Dennis Tuuri

Full PEAPAC Analysis

PEAPAC Explanation: This Measure is an attempt to maintain a common language in our state and nation, and we support it. The Bible, from the list of seventy nations in Genesis 10 to the Great Commission’s instructions to disciple not the world but nations, affirms the importance of national identity. Genesis 10:31 links a nation to its national language. (“These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations.”) On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, each national group heard the gospel in their own language, affirming these national languages. The Bible thus teaches that one of the essential components of a national identity is its shared language.

The Bible also commands us to have a love for and acceptance of strangers or immigrants that come to our State and nation ( Lev. 19:34). God loves them, and says we should be like Him in also loving them ( Dt. 10:18,19) . We have a biblical responsibility to reach out to immigrants in a helpful way. Part of loving others is helping them to succeed. Encouraging the learning of our national language is thus an outworking of the love that God commands us to exercise to the immigrant. We greatly appreciate the diversity of languages found in our state, and the diversity of languages found throughout the world. But a nation and state needs a common unifying language. Measure 58 would go a long way toward helping those immigrants that we welcome to our State learn the common language, helping them to become happier, more successful citizens. It should be noted that this Measure does not change the Constitution, thus the Legislature can and should address the practical outworking of the policy set by Measure 58. We strongly urge your Yes vote on it.