TR and Today's Issues

I was browsing through the History Channel's website today and came across an interesting quiz, The Citizenship Quiz. I took the full version and scored a 98%. I didn't know the number of Representatives in the House and I didn't think about the history question on wars of the 1800's.
There was a link to the official USCIS website and I found this on the FAQ page:

"What study materials are available to help applicants prepare for the new test?
USCIS has a range of study materials available for the new naturalization test. These include the 100 civics (history and government) questions and answers in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese; Civics Flash Cards for the New Naturalization Test, and Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons for the New Naturalization Test. Additionally, there are vocabulary lists that contain the terms that will be used for the English reading and writing tests."

This started me thinking about English as the National Language issue. That lead me to look for the Teddy Roosevelt [one of my two favorite presidents] quote about being an American. I found several interesting quotes at Brainy Quotes.
"Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country."
"There can be no fifty-fifty Americanism in this country. There is room here for only 100% Americanism, only for those who are Americans and nothing else."
And
"We can have no "50-50" allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all."
"The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife."

If people want to be American citizens let them speak English in public. If they wish to speak their Native language at home, with other immigrants from the same country and teach it to their children, FINE. But let there be no more bi-lingual signs in public spaces, no more bi-lingual government forms. Either you are fluent in English or you LEARN, but there will be NO more pandering by government to non-English speakers. Does the Mexican government print their forms in English and Spanish to accommodate English speakers? Do they allow illegal immigrants from El Norte to remain in Mexico, working there? I think NOT.
Also, there should be a ban on terms of “Something – American.” You are either a citizen or you're not. You may have come here from another country, but once you have gone through the process of becoming a CITIZEN, you are an American. Part of the process of Naturalization is swearing allegiance to the US of A, ONLY. Not to Mexico and America, or China and America or anywhere else and America. One of the responsibilities of a Citizen is to be LOYAL to America.

And if you are Black, and born here, you are an American! Not an African- or Afro-American. Your ancestors were freed from slavery here in America more than 140 years ago! If someone high up in your family tree was captured and sold by Mohammedan slave traders or a rival tribe in 17- or 18-something, that doesn't make you African. It makes you an American.

Now TR was our 26th President and took office in 1901 after McKinley was assassinated. 100+ years later, I think we could use some “retro- sensibility”. We need to remind ourselves and everyone we know what this wise man had to say about immigration, the law and the economy.

The issue of immigration, for me anyway, comes down to a question of fairness. Why should we reward illegal activity, by any immigrant, by granting them amnesty? What about the millions of citizens who immigrated LEGALLY? Why did they have to wait years and years in some cases to be legally admitted to this country? Because they were following the LAW.

TR had these thoughts on the law:
“Obedience of the law is demanded; not asked as a favor.”
“No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it.”
So why are we allowing 12 million ILLEGAL immigrants to break our laws? Why are we not clamoring for the current laws to be enforced?

And the economy?
I feel certain TR would have carried his “big stick” into the halls of government if he had heard of the proposed [and implemented in part] economic policies promulgated by the current Administration.
“The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”
“It is difficult to make our material condition better by the best law, but it is easy enough to ruin it by bad laws.”
I think the above quotes are self-explanatory in relation to our current economic crises. Or maybe I'll expound on this in a subsequent post.