Passage of Proposition 63

I, for one, am pleased as punch that Proposition 63--the English-only initiative--passed. And, I’m further thrilled to hear that Proposition 63 backers will be asking the Legislature to require that state driver’s tests, welfare applications, state university student aid forms and other state services be made available only in English.

It seems fairly reasonable to me that if you can’t speak English, it’s too dangerous to be cruising around on the L.A freeways unable to read the vast majority of signs.

If you can’t communicate in English, of course you can’t find a job--but I don’t feel like paying for someone’s welfare just because they’re too lazy to learn English. My grandfather came to the United States from Russia. Why is it that he could learn English within one year while thousands of Hispanic families have been here for generations and still haven’t learned even rudimentary English?

Jessica Fiske, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s office in Los Angeles, is quoted in The Times (Nov. 6) as saying: “I see the vote (passage of Proposition 63) as having an undertone of fear--people have looked at the changing demographics and they have voted . . . out of a sense of panic.”

Well, maybe some of us voted out of economic sensibility. We cannot continue to support two languages in our schools, welfare system, or any other state services. And, we shouldn’t have to.

English was the language chosen more than 200 years ago for the United States so that all citizens could participate in a unified society. If you don’t want to participate in that society, then get out.

SHERRY C. RICE

North Hollywood