S: Is for the silencing of English

For years I have been stating that Americans are being displaced in their own country. I have been called prejudiced, which I am not. I do however think that if you go to live in a country you should have to learn the language, pay into the system, and become a part of what you have claimed to have deserved. I am horrible at language's which is why I turned down a career in Opera. Hey, I crucify standardized English, but when I went to France to visit I learned enough French to get by. In Germany the same thing. It was out of respect and wanting to fit it that I did so. Had some one told me that I was going to need to speak Spanish in order to get proper medical care and assistance I would have studied it in school. No one warned me or prepared me to live in world where English is becoming extinct.

In my heart and mind I know we stole this country from the Indians and treated them inhumane. I completely understand giving them the advantage and making amends. We should! Yet with what is going on, this is not the case. Why am I up in arms ? Let me state three examples of why we need to wake up!

1: Let me start with the most recent. I cracked my tooth and my health insurance is in flux. So I went to the health clinic to get help. Spanish not English was the language most commonly spoken. I could hardly understand the intake worker. When asked to fill out forms it took a good 15 minutes to find one in English. Since when did clinic's become the right of the Spanish population?

2: When I got to the hospital not only were there more posters in Spanish but when I was asked to fill out forms, the what and how it was asked gave me more proof to my overwhelming concern. When asked my language, English was 3rd on the list. 1: was Spanish. 2: Chinese. When asked my nationality it was no longer Caucasian. Now it was 1: Spanish 2: Asian 3: African American 4: American Indian 5: White and 8: Unknown. Since when did I become white and not Caucasian? I am actually rather pink. Where was that choice?

3: Because my insurance is in flux I went to get temporary assistance. Now my eyes get the biggest shock of all. In order to get assistance it would have been a snap if I was an immigrant or a migrant worker. You think I'm kidding ? I'm not, it's in black and white. If I were pregnant I wouldn't even have to show my documents. Society wonders why there are so many pregnant teens and why Hispanic families have so many kids. It pays to keep having them, plus you never have to show if your legal. Again in black and white. It is harder to get help if you are white, born in this country and have lived here all your life.

The health care system has broken down. Tom's insurance won't let him have eye care because he paid a lot of money last year to get help. If he were illegal and needed eye care, no problem. Caroline and Robert just went $200 over their allotted income because Robert was given a bonus for working hard. Now they have been dropped and have to find new insurance.

There are no pictures in this column because this is important. We need to wake up or we will be Americans in search of a country and help. And that is a F.A.C.T.