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Senate vote endorses English as the 'national language'

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Excuse me but being proficient in the english language is a requirement in order to become a citizen of this country. When you illegally immigrate you've already shown that you have no regard or respect for the laws of this country. At least 99% of the illegals I come into contact with cannot speak english nor are they trying to learn. If you don't want to learn english then you can leave and take the rest of your freeloading family with you.
 
Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Originally posted by: Thera
So much for Freedom.
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Don't like English???

You're free to leave the Country.... Goodbye
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I think the 34 members of the Senate who voted against this should take this advice.

At least there are 9 worthwhile Democrats who aren't with Mexico.

Vote against English, vote for giving illegals our tax dollars; maybe they can vote San Francisco to be transferred to mexico.
 
Originally posted by: zendari
Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Originally posted by: Thera
So much for Freedom.
Click to expand...

Don't like English???

You're free to leave the Country.... Goodbye
Click to expand...

I think the 34 members of the Senate who voted against this should take this advice.

At least there are 9 worthwhile Democrats who aren't with Mexico.

Vote against English, vote for giving illegals our tax dollars; maybe they can vote San Francisco to be transferred to mexico.
Click to expand...

How was this a vote "against" English?
 
i would have no problem with english being the national language as i learned english in 4 years....but again not allowing instructions in other languages would just make it difficult for everyone, like techs said "Unless you want to wait in line at places like Motor Vehichles, the IRS, etc because they will not be able to print materials in Spanish which will delay service and add to costs." so true

Originally posted by: Puffnstuff
Excuse me but being proficient in the english language is a requirement in order to become a citizen of this country. When you illegally immigrate you've already shown that you have no regard or respect for the laws of this country. At least 99% of the illegals I come into contact with cannot speak english nor are they trying to learn. If you don't want to learn english then you can leave and take the rest of your freeloading family with you.
Click to expand...

got any links to that stat to that ignorant statement? its just funny how poeple say that illegals come here just to work and send their money back to their countries. no, its not true, at least 75% of all the illegals ive encountered speak moderate english, and i mean they have to, its their only way of getting around, especially work, so please quit making stupid little comments and do research b4 posting.
 
Originally posted by: Rainsford
I don't see why you can't encourage learning English while at the same time providing some assistance for people who may not be all that great at speaking it. The people who suggest "just learn English" make it sound like English is something you can totally learn after a week of night classes. But learning a new language to the point where you can get along in that country with ONLY that language takes time.

Look, I'm as against people refusing to learn English as anyone, but what some people are supporting goes too far. Like it or not, immigrants probably don't come into this country knowing a whole lot of English. Even if they really want to learn, it would be helpful for them to be able to fall back on their native language in circumstances requiring more complex knowledge of English than they can quickly get (legal documents, for example). There is a good middle ground here, and the fanatical behavior of the pro-English people is going to hurt immigrants honestly trying to learn English as much as the immigrants who refuse to do so. A good step, IMHO, would be to eliminate schooling ONLY in other languages and replacing it with instruction in English combined with classes to help students learn the language. But I think some of you are getting your panties in too tight of a wad over this, which seems to be happening a lot when it comes to nationalism issue lately. Calm down and think about this reasonably, your ideas just aren't very smart.

But maybe I'm biased, mostly because I've done some traveling and it's always nice how those foreigners manage to provide instructions in English everywhere you go. Most people in other countries know at least a little bit of English, and most people don't seem to take it personally if you can't speak their language, even though they can speak yours and you are in THEIR country. It just seems rather silly for us to turn around and be a bunch of dicks about it in OUR country.
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Well, that just makes too much sense sir.

And the people around here would feel much better about themselves if you let them have their false dilemmas. everything has to be black or white when it comes to fear.

So you better stop it with this actual reasoning and sensibility!
 
Originally posted by: judasmachine
zeig hail!

nationalism scares me.
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Everyone speaking the same language is simply practical. I work at a Home Depot warehouse right now, and a LOT of people there are Hispanic, and I encountered one person who doesn't speak any English. It's kind of tough to ask anyone for help or tell them what to do if you can't understand each other. Specific regions of the world generally have a dominant language. English is dominant here. If you want to get along in this society, speak English. Simple as that.
 
Originally posted by: Rainsford
I don't see why you can't encourage learning English while at the same time providing some assistance for people who may not be all that great at speaking it. The people who suggest "just learn English" make it sound like English is something you can totally learn after a week of night classes. But learning a new language to the point where you can get along in that country with ONLY that language takes time.

Look, I'm as against people refusing to learn English as anyone, but what some people are supporting goes too far. Like it or not, immigrants probably don't come into this country knowing a whole lot of English. Even if they really want to learn, it would be helpful for them to be able to fall back on their native language in circumstances requiring more complex knowledge of English than they can quickly get (legal documents, for example). There is a good middle ground here, and the fanatical behavior of the pro-English people is going to hurt immigrants honestly trying to learn English as much as the immigrants who refuse to do so. A good step, IMHO, would be to eliminate schooling ONLY in other languages and replacing it with instruction in English combined with classes to help students learn the language. But I think some of you are getting your panties in too tight of a wad over this, which seems to be happening a lot when it comes to nationalism issue lately. Calm down and think about this reasonably, your ideas just aren't very smart.

But maybe I'm biased, mostly because I've done some traveling and it's always nice how those foreigners manage to provide instructions in English everywhere you go. Most people in other countries know at least a little bit of English, and most people don't seem to take it personally if you can't speak their language, even though they can speak yours and you are in THEIR country. It just seems rather silly for us to turn around and be a bunch of dicks about it in OUR country.
Click to expand...


QFT

/EOT
 
Originally posted by: Rainsford
I don't see why you can't encourage learning English while at the same time providing some assistance for people who may not be all that great at speaking it. The people who suggest "just learn English" make it sound like English is something you can totally learn after a week of night classes. But learning a new language to the point where you can get along in that country with ONLY that language takes time.

Look, I'm as against people refusing to learn English as anyone, but what some people are supporting goes too far. Like it or not, immigrants probably don't come into this country knowing a whole lot of English. Even if they really want to learn, it would be helpful for them to be able to fall back on their native language in circumstances requiring more complex knowledge of English than they can quickly get (legal documents, for example). There is a good middle ground here, and the fanatical behavior of the pro-English people is going to hurt immigrants honestly trying to learn English as much as the immigrants who refuse to do so. A good step, IMHO, would be to eliminate schooling ONLY in other languages and replacing it with instruction in English combined with classes to help students learn the language. But I think some of you are getting your panties in too tight of a wad over this, which seems to be happening a lot when it comes to nationalism issue lately. Calm down and think about this reasonably, your ideas just aren't very smart.

But maybe I'm biased, mostly because I've done some traveling and it's always nice how those foreigners manage to provide instructions in English everywhere you go. Most people in other countries know at least a little bit of English, and most people don't seem to take it personally if you can't speak their language, even though they can speak yours and you are in THEIR country. It just seems rather silly for us to turn around and be a bunch of dicks about it in OUR country.
Click to expand...

Very well said. Not to mention the fact that we, as a country, can't afford to be seen as exclusionary. We become what we're fighting so hard to defeat... intolerance, fundimentalism, and hatred.
 
Originally posted by: Thera
So much for Freedom.
Click to expand...

How so? You can speak any language you want, its just that federal communications will be done in only in English. The idea is that people will know how to speak, god forbid, English, so others in this country will understand them.
 
Originally posted by: EatSpam
Originally posted by: Thera
So much for Freedom.
Click to expand...

How so? You can speak any language you want, its just that federal communications will be done in only in English. The idea is that people will know how to speak, god forbid, English, so others in this country will understand them.
Click to expand...

I see me comment really poked the witch in the eye.

At one point in history one could speak any language they wanted in this country without fear of persecution. Our honorable leaders are now legislating a position against this long history of freedom. It starts with a "national language", enforced at federal and state agencies. Where does it end? And what does it ultimately say about freedom in our country?
 
Originally posted by: EatSpam
Originally posted by: Thera
So much for Freedom.
Click to expand...

How so? You can speak any language you want, its just that federal communications will be done in only in English. The idea is that people will know how to speak, god forbid, English, so others in this country will understand them.
Click to expand...
Why do we need a law for this? Current immigrants are learning English at only a slightly slower rate than previous immigrants.
And having forms in Spanish reduces costs and waits for the rest of America.

 
Originally posted by: Fern
Originally posted by: Tom
As an English speaking man, born in Ohio, I think it would be more fair to make Latin the official language.

I'm not looking for any more advantage than I already have.
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"Fair" 😕 What does the concept of "fair" have to do with this issue?

When I lived in France and the government would not communicate to me in English, was that "unfair"?

Same when I lived in Germany?

When I lived in Miami, and essentially Spanish had to be spoken to get around, tourists from many other countries were like WTF? I learned English before I came over here to visit and I can't use it? Is that "fair"? (or is absurd a better description?).

Yeah, let's continue to "hold down" & repress all immigrants just so we can all communicate. After all, we know that communication serves no societal purpose. Morover, given that English is clearly the easiest language to learn it's just not fair to expect people migrating to an English language location to learn it.

I read somewhere that there are only 93 words in Homer epic, The illiad & The Odysee. 93 words in French, Italian, Spanish or German isn't squat given all their verb conjugations and the masculan/femine thingy for adjectives. You wanna live here, learn 100 words and geyt along fine. I guess that's just too much to ask :disgust:

Fern
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I don't want the USA to turn into France, thank you very much. 😉

I agree with you that people ought to learn to speak English, for my sake, I'm just opposed to making it a government mandate.
 
I was at a medical center the other day and I noticed some people were followed around by a person interpreting what the medical staff were telling the patient to do. I guess you and I are paying for that.....


Oh Well.

If you have to provide a test in Spanish does that mean you have to have the test in 100 other languages??
 
What most people are missing in this thread is that this law is not mandating that everybody speak ONLY English. It is not stating that forms and business be conducted ONLY in English. It is just saying you no longer HAVE TO provide services in any language besides English if you don't want to. Nothing prohibits continuing to provide services in whatever languages you see fit. But everybody is so quick to jump on the "they are stripping our freedoms" bandwagon they don't actually take a second to stop and think about the difference. This isn't a mandate. It's a relaxation of current laws which may state you have to provide certain things in other languages such that nobody is required to do that in the future should they so choose. Government agencies and businesses would no longer be forced to cater/pander to illegal immigrants by having to offer services in other languages if they didn't WANT to.
 
Originally posted by: Thera
Originally posted by: EatSpam
Originally posted by: Thera
So much for Freedom.
Click to expand...

How so? You can speak any language you want, its just that federal communications will be done in only in English. The idea is that people will know how to speak, god forbid, English, so others in this country will understand them.
Click to expand...

I see me comment really poked the witch in the eye.

At one point in history one could speak any language they wanted in this country without fear of persecution. Our honorable leaders are now legislating a position against this long history of freedom. It starts with a "national language", enforced at federal and state agencies. Where does it end? And what does it ultimately say about freedom in our country?
Click to expand...

And how does this law actually change that? Are you thinking that people are going to be thrown in jail for speaking Spanish?

National languages are actually common. If you went to Mexico and demanded all documents in English, do you think they would oblige you? or would they laugh at you, say some nasty things in Spanish and tell you to hire an interpreter?

More double standards for the United States. We're supposed to invite everyone in, provide them with welfare, learn their language, and meet their every demand, whereas every other country does pretty much the exact opposite.
 
"Nothing prohibits continuing to provide services in whatever languages you see fit."


I watched the debate on this Bill on C-Span, and I do not believe you are correct. The bill prohibits any and all Federal agencies and employees from conducting any business in any language except English, unless Congress has passed a law with an exception for a specific circumstance.

btw, not everyone who speaks in a language other than English is an "illegal alien". As an example, people who speak Navajo have lived here for thousands of years.
 
Originally posted by: ahurtt
........It is just saying you no longer HAVE TO provide services in any language besides English if you don't want to.........
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Hmmm... I didn't read it that way? I thought all previously existing requirements to provide additional/foreign language assistance were grandfathered in. In other words, no change, just political grandstanding
 
I work in a hospital. Every weekend I have to take care of Hispanic people who don't speak any English. I usually have to inject them with contrast to which they could have a severe reaction. Usually there is no one on staff who speaks Spanish and at 3 in the morning a translator takes awhile to come in. My rudimentary high school spanish doesn't nearly suffice to get a clear medical history from them and they can't help.
But I can garantee that as soon as something goes wrong and they end up with a bad reaction they can learn the word "sue" real quick.
 
I'm a legal immigrant who is rather offended I get the option to continue my atm transaction in English or Spanish. Put every fvckin language in there then. Rediculous... Live in this country, then learn the damn language. Plain and simple.
 
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