I am newcomer to this discussion, so I am going to address several issues and statements that were covered by various posters.
First: English should be the official language of the United States, for the same reason we have one currency (or Europe for that matter); Because it makes commerce/business safer and easier. I realize that we do not have an official language at this time, and that is fine, but I (and others should) reserve the right to deny employment to any person who does not speak English. It is the de facto offical language. Learn it.
Second: I do NOT support the Amnesty proposal. If we are going to give blanket amnesty to all illegals, then just repeal the law and tear down the border. As others have said, we will just be giving amnesty periodically, forever.
Third: I do support legal immigration on the same basis that Canada allows it; for skilled workers, unskilled workers (when needed), and for asylum. I do not believe we should take just anyone. Immigrants should learn the Constitution, and other pertinent information (and basic English).
Fourth: The statement about the 'tired, poor, hungry masses' is not apart of the U.S. Constitution. It is an outdated doctrine that is no longer sustainable. The threat of uncontrolled immigration is real and it will hurt this country in the long run. The United States needs to control entry into this country, even if that means placing the military on the border. All illegals caught crossing the border should be imprisoned for one year.
Fifth: The right to live in the United States and to obtain citizenship should NOT be based on place of birth. It should be based on whether or not you pay taxes, if you are capable of doing so. Millions of illegal immigrants do not pay taxes and further hurt our economy by sending the bulk of that income back south.
Sixth: Christopher Columbus was an Italian working for the Spanish crown. What does he have to do with anything, today?
Seventh: I am a proud Nationalist. This is not something to be ashamed of, provided that it is not taken too far. I want what is best for my country. What is definitely not best, is for millions of illegals to continue pouring into this country each year, effectively moving Latin America further north. This is not about language or culture, but about what illegals do to the areas that they inhabit. The United States is the richest most prosperous nation on this Earth for a reason. As more illegals come into this country, they are slowly turning those areas into minature versions of Mexico and other poor areas of Latin America. If it is racist not to want that, then by God Sir, I am a racist.
Eighth: In specific regard to "you have no legal premise upon which to set your demands for knowing English as a prerequisite for moving to America"; Yes we do. This government is supposed to be a government of the people. I, and those of us who agree, are among the majority of "We the People", therefore, we have the statute authority and right to demand that any newcomers learn English.
Nineth: In regard to the mentioning of the "outdatedness" of the Second Amendment; That amendment was not established to protect America against the British Army. The Second Amendment was established to protect the States against the Federal Government; and each other. In the aftermath of the American Civil War, the sovereignty of the State was crushed and the Federal Government assumed supreme authority over the States. Thus, in the aftermath, by 1903, the State militias were consolidated into one National Guard system which, for all intents and purposes, placed the former State militias ultimately under the control of the Federal Government. What we have now are weak State and Local governments, because we have no sticks to wave and only a small carrot to work with. NOW is the time that we DO need militias, and those that we do have are few and far between. The States' Governments are either compromised or too weak-minded to assert authority over their own destinies. At this point, the Second Amendment serves one final purpose, for Americans; To protect the rest of our rights.
Tenth: If you have read this far, you have my respect.