Totally agree. Who cares what language you use?
Unless we are hiring for C++, I've never worked for an employer who hired based on language. If you code mostly C#, we ask you C# questions. If you code mostly in Java, we ask you Java questions. If you've never looked at Python and we are using Python, smart programmers will be just fine. Total non-issue.
It would be really weird to hire someone who doesn't have a firm grasp on pointers... Even if we aren't using C/C++. That would be like hiring someone who doesn't understand the very basics of how a computer works.
Related note: Students should be required to demonstrate mastery of a functional programming language to graduate.