ExiledInIllinois Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Uh right. "No irish need apply" Need I say more? My Grandfather spoke polish when he came here and English the day he died. 665256[/snapback] Revisionist history... And so will the Spanish... Start telling manufacturers to print in english only that ship to the US... Part of the problem is they save on costs combining popular languages for their products... That seems to propagate the problem, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Revisionist history... And so will the Spanish... Start telling manufacturers to print in english only that ship to the US... Part of the problem is they save on costs combining popular languages for their products... That seems to propagate the problem, no? 665263[/snapback] I'm all for de-multiculturalizing this country. You live here, you're an American. Not an African-american, not a Mexican-american, not an Asian-American. YOURE AN AMERICAN. If you have a problem with this, please feel free to return to Africa/Mexico/Asia, where you can be a African/Mexican/Asian. That would be my thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 I'm all for de-multiculturalizing this country. You live here, you're an American. Not an African-american, not a Mexican-american, not an Asian-American. YOURE AN AMERICAN. If you have a problem with this, please feel free to return to Africa/Mexico/Asia, where you can be a African/Mexican/Asian. That would be my thought. 665495[/snapback] People really do hate change. Defining what American is will be the trick... Does it need to be defined? IMO, the definition of American is muticultural? Where does it say that it has to a predominantly English speaking country? Can't the definition of what an American is change through time? Unless, you are Native-American... Who were truly the first here... All else is subject to change... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 People really do hate change. Defining what American is will be the trick... Does it need to be defined? IMO, the definition of American is muticultural? Where does it say that it has to a predominantly English speaking country? Can't the definition of what an American is change through time? Unless, you are Native-American... Who were truly the first here... All else is subject to change... 665897[/snapback] Uh, sorry, but you come to this country, you speak English. That's the way it should be. You don't see people running around speaking Irish, italian, German, Polish or Hebrew do you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Uh, sorry, but you come to this country, you speak English. That's the way it should be. You don't see people running around speaking Irish, italian, German, Polish or Hebrew do you? 665930[/snapback] Get out and about Joe... Ah, yes... The adults down the street speak Polish... My kid plays with their kids and came back saying: "All they speak is Polish over their." I assume the kids speak both? The year: 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Get out and about Joe... Ah, yes... The adults down the street speak Polish... My kid plays with their kids and came back saying: "All they speak is Polish over their." I assume the kids speak both? The year: 2006 665963[/snapback] Uh, Ok, so that's why I'ms eeing Polish on all those products and hearing polish on all those IVR systems when I call a company, etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Uh, Ok, so that's why I'ms eeing Polish on all those products and hearing polish on all those IVR systems when I call a company, etc... 666092[/snapback] Thus illustrating the notable difference between speaking a language and expecting everyone else to speak it for your convenience. Hey, I don't care if the (*^*&%^$^#who wrecked my car speaks Spanish at home. I just don't know why I should be required to learn Spanish to sue his ass for damages. He wants to defend himself in the civil suit...he should learn English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Thus illustrating the notable difference between speaking a language and expecting everyone else to speak it for your convenience. Hey, I don't care if the (*^*&%^$^#who wrecked my car speaks Spanish at home. I just don't know why I should be required to learn Spanish to sue his ass for damages. He wants to defend himself in the civil suit...he should learn English. 666126[/snapback] At last! I never thought it'd happen, but Tom agrees with me! *collapses* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 At last! I never thought it'd happen, but Tom agrees with me! *collapses* 666136[/snapback] Not quite. Your position seems to be "they should speak English if they want to live here." Mine is "They shouldn't expect the rest of us to speak THEIR language if they want to live here." I don't give a sh-- what language people choose to speak...but if it results in their inability to function in society, it shouldn't be society's problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Not quite. Your position seems to be "they should speak English if they want to live here." Mine is "They shouldn't expect the rest of us to speak THEIR language if they want to live here." I don't give a sh-- what language people choose to speak...but if it results in their inability to function in society, it shouldn't be society's problem. 666142[/snapback] Close enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Close enough. 666151[/snapback] Sure, close enough...if you speak potato head. And I see no reason why I should have to learn fluent potato head just for your convenience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Sure, close enough...if you speak potato head. And I see no reason why I should have to learn fluent potato head just for your convenience. 666157[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted April 20, 2006 Author Share Posted April 20, 2006 Not quite. Your position seems to be "they should speak English if they want to live here." Mine is "They shouldn't expect the rest of us to speak THEIR language if they want to live here." I don't give a sh-- what language people choose to speak...but if it results in their inability to function in society, it shouldn't be society's problem. 666142[/snapback] Bingo. When I was in the restaurant biz I HAD to learn Spanish just to manage my staff. I had a dishwasher once who had lived in this country for over 20 year, longer than he lived in Mexico and could not speak English. Not a goddamn word! That'll be why he was 40 and still washing dishes. I was promoted out of that position at 15. The line should not be they should speak English if they want to live here. They should speak English if they want to be successful here and have legal status if they want to stay here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 I agree pretty much with what you guys are saying except that if society grows around another language... So be it... Nowhere does it say English is the official language... If the Spanish population over takes this society... I would expect Spanish to become dominant... Basically if you are in the minority or become the minority, the majority will set the pace... Right now it is English... Other languages shouldn't be a burden on society... But, if they grow and become dominant without BEING A BURDEN... So be it. Change and adaptability is certain... Society can only grow better... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 I agree pretty much with what you guys are saying except that if society grows around another language... So be it... Nowhere does it say English is the official language... If the Spanish population over takes this society... I would expect Spanish to become dominant... Basically if you are in the minority or become the minority, the majority will set the pace... Right now it is English... Other languages shouldn't be a burden on society... But, if they grow and become dominant without BEING A BURDEN... So be it. Change and adaptability is certain... Society can only grow better... 669050[/snapback] Whatever you smoke on a regular basis, I want some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Whatever you smoke on a regular basis, I want some. 669056[/snapback] Drink. Bilge water. No, you don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Drink. Bilge water. No, you don't. 669064[/snapback] Hey... Ballast has to conform to enviro standards these days... Probably cleaner than your tap... Just adapt and overcome... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HereComesTheReignAgain Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 I agree pretty much with what you guys are saying except that if society grows around another language... So be it... Nowhere does it say English is the official language... If the Spanish population over takes this society... I would expect Spanish to become dominant... Basically if you are in the minority or become the minority, the majority will set the pace... Right now it is English... Other languages shouldn't be a burden on society... But, if they grow and become dominant without BEING A BURDEN... So be it. Change and adaptability is certain... Society can only grow better... 669050[/snapback] Would you see a problem if America exported our unemployed to a south American country and forcibly took over the country? If you think forcing employers, Government offices, Doctors offices, etc to cater to the Spanish speaking population isn't a burden, you are nuts. When an immigrant group sues and protests and threatens to harm our economy with walk-outs, they have officially become a burden! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuntheDamnBall Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Uh, Ok, so that's why I'ms eeing Polish on all those products and hearing polish on all those IVR systems when I call a company, etc... 666092[/snapback] In my neighborhood in Brooklyn, Polish speakers probably outnumber native English speakers 5:1. They can get by in English but speak their native tongue 90% of the time. They also have established businesses, are generally polite to everyone, and enroll their kids in public schools that are among the best in the city. Their kids learn English, they get along just fine, and their heritage is not completely checked at the door. There are probably around 100,000 of them in this area, about a third the size of Buffalo. I'm not sure why these people and others like them, who work hard and fit into our society just as well as anybody else, should have to ignore their culture and background when every idiot who's ever drank a beer in this country can claim Irish heritage and wear it like a badge of honor. It's OK to claim a background unless someone else does it -- then it's time to fall in line. For the record, I don't think Spanish should be taught as a first language in our schools, unless they're private and that's a conscious choice. But offering ESL should not be a problem, either. I love what this country is capable of, but we should make no mistake that it was largely built on the backs of a lot of cheap and slave labor by both unwilling and willing participants. Recognizing heritage is a small concession for us to make with that in mind. Getting a tax break for being Italian-American might be a bit of a reach, though. Short form version: this is a country of differences and I embrace that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuntheDamnBall Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 PS -- I'll second others' opinions that the Mexican government has a lot to answer for with regard to this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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