Posted on 03/28/2006 7:07:17 AM PST by Mel Gibson
"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 man's becoming in very fact 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, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...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."
--Theodore Roosevelt, 1919
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Somehow I don't believe you.
Rep. Tancredo’s website has the quote in 1907 ...
BTW: Died: January 6, 1919 in Oyster Bay, New York
I am disgusted by those who call themselves a hyphenated American.
I agree completely with this statement by T.R
BTW, before you get on my case, it was SCOTUS in the late 70's and early 80's that mandated bi-lingual education and ballots.
I am for neither. I believe in English immersion in schools and for English only ballots and English being the official language of govt.
What has changed about loyalty to ones country?
What the heck does women voting have to do with the subject of illegal immigration?
I thought Teddy died in 1919? Anyways, whenever he said it, the world was much less complicated - his words are not unchanging like Holy Scripture (sorry to point out the obvious, but someone brought up the Bible above). I do not think illegal immigration is ducky - I am in favor of legalization.
You're welcome. Have a nice day.
Loyalty to one's country has indeed "changed" - we do things differently - we don't start Civil Wars over slavery anymore. The 19th Amendment was just another example of a different way we did things back then, that's all. I would not mind repealing the 19th Amendment BTW.
Legalization of illegal aliens. I have no problem with the Senate bill out of the Judiciary Committee, for instance.
All 12,000,000 of them? Once those 12,000,000 are granted amnesty; what's going to stop the next batch?
Theodore Roosevelt indeed wrote these words....The passages were culled from a letter he wrote to the president of the American Defense Society on January 3, 1919, three days before Roosevelt died.
"Americanization" was a favorite theme of Roosevelt's during his later years, when he railed repeatedly against "hyphenated Americans" and the prospect of a nation "brought to ruins" by a "tangle of squabbling nationalities."
He advocated the compulsory learning of English by every naturalized citizen. "Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or to leave the country," he said in a statement to the Kansas City Star in 1918. "English should be the only language taught or used in the public schools."
He also insisted, on more than one occasion, that America has no room for what he called "fifty-fifty allegiance." In a speech made in 1917 he said, "It is our boast that we admit the immigrant to full fellowship and equality with the native-born. In return we demand that he shall share our undivided allegiance to the one flag which floats over all of us."
"Press #1 for English"
Bump
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyphenated_Americans
JFK had something to say about 'hyphenated Americans' since Irish-Americans are some of the worst, pining for the `old Sod.' Not in this article but some say it was inspired more by his resentment at being excluded from WASP country clubs, poor guy.
And Tancredo had a very good response in the latest issue to this lachrymose Reason article.
http://reason.com/0602/fe.jd.americas.shtml
I fail to see what that has to do with immigration except in a very remote way.
But it's easy to see how you could use it as a cheap shot to try and discredit. Why don't you just admit to your agenda....and explain it?
Okay, I stand corrected.....early 1919. I thought I knew Teddy's bio well enough. But I was only six days from being correct :D
I was born and raised in Walton County, Florida. When I was in high school in the 60's, I doubt there were more than three or four Hispanics in the entire county.
I happened to be over at my Fathers and was reading his county newspaper which I do not subscribe to. I happened to notice a list of arrests. More than half had Hispanic names.
This is what we are importing into this country: Crime, and in huge amounts.
I agree with Teddy's quote 100 percent. It is fitting that his image should be enshrined on Mount Rushmore. We need another leader like him.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.