Proposition 63: Official Language

I circulated petitions for Proposition 63, because, in plain English, we need, sadly, to have a legally official language to counter those who, for personal gain, are trying to Babelize our society.

As an “equal opportunity” citizen, I want to be able to walk down any street in any part of this country and communicate with other citizens, regardless of their race, creed or national origin (even though many of them do not want to communicate with me, which I find offensive). If this makes me racist and mean-spirited in your eyes, then you need your eyes, your heart and your head examined!

When an American says, “Speak English,” it is not a put-down, quite the opposite. It is a way of saying: “Because I am interested in what you have to say, speak to me so that I can understand you. If I didn’t care, I’d turn away.” Those who are offended are saying: “Speak Spanish (or Korean, or whatever to accommodate me, because I want to continue speaking my language). Since most people are unable to learn 63 different languages, that is not a reasonable option.

ELIZABETH F. WEISS

Los Angeles