I'll tell ya why

I had a man at my table wearing a T-shirt that said "Why do I have to push '1' for English?"  This isn't the first time that I've heard someone complain about this particular horrible injustice and blatant abuse of their time and energy.  Sorry that people seeking the American dream are forcing you to move your finger 1/8".  It's really hard to be an English-speaking person nowadays.  We're just oppressed and persecuted.

I'll tell you why we have to push '1' for English. 

First, I'll address the question, "why don't they just learn English?"  Try learning a foreign language after you are 20 years old.  If you didn't learn another language when you are growing up there is a very strong chance that you will never learn a foreign language ever...in you lifetime.  At least not fluently because your brain wasn't trained that way when you were growing up.  I know... I taught English in Japan.  Also, while in Japan, I didn't learn Japanese in a day, so I needed some services in English.  Even if I was fairly comfortable with Japanese, I would prefer really important phone calls in my native tongue.  Otherwise, I wouldn't call at all.  In any case, since we get fresh immigrants all the time, there is always going to be large groups of people that are struggling with English.  There is a learning curve. 

Which leads us to why.  Businesses have learned that they increase their market by providing services in other languages.  In other words, it's pure capitalism.  The government has learned that they save money by not having to deal with corrections that occur because a person wasn't able to understand the English instructions.  That means that providing Spanish instructions makes more money and saves tax payer money, which is the opposite of what all the Limbaughs of the world are regurgitating. 

There is so much misinformation about Spanish in schools, it's sad.  I've heard things like, "they don't even learn students English in their schooling anymores.  It's all Spanish." and "if'n they are caught speaking the English, they get a tossed out of school."  Pleeez...If you aren't a student in school than you don't really know what is happening.  It reminds me of all the homophobes insisting that boys are forced to try sodomy in class because of the "gay agenda". 

As for making English the official language.  Knock your socks off.  Whatever makes you happy. 

What are we?  France?