The Dumbing Down Of America, Well At Least Alton Texas Poem by Juan Olivarez

Used to be wherever you went in these United States,
People would talk to you in English.
Maybe not perfect English,
But everyone made an effort, and thats what counted.
We were made to speak only English,
From elementary school at a very early age.
Subsequently it became a source of pride,
That we never relinquished.
And held on to fervently.
Now, nobody cares,
There is no pride, in our language.
Recently I walked into a dollar store,
One of the many here in the valley,
And the name will not here be mentioned.
It being the 4th of July and my old flag in tatters,
I needed a new American flag.
So I walk up to a clerk and asked,
'Where are your American flags? '
And the response was,
'Que, no entiendo ingles'
Now normally I would accept this,
If I was in Mexico.
However it is unacceptable,
In an American store, doing business in America.
At our local supermarket,
The clerks continue to speak spanish,
After you continually speak to them in English.
They seem to have no pride, and all they are doing,
Is working a job until they can go back to,
Wherever.
There is no pride instilled in their hearts,
They love their own country,
And their pride is there.
Even if they were being slaughtered,
And starved to death.
What is my point?
My point is America is being dumbed down,
And nobody takes responsibility.
When you complain to management,
Management can't speak English either.
This country needs an enema.


(7/22/11-Alton Texas)