1 in 5 Americans don't speak English at home

[Slammy1]

I used to live in Miami, and it's practically a foreign country. When friends came down to visit, I was worried they'd get lost and not be able to ask directions, and that's not an exaggeration. I remember the local Walgreens had no one that could speak English working in it. I'd buy cigarettes by keeping an old pack, showing it to them, and holding up my fingers to show how many. You pick it up after a while, but I still pretended I didn't know any Spanish.

 

[xxxxxJohnGaltxxxxx]

I think Americans are less educated (generally speaking) than many other nations, and this "speak Enlgish, or get the fcku out" nonsense supports my proposition. I speak German around my house...because I can. What languages do you have a command of, Mr. Anal?

 

[Frdm51472]

I think that America does not have an official language, and its part of the reason we are a great country, so jackasses like you <the speak english or get the fvck out people> dont have a legal right to persecute people for what language they speak.

 

[dpm]

Originally posted by: xxxxxJohnGaltxxxxx
I think Americans are less educated (generally speaking) than many other nations, and this "speak Enlgish, or get the fcku out" nonsense supports my proposition. I speak German around my house...because I can. What languages do you have a command of, Mr. Anal?

Its nice to agree with you for once xxxjohngalt ! Well, almost.... America seems to have a bigger disparity in education standards than other countries, it seems to me. When you are well educated, you are very well educated. And when you are poorly educated... well then you are poorly educated indeed.

And to say "speak english or get the fvck out" is enragingly small minded and stupid. The reason many in the world admire America (myself included) is because it is supposed to be the land of the free, the melting pot. This kind of intolerance gives americans a bad name.

Should any American choose to speak another language, that should be up to them. If they choose not to learn english, then they should be able to - as long as they are prepared to accept the huge disadvantage that will put them at, in terms of finding employment, dealing with people etc. If they find that they can get on fine only speaking another language - living and working where everyone else speaks that language - why shouldn't they have the freedom to do so?