‘English Only’ Initiative

This letter is in response to the article (July 15), “Bradley Assails ‘English Only’ Idea as ‘Evil.’ ”

In his speech to the National Council of La Raza, Mayor Tom Bradley has predicted that he “English Only” initiative would have life-threatening results in a city such as Los Angeles, where many people are not fluent in English. He states that “it would seek to pit one ethnic community against another. It would stir hatred and animosity. It would tear us apart as people, as a nation.”

On the contrary, it’s the language barriers that keep the hatred and animosity, that tear us apart. Where would we be, if 100 years ago, all of the foreign groups of people (our ancestors) who came from their country to ours, did not learn English? We would have nothing but segregated groups; there would be no unity; we would not be the great nation that we are today.

Bradley also states that this initiative would not let Los Angeles hire bilingual public safety employees such as police and firefighters. That would be discrimination. You can’t refuse to hire someone because he is bilingual. In fact, if more of the Latino-speaking people learned English, it would mean better jobs for them.

Bradley should quit putting fear into these people, concerning the “English Only” initiative. Encourage them instead to learn English so that they can integrate instead of clinging to their “Latino Only” language and thereby keeping themselves segregated.

DIANE MOODY

Downey