FORCED to learn Spanish?

[Sainte]

And this thread is the exact reason the last two elections were won by the Democrats.

Republicans continue to drive away blacks, Hispanics, gays and anyone else that doesn't fall into their perception of what a "true Republican" should be.

"You're not like me, I don't want you in my little group."

You are partially correct. You also have to figure that 90+% of blacks voted Bobo the Clown simply because of his race, that's not racist btw...../sarcasm off.

You also have to figure Hispanics voted him because they want family and friends to flood across the border unchecked. In the SW of America, this group mostly identifies as Mexican before they identify as American. I have live in the SW for many years and have seen and heard this first hand.

These two groups are out for what they can get out of govt. the dems pander to them for votes and regularly count on them for such. The rep party will never have the black vote, ever. There's too many generational hand outs going on buying that particular voter block.

Hispanics, maybe. There is tons of work to be done in this area and it needs to be done quickly.

 

[Sainte]

You left out the part where the republican party ran a RINO as a republican, just sayin

Ya you're absolutely correct on this. I heard this in a movie the other day but, I liked the saying.

Romney as a candidate wasn't worth the **** on a buffalo nickle.

 

[Mad Macs]

You have totally missed the boat on this one. I do not mind at all different languages being spoken, 3 are spoken in my house on a regular basis.

What I mind is official govt business being conducted in other than English.

Fair enough.

 

[mbills2223]

You have totally missed the boat on this one. I do not mind at all different languages being spoken, 3 are spoken in my house on a regular basis.

What I mind is official govt business being conducted in other than English.

You do realize that Spanish cereal boxes and pressing one for English aren't official government business, right?

 

[Sainte]

You do realize that Spanish cereal boxes and pressing one for English aren't official government business, right?

I do. But, I also recognize "creep" when I see it.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

And this thread is the exact reason the last two elections were won by the Democrats.

Republicans continue to drive away blacks, Hispanics, gays and anyone else that doesn't fall into their perception of what a "true Republican" should be.

"You're not like me, I don't want you in my little group."

I guess that explains the LP's rise to its current level of popularity too?

 

[Blackhawk2001]

You forgot pizza! And celebrating St. Patrick's day! And "french" (Belgian) fries!

Oh...wait.

Seriously...when did "we" ever demand assimilation? It was encouraged more in the past, but demanded?

Whether Italian, Irish, Polish, Russian, Jamaican, Cuban, Chinese, Korean or otherwise, there have been areas of various cities around the country where the folks living within are predominately of one ethnic background and who cling tightly to their cultures and customs. In many of these areas, you will see bilingual signs, or even signs with only the "foreign" language printed. This has been true for well over a century and, I hope, will continue to be so.

While the idea of assimilation into "American culture" sounds nice, if you take a look at recent "American culture", there's not much to assimilate into.

Immigrants are not going to be the downfall of this country, it is the socialistic/mercantilistic/kleptocratic direction in which the government has pushed our culture with welfare that is killing us. Let a man have hunger and he has the incentive to work...train him to accept handouts and you train a lazy sack of , no matter what his ethnic background...and yes, you will attract the already lazy from other countries.

Immigration, in and of itself, has never been the root of the problem...it is a symptom. The issues are, at their core political and economic. Until those are addressed, do not expect change.

Your concerns and efforts would be better focused elsewhere in order to achieve the outcome you seem to desire.

The _difference_ Lex, is that emigrants to this country traditionally integrated themselves into our society, if not in the first generation, then in second and subsequent generations. A prerequisite for integrating into American society was learning to speak the English language. Today, we have second and third generation Mexicans who still don't speak English and demand that the community accommodate them.

We, as a nation, may be "language-challenged" individually; that's more a function of the size of our nation, the pre-eminence of our economy and culture since WWII, and the fact that, except in relatively localized parts of the country, English has been the primary language spoken.

If you move to France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Thailand, anywhere in Africa, you may find someone who understands English, but if you want to assimilate into their society, you had damned well better learn to speak their language. Many people coming to the US nowadays seem to feel - and are encouraged by certain parties - that the rest of us should accommodate them in their language. And they used to call us "Ugly Americans" because we had that attitude in their countries.

While it outrages me that new IFD firefighters must learn Spanish well enough to pass a test before they can complete recruit school, I can't help but wonder how long it will be before they have to start learning Thai, or Malay, or Korean, or Hindi, or Urdu as a condition of employment, just to make things "fair." We seem to be trending in that direction.

 

[Tanfodude]

Well, for those who had to take TOEFL, TSE and TWE to get their working visas and other immigration processing, they all can say to them **** those test, English is not an official language of USA.

 

[Sylvain]

 

[indiucky]

I just dealt with 11 days of Argentine in laws in town..And by "in town" I mean staying in my home...I was forced to learn Spanish...It was awful..At least those firefighters are being paid to learn it..I just had to learn in order to hear what they were saying about the Gringo husband..

I got my revenge though... I bragged about what a great job Maggie Thatcher (May she rest in peace) did in handling the Falkland Islands situation...It was a show stopper and somewhat ended the dinner conversation that night...I did find out my wifes Aunt knew a little English though...She responded (quite nastliy I might add), "You are not even British.." To which I responded, "And you are not even Spanish..So quit trying to steal some folks land based on a previous claim by the Spaniards.." As I said..It was a show stopper...

 

[indiucky]

When you say how much history, you're still thinking in terms of time.

Spain has been wholly Spanish, which is MUCH more readily definable than American. Spanish has always been spoke there, and the country was not founded as a refuge for people of all walks of life.

I think the Basques would disagree (they were there way before the Spanish) as well as the Muslim invaders and the Jewish immigrants to Spain...

 

[indiucky]

You forgot pizza!

The Straight Dope: Who invented pizza?

Ah Pizza...Another great American invention...

 

[indiucky]

But, those that lived, had most of their native languages ripped from them and replaced with Spanish.

Yes...The Aztecs were too busy ripping the hearts from their sacrifices and replacing them with...Well nothing really...Just more sacrifices...Ah the Aztecs...Good people them mean old Spanish went after...Good folk...All was peaceful like a big drum circle here in the New World until us white savages got here..Just tye dye, rain sticks, and Indigo Girls concerts and then...BOOM...Along came the white devils...

 

[indiucky]

Thomas Jeffersons advice to a nephew Peter Carr 1787

2. Spanish. Bestow great attention on this, and endeavor to acquire an accurate knowledge of it. Our future connections with Spain and Spanish America, will render that language a valuable acquisition. The ancient history of that part of America, too, is written in that language.


I guess even great men can be wrong sometimes..

 

[Sainte]

I just dealt with 11 days of Argentine in laws in town..And by "in town" I mean staying in my home...I was forced to learn Spanish...It was awful..At least those firefighters are being paid to learn it..I just had to learn in order to hear what they were saying about the Gringo husband..

I got my revenge though... I bragged about what a great job Maggie Thatcher (May she rest in peace) did in handling the Falkland Islands situation...It was a show stopper and somewhat ended the dinner conversation that night...I did find out my wifes Aunt knew a little English though...She responded (quite nastliy I might add), "You are not even British.." To which I responded, "And you are not even Spanish..So quit trying to steal some folks land based on a previous claim by the Spaniards.." As I said..It was a show stopper...

F'n CLASSIC man! i love it!

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I just dealt with 11 days of Argentine in laws in town..And by "in town" I mean staying in my home...I was forced to learn Spanish...It was awful..At least those firefighters are being paid to learn it..I just had to learn in order to hear what they were saying about the Gringo husband..

I got my revenge though... I bragged about what a great job Maggie Thatcher (May she rest in peace) did in handling the Falkland Islands situation...It was a show stopper and somewhat ended the dinner conversation that night...I did find out my wifes Aunt knew a little English though...She responded (quite nastliy I might add), "You are not even British.." To which I responded, "And you are not even Spanish..So quit trying to steal some folks land based on a previous claim by the Spaniards.." As I said..It was a show stopper...

....and that's when the fight began.....




Sleep on the couch that night?

 

[mbills2223]

Thomas Jeffersons advice to a nephew Peter Carr 1787

2. Spanish. Bestow great attention on this, and endeavor to acquire an accurate knowledge of it. Our future connections with Spain and Spanish America, will render that language a valuable acquisition. The ancient history of that part of America, too, is written in that language.


I guess even great men can be wrong sometimes..

In what sense is he wrong? We have an undeniable connection with Spanish America...I mean that's why we're here having this discussion.

 

[Bunnykid68]

In what sense is he wrong? We have an undeniable connection with Spanish America...I mean that's why we're here having this discussion.

We are having this discussion because they have been coming to this country illegally by the millions and not acclimating themselves at all to this country.

 

[mbills2223]

We are having this discussion because they have been coming to this country illegally by the millions and not acclimating themselves at all to this country.

Is that not a "connection?" Illegal or not, desirable or not, it's happening, and that connects us.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Is that not a "connection?" Illegal or not, desirable or not, it's happening, and that connects us.

Now we are supposed to compromise with more law breakers