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| Matatk | Uh oh....more politics | ||
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I know I'm trying to shy away from political stuff on the board, but this one chapped my ass....
Matthew |
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 4:03
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| JrRifleCoach | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 5:04
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As democracy is perfected, the POTUS represents more closely the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be occupied by a fool and narcissistic moron. |
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| CentralCoaster | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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I don't get why that's offensive?
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 7:09
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| TommyT-Bone | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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He makes a valid point. There should be one international language that everybody could learn. I learned to speak some Spanish, French and German. It would save so much confusion and break down a lot of barriers if we were taught a common universal language but I won't live to see it. So many women, so many missed opportunities.
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 11:17
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| Matatk | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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Maybe you've been in California too long. I find it offensive because this a-hole is telling me what I need to do with *my* children and how to raise them. Immigrants coming to another country - *ANY* country - need to learn the language there. English is the commonly accepted language in the United States. If I move to France, I would learn to speak French, etc. I wouldn't expect the stores to write everything in two languages, like when I walk down the aisle at the supermarket here (in Spanish). As far as him saying "don't worry about immigrants, they'll learn English" that's a bunch of crap, too. I've dealt with many immigrants who have been here over 20 years, of multiple nationalities, who don't speak two words of English besides McDonald's and Coca-cola. Spanish seems to be the only language around here that we bend over backwards to cater to - it's not the most widely spoken language in the world. Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world. So why doesn't BO tell me to teach my kids to speak Mandarin? And before you complain about me being ethnocentric, for your edification my wife is an immigrant who learned English when she moved here 12 years ago. Her entire family are also immigrants who all learned English and don't expect others to cater to them. I speak two languages and am learning my third. I'll raise my child how I see fit. By the time she is done with school she will speak a minimum of three languages. But not because Barack Obama tells me so. It will be for her own advancement in the world. Matthew |
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 14:27
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| CentralCoaster | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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I don't believe he was being literal and asking all of us to speak Spanish, but rather making a point, which is more clear by his punch line at the end.
Aside from it sounding like an ad-lib rant, it seems like his point is that European students learn many languages, yet here some Americans complain about others speaking native languages, when they themselves should be embracing those other languages and hell, maybe even learning them. Maybe I have been in California too long. But if you can't read the signs, then perhaps YOU are the minority. Are you offended at being the minority in "your own country"? Who's country is it anyways? Do you go into a fancy Japanese restaurant and bitch and moan because you can't read the menu? There are millions of Mexicans here legally who can't speak a lick of english. If a company wants to practice capitalism by catering to their customer's needs, more power to them. If half of the lawns are mowed by Mexicans, don't you think it's in the best interest of Briggs n Stratton to put spanish warning labels on it? Quote:
Ahh, its the classic "but I have black friends" statement to make your argument more valid. Nice to know, but it doesn't really mean anything here, other than maybe Obama seems to agree with you that children should learn other languages. He's arguing against those who think there should be a law making english the national language. He's not proposing a law forcing you to learn spanish. Obama is a pretty bad public speaker IMO, he should stick to the script! (And maybe write the script for once.) |
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 16:55
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| CentralCoaster | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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On a side note, I was at Napa the other day and a Mexican guy walks in trying to buy a part. There were no spanish-speaking clerks to help him out. After I got my goods, I snagged him before he left.
I was able to make sense of what he wanted with my poor spanish. I guess I'm pandering. He was ready to walk home empty handed in frustration because he can't speak the language. Objectively, I think English sucks, and I feel sorry for anyone who has to learn it as a second language. It breaks all its own rules, it's a mish-mash or other languages, and it seems like half of the English-speaking people here can't even read or write it properly. |
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 17:04
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| TommyT-Bone | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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Chair-man of the bored
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You have to learn another language when you come to this forum. Just look at our Guru Dictionary.
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 17:06
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| CentralCoaster | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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My g/f speaks Mandarin when she talks on the phone to her parents. I'm usually glad I can't understand a damn thing she's saying. It will surely make meeting the parents that much easier. Just smile and nod. I can't possibly screw that up.  |
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 17:08
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| cuisinartvette | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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Tough chit for the guy at the auto parts. F them, they wanna live here they can learn a little something.
I prefer they GTFO if they arent putting money back in our economy, ever last one no matter WHAT color they are. |
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 18:28
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| CentralCoaster | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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After all that, they gave him a price, and he left anyways. Maybe he figured he could get it cheaper in Tijuana! But I don't know where his money is going. I know someone that speaks French, but I don't assume they're funnelling all their money overseas. And then I know someone else that's funnelling all their money back to Iran to help support their family, because the economy sucks there apparently for most. Even closed borders can't stop that from happening. Working in another country and sending the profit home is nothing new. American companies do it all day long in their mexican and chinese factories. |
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 18:47
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| Matatk | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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Oh, so since he's a bad speaker I shouldn't care what he says? He said something, and I disagree with it. That's my right. You interpret what he says your way, I interpret it my way. If someone comes up to you and says "you're an asshole" do you say, well, he's just a poor speaker and I shouldn't take offense at that? I'm glad that you helped a guy out and the parts store - honestly I am. Everyone needs help sometimes. I try to help people as much as possible with small things. My gripe is how we bend the rules for immigrants and cater to them. Real world example: In my school district, they decided that since they had multiple Spanish speaking children in the elementary school they would just teach them in Spanish. What?!?! How are they going to learn English then? Certainly not at home! When my wife came here, she didn't speak one word of English. Within three months of being in English-taught classes, she spoke it well enough to get by, and fluently shortly thereafter. Was it tough at first - she says it was, but the best way to learn a language is immersion. Period. Those kids are not benefiting from being alienated from the English speaking students, which is what happened. The other big argument in the school district is since they had to take a classroom up to do this, they lost space for the computer lab and had to pay different instructors. Since that's *my* tax money, too, I should have a voice in how it's spent. I have no problems with immigrants being in the country. If I did, I wouldn't be married to my wife. All I want is if they come to this country, make an effort, which some do, but others don't. Rant over.  Matthew |
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 18:56
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| TommyT-Bone | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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Guns, abortion and language are always great crowd pleasers. How about a pregnant gun toting gang banger that doesn't know English. The results are in. You are NOT the father.
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Posted on: 2008/7/21 23:55
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| DaleD | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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I'll second the motion... you have been in California too long. Balkanization. It unravels the fabric of a nation. If you're a globalist, then you don't mind, and possibly cheer the deterioration of nationalism. I'm an old timer. I was taught the melting pot is a good thing. I still subscribe to that theory. If we all speak a common language, it's a binding force. As you know, being multi-lingual, some thoughts don't translate well from one language to another. Why endorse barriers? Speak any language you want at home, or with friends. For official functions, and in the workplace, speak the national language. You will be more readily accepted. |
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Posted on: 2008/7/22 0:50
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Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart". |
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| crash | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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hell i had to learn english anybody coming into this great country should have to learn it also or gtfo
push 1 for engish push 2 for bs |
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Posted on: 2008/7/22 0:54
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| CentralCoaster | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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Damn. Maybe they're doing that because its cheaper for the school district to do that than to actually provide them an ESL program. If the parents of those students demanded that, then they're only hurting themselves. Just like you choose to teach your child other languages, these parents should be dong the same. But like you said you don't want to be forced to by law, perhaps neither do they. |
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Posted on: 2008/7/22 1:02
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| DaleD | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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I love legal immigration. Some of the best citizens are legal immigrants. They are people who chose to come here, and want to be here. I've never met a legal immigrant who felt entitled or took America for granted. Most of the immigrants I know work very hard and are prosperous. Illegal immigration sucks. Someone who begins their life here by breaking the law, well, it's just wrong. And it seems like it would lead to an attitude that obeying American laws is an optional behavior. |
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Posted on: 2008/7/22 1:04
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Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart". |
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| CentralCoaster | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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Personally I find it annoying when someone is blathering in another language in a public place, or in the office next to me. But I don't think it infringes on my freedoms, or that they should be regulated, just because I'm annoyed.
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The government didn't force you to learn english, and they didn't they threaten to kick you out for not doing so. |
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Posted on: 2008/7/22 1:08
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| TommyT-Bone | Re: Uh oh....more politics | ||
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This is all just another example of winning the battle but losing the war. All you high hat English speaking elitists just haven't gone back far enough in the history books to the founding of this great nation. The French, English, Spanish and countless mercineries all fought in the creation of this country stealing it from the original American settlers, the Native Americans. The Spanish conquerors were pushed back but not out. The French in Louisiana and in our northern neighbor Quebec. The English settlements were primarily in the northeastern portions. He who has the most babies wins. The largest growing segment of the population in this country is Spanish speaking. If you don't like it that's tough shit. Reality sucks. St Augustine, Florida was first settled by the Spanish. You can whine about it, cry about it, drink about it but you aren't going to change it. Remember that America is a melting pot and there is spillover from some of the other kettles.
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Posted on: 2008/7/22 3:00
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