So there's been a couple of diaries with the idea that there's a version of the National Anthem being released in Spanish.
Quesiton is, what does the ultimate Republican spokesperson say about it...
His answer and more on the flip-side.
Bush Says Anthem Should Be in English
Well, well, well. So the President has spoken. He claims the Natioinal Anthem should be in english only. Because, you know, songs cannot be translated without warping them into anti-America songs.
Some gems:
"One of the things that's very important is, when we debate this issue, that we not lose our national soul," the president exclaimed. "One of the great things about America is that we've been able to take people from all walks of life bound as one nation under God. And that's the challenge ahead of us."
Yes, we should not lose our national soul. We do this be shutting our borders and treating immigrants like sub-humans. We lose our soul when we turn our backs on the tired, poor, huddled masses that see our land as one of opportunity. We lose our when we accept people into America and then tell them they must shed all vestiages of their past, their heratige. So, Mr. President, let's not lose our soul.
But the real whopper is this:
"I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English, and I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English." (emphasis added, though the article does repeat the line, adding their own emphasis).
You know that crazy national language debate? Here it is. This comment should be repeated in very Democratic add in every district/state that has even one person who speaks another language as their first. Forget about coming here, if you cannot sing the anthem in English! Ignore the fact that most of the time new citizens, due to the test they must take, know more about Ameircan history and national symbols and such then your average American. Ignore the fact that I'm sure there are plenty of Americans who cannot sing the National Anthem in English let alone any other language.
This is dispicable. America is open to all. America should be accessible to all. I'm not advocating for joint English/Spanish (or which ever language) signs and everything else. But it's a SONG! Let everyone be able to sing it. Let everyone be able to participate. We should be damn proud that people want to sing it, regardless of the language they choose to do so. Democrats need to make this an issue. They need to stand up and let the people of this country know we've got their backs. Like I said, this little blurb of the president's needs to appear in ads all across the country. Add that to descriptions of what the Republican written House Immigration Bill says, and Re
publicans are sunk.
(While not Spanish, I am a second/third generation immigrant from Italy. I've heard the stories of my dad's parents about coming here.)