My wonderful and very special grandfather, Joseph, was born in Rock Island, Illinois on January 10, 1988. He grew up in a German speaking household. Gramps, by the time he went to kindergarten, was bilingual. His father, Johann, had a strict familial rule regarding the United States of America. He was proud of his new country and determined his children would carry on with his views. Speaking German inside their home was allowed but when family members went out the door the requirement was to speak English; no German allowed, no German traditions were to be seen or heard.
As a youngster I'd go to grandfather's home early in the morning and he'd be reading his German Bible. I knew a scattering of the language but he never spoke to me in his native tongue. When he went to Mass he'd take his Bible written in English.
We live in a large metropolitan area near Columbus, Ohio. My suspicion is there are close to a million and a half people in the city and surrounding suburbs. I find it more than irritating going to the cash dispenser at the bank then be required to use the touch screen asking if I'm speaking English, Spanish or Somalia.
One of our largest combo supermarket, clothing, appliance stores is called Meijer. When I walk through the front doors I'm a man without a country. The place is like being at the United Nations. Name any language and I'm clueless to what people in their native garb are babbling. It's as if all the descendants from the Tower of Babel use this store as a multicultural bazaar. I'll go through the check out line and the lady running the register is exasperated with me because I can't comprehend her dialect. And I'm the one who feels badly about it. Does this make sense?
I've included the picture at the top of this piece since it illustrates perfectly about which I'm writing.
If you want the rights and privileges of American citizens then, by God, act like one. Don't write your ridiculous signs in Spanish. I don't speak the language unless I want a taco or a margarita.
No comments:
Post a Comment