Hables Ingles?

Voters approved a measure making English the official language of Arizona. Ironically, the ballot upon which that proposition and others were listed was printed in both English and Spanish.

There’s little reason to believe that will change come time for the next election.

But the real questions that go unanswered are: Why are our ballots bilingual? And why should Arizona taxpayers be forced to cater to Mexicans who refuse to learn the English language? Given the United States is the proverbial melting pot, what about other nationalities?

The bilingual issue ought not be an issue at all.

Our ballots are printed in English and Spanish because we have failed over the past two decades to enforce immigration laws with regard to Mexico.

Arizona taxpayers are footing the bill because of a lack of will to enforce those laws.

And even though America is a melting pot, there are those who refuse to acculturate. That perhaps is another irony in this long running debate–although we are a nation of immigrants representing every nation in the world, those immigrants must learn our language.

But for some reason, this debate rages on, bilingually.

If the tables were turned, an American who emigrated to a foreign country would have to learn that country’s language.

The Mexican government, we can be sure, would not go to the trouble of printing their ballots in English to accommodate Americans living there.