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I welcome business and friendship from anyone who wants to join me in putting America First regardless of race, religion, or country of origin.
So what is America First? It’s my belief that as Americans it is our duty to consider how our actions impact our country, both now and in the future and then purposefully act to put America First even if it makes our lives a little more challenging.
One of the biggest issues facing America today is illegal immigration and the resulting cultural split. A large number of immigrants, both legal and illegal, are not assimilating. Instead, they are bringing their customs, national holidays, and language to our country rather than adopting the culture of their new home.
In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt delivered the following words to a group of immigrants.
In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.
In 1916, Roosevelt delivered the following advice at a luncheon of the National Americanization Committee
The effort to keep our citizenship divided against itself by the use of the hyphen and along the lines of national origin is certain to breed a spirit of bitterness and prejudice and dislike between great bodies of our citizens. If some citizens band together as German-Americans or Irish-Americans, then after a while others are certain to band together as English-Americans or Scandinavian-Americans, and every such banding together, every attempt to make for political purposes a German-American alliance or a Scandinavian-American alliance, means down at the bottom an effort against the interest of straight American citizenship, an effort to bring into our nation the bitter old world rivalries and jealousies and hatreds.
In many other speeches, Roosevelt again and again cited the need for Americans to be wholly united and stated that one of the core necessities for unity is sharing a common language, in this case English, and for all citizens to claim and be proud of being American. This message is as important today as it was a century earlier.
Over 50 years ago, black Americans along with some white allies fought for equality and integration into what was then the white portion of American society. In this battle, many were injured or died, both blacks and whites. Luckily, these people seeking civil rights were successful. Of course, the integration and acceptance didn’t happen over night. In fact, some people claim there is still racial inequality today. I disagree. I think America is largely without racial or religious prejudice.
I believe that a key component of the black integration was that everyone shared a common language. And, that language was English. Think how hard it would have been to integrate black children into white schools if the blacks spoke a foreign language. It would have been impossible.
Today, many immigrants and even long time citizens are speaking Spanish instead of English. In America we are blessed to have the freedom to speak any language and say just about anything short of libel. But, when a portion of society chooses to communicate in a foreign language, aren’t they segregating themselves from the rest of society? I think so and I am saddened that any group would choose to separate itself from the whole of American citizenry.
The United States of America is the greatest nation the Earth has ever seen. Why else would so many foreigners risk their lives to come here? But, can America continue to be the greatest nation if the citizenry is divided by language and unable to effectively communicate with one another? I do not believe it can.
I also believe that when a country is segregated it is weakened. Will the phrase, “United We Stand” be changed to, “Divided We Surrender?” as fewer and fewer Americans insist that immigrants assimilate by adopting the English language and standing united with other Americans.
I pledge to put America First. Aquafree Lawns & Putting Greens will not add to the increasing segregation by conducting business in a foreign language, hiring employees who do not speak English, or hiring illegal aliens. Aquafree is an American company doing business in America and therefore does not have the need to conduct business in a foreign language. I will only start doing business in another language when I start doing business in a country other than the United States of America.
I welcome business and friendship from anyone who wants to join me in putting America First.
Sincerely,
Eric Meyer
Founder & President
Aquafree Lawns & Putting Greens
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