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Gotta love Emma Goldman. Thanks Jetée.
Roosevelt's statement only works if we've declared English to be the official language of the country. It is not, and it never has been. It's absolutely impossible to claim that speaking English is a necessary part of being American without such a law.
We can debate about whether or not English should be the official language (it shouldn't, and this has been recognized for the entirety of American history), but until it is there is absolutely no debate at all that immigrants should not be discriminated against because of the language they speak. Over time, immigrants naturally assimilate into the culture while adding their own influence (this is the very definition of the melting pot). We don't need to pass laws to impose this process.
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Le temps détruit tout
"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling
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