Roosevelt in 1907 Holds Truth For All Nations

America has always been a melting pot. Its strength has been its diversity. In this passage Theodore Roosevelt embraces that diversity but qualifies the relationship going forward. I find myself agreeing with him.

We have the same issue Roosevelt speaks of here in England. People come from around the world, making themselves a home and a lifestyle impossible to achieve where they come from. Yet they wish to continue loyalties to their old countries or in many cases their parents or grandparents homelands?

How can you build and maintain a nation with people who's allegiance is compromised? Is it prudent to not ask questions of loyalty from those who are trying to undermine the very country which has taken them in and nurtured them?

The following is from a 1907 speech given by T. Roosevelt. The far right might look upon this as a call to arms but the more moderate of us should take from it a sense of acceptance for all those who wish to add color to our beautiful tapestry but with the understanding that we will not tolerate turncoats.

'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 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... 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