign languages and promoting trade, commerce and tourism. The bill also fully protects "the use, study, development, or encouragement of any Native American language in any context or for any purpose.”
If we want to preserve our common language, promote civic unity and give immigrants a chance at real success, it is time for Oklahoma to join the 30 other states that have passed official English laws.
Terrill, R-Moore, represents District 53 in the Oklahoma House and has led immigration reform efforts in the Legislature.
