Monday, July 30, 2007

Immigration According to Teddy

Teddy Rooselvelt that is...

"Those that do not learn the lessons of history are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past." We frequently look for an original way to think or comment on important issues when others before us have "nailed the issue". The debate on immigration could be helped by considering the views of a previous American president.

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

"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 person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who say s he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. 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 1907