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YART: Americans should all speak English?

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I'm not saying that the U.S. is perfect. Far from it. But we did what we did, and there's no changing it. Now that the country is the way it is, you think we should either not anounce an official national language at all or use a native tongue because of what we did to the indians? Do you think we should give reparations to black people because some of them had ancestors who were kept as slaves?
 
Originally posted by: ffmcobalt
I'm not saying that the U.S. is perfect. Far from it. But we did what we did, and there's no changing it. Now that the country is the way it is, you think we should either not anounce an official national language at all or use a native tongue because of what we did to the indians? Do you think we should give reparations to black people because some of them had ancestors who were kept as slaves?
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No, but it sounds like you're in favor of making English the official national language now, quickly, while it still has the majority. Not 300 years ago, when it would have been an Indian dialect, and not 100 years from now, when it will be a Spanish dialect. 😀

 
Originally posted by: ffmcobalt
I'm not saying that the U.S. is perfect. Far from it. But we did what we did, and there's no changing it. Now that the country is the way it is, you think we should either not anounce an official national language at all or use a native tongue because of what we did to the indians? Do you think we should give reparations to black people because some of them had ancestors who were kept as slaves?
Click to expand...

Have the US EVER admitted what they did? I could compare it to the holocaust that most americans (at least on this board) still drags up whenever i or any other european has an opinion that differ from theirs... (even though i come from sweden)

I don't think that reparations should be handed out, no, not for the slaves, not for the native americans and not for the jews...

 
Originally posted by: BooneRebel
Originally posted by: ffmcobalt
I'm not saying that the U.S. is perfect. Far from it. But we did what we did, and there's no changing it. Now that the country is the way it is, you think we should either not anounce an official national language at all or use a native tongue because of what we did to the indians? Do you think we should give reparations to black people because some of them had ancestors who were kept as slaves?
Click to expand...
No, but it sounds like you're in favor of making English the official national language now, quickly, while it still has the majority. Not 300 years ago, when it would have been an Indian dialect, and not 100 years from now, when it will be a Spanish dialect. 😀
Click to expand...

I will fight as hard as I can with my last breath against having an official Spanish dialect. :|

English needs to be made the official national language before .... how shall I put this delicately.... "any one other language" takes over.
 
Originally posted by: ffmcobalt
Originally posted by: BooneRebel
Originally posted by: ffmcobalt
I'm not saying that the U.S. is perfect. Far from it. But we did what we did, and there's no changing it. Now that the country is the way it is, you think we should either not anounce an official national language at all or use a native tongue because of what we did to the indians? Do you think we should give reparations to black people because some of them had ancestors who were kept as slaves?
Click to expand...
No, but it sounds like you're in favor of making English the official national language now, quickly, while it still has the majority. Not 300 years ago, when it would have been an Indian dialect, and not 100 years from now, when it will be a Spanish dialect. 😀
Click to expand...

I will fight as hard as I can with my last breath against having an official Spanish dialect. :|

English needs to be made the official national language before .... how shall I put this delicately.... "any one other language" takes over.
Click to expand...

I doubt you will be alive in 100 years... 😉
 
Originally posted by: SnapIT
Originally posted by: ffmcobalt
I'm not saying that the U.S. is perfect. Far from it. But we did what we did, and there's no changing it. Now that the country is the way it is, you think we should either not anounce an official national language at all or use a native tongue because of what we did to the indians? Do you think we should give reparations to black people because some of them had ancestors who were kept as slaves?
Click to expand...

Have the US EVER admitted what they did? I could compare it to the holocaust that most americans (at least on this board) still drags up whenever i or any other european has an opinion that differ from theirs... (even though i come from sweden)

I don't think that reparations should be handed out, no, not for the slaves, not for the native americans and not for the jews...
Click to expand...

Good deal. So why do you think the indians have any more say than anyone else on the official national language decision? I personally don't push Germans around calling them Nazis and reprimanding them for what they did. Granted, I push the French around, but that's because they're like small game pieces and don't actually understand society or government. 😛 But English is the national language, and it always has been - some points in history having certain nationalities pull on the dialect. But we've developed into quite a different and strong-seated language now. Hell there are huge books out there on English in the United States and how it's quite different than English in England, etc. We should quit fussing over it now and just do it.
 
Originally posted by: pulse8
I don't believe this has anything to do with racism, but I don't feel that they HAVE to speak english all the time, just that they should be able to if the time comes or a job requires it.
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that's my take on things as well.....not that it matters, it doen'st apply to half of the people in california that aren't citizens(the illegal-immigrants)
 
Originally posted by: ffmcobalt
Originally posted by: SnapIT
Originally posted by: ffmcobalt
I'm not saying that the U.S. is perfect. Far from it. But we did what we did, and there's no changing it. Now that the country is the way it is, you think we should either not anounce an official national language at all or use a native tongue because of what we did to the indians? Do you think we should give reparations to black people because some of them had ancestors who were kept as slaves?
Click to expand...

Have the US EVER admitted what they did? I could compare it to the holocaust that most americans (at least on this board) still drags up whenever i or any other european has an opinion that differ from theirs... (even though i come from sweden)

I don't think that reparations should be handed out, no, not for the slaves, not for the native americans and not for the jews...
Click to expand...

Good deal. So why do you think the indians have any more say than anyone else on the official national language decision? I personally don't push Germans around calling them Nazis and reprimanding them for what they did. Granted, I push the French around, but that's because they're like small game pieces and don't actually understand society or government. 😛 But English is the national language, and it always has been - some points in history having certain nationalities pull on the dialect. But we've developed into quite a different and strong-seated language now. Hell there are huge books out there on English in the United States and how it's quite different than English in England, etc. We should quit fussing over it now and just do it.
Click to expand...

Howcome you always miss my point? I think i write english...

Oh, BTW, when i lived in the US, i was happy that everyone spoke english, i don't understand a word of spanish...

I don't go around reprimanding americans either, but everytime someone mentions something about war and the US, WWII is brought up, and i wasn't even born back then...

You get my point i'm sure, i get yours...
 
My only rant was that yesterday I was invited to a Korean BBQ. I'm Chinese and understand zero korean. I know they can all speak english too.... but they all spoke to each other in Korean. Kinda rude in my opinion seeing how I was totally left out.
 
Originally posted by: TuxDave
My only rant was that yesterday I was invited to a Korean BBQ. I'm Chinese and understand zero korean. I know they can all speak english too.... but they all spoke to each other in Korean. Kinda rude in my opinion seeing how I was totally left out.
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I agree, that is just rude... you should speak chinese with them and throw in a couple of english "IDIOT" here and there, that would make them confused... 😉
 
Originally posted by: TuxDave
My only rant was that yesterday I was invited to a Korean BBQ. I'm Chinese and understand zero korean. I know they can all speak english too.... but they all spoke to each other in Korean. Kinda rude in my opinion seeing how I was totally left out.
Click to expand...

Ask them something in Mandarin...repeatedly until they get it...
 
Originally posted by: ffmcobaltGood deal. So why do you think the indians have any more say than anyone else on the official national language decision? I personally don't push Germans around calling them Nazis and reprimanding them for what they did. Granted, I push the French around, but that's because they're like small game pieces and don't actually understand society or government. 😛 But English is the national language, and it always has been - some points in history having certain nationalities pull on the dialect. But we've developed into quite a different and strong-seated language now. Hell there are huge books out there on English in the United States and how it's quite different than English in England, etc. We should quit fussing over it now and just do it.
Click to expand...
Because the 'Indians' were here first?!? English hasn't always been the national langauge. Did you miss that whole colonization thing? Europeans were exported here and took over. That doesn't mean that they were always here. I think you oughta crack open that history book again and read it this time.

 
Originally posted by: Nitemare
Yet another racism thread
Heard a talkshow host on the radio, maybe O'Reilly. He had just gotten back from a cruis ship vacation that left port at San Juan. He commented that almost everybody on the cruise ship was speaking Spanish to everyone else. He decided to do a little survey and find out where everyone was from. Lo and behold almost all the people speaking Spanish were from the United States and what's more alot of them were even born here. They could speak perfect english but chose to converse in Spanish.

He was of the opinion that they should be speaking English instead of Spanish since they are Americam.

I normally agree with the views of the readio talk show hosts, but found myself agreeing with the first caller..

"Were you a racist before or after you took the cruise?"
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If that's what was truly said, this guy is an ignorant, self-absorbed dolt; not to mention that because he chooses to remain uneducated in languages, he misses out on a bit of fun in life. He's on a cruise in the Caribbean out of Puerto Rico and doesn't bother to learn a few words in Spanish; too bad for him if he cannot understand the other guests on the cruise, his loss, not theirs. Reminds me of the typical American tourist we get here in Cancun that demands everyone speak in perfect English and looks down their nose or impatiently complains because they are not being perfectly understood in their version of the English language. I've seen some real winners here.

 
Reminds me of the typical American tourist we get here in Cancun that demands everyone speak in perfect English and looks down their nose or impatiently complains because they are not being perfectly understood in their version of the English language. I've seen some real winners here.
Click to expand...

Nevermind the garden variety Cancun denizen who despises those gringos despite the fact that they represent his livelihood. I love how they speak perfect English one minute but when you ask for change back suddenly they no longer speak English OR Spanish.
Lord knows I tried my best to be polite, to speak in Spanish whenever I could, and to be respectful and patient when I wasn't understood when I was in that craphole. It didn't change the way the natives treated me. 90% of them acted like I was the scum of the earth, although they were more than happy to take my money.

There's more than one guilty party in Cancun.
 
Originally posted by: TuxDave
My only rant was that yesterday I was invited to a Korean BBQ. I'm Chinese and understand zero korean. I know they can all speak english too.... but they all spoke to each other in Korean. Kinda rude in my opinion seeing how I was totally left out.
Click to expand...


Maybe they were trying to tell you something.😛
 
Speak english if you are in America, you should have to know how to speak it, I hate going into dennys and needing a translator to understand what the waitress is saying. But I don't really care if I am walking around and overhear someone speaking another languange.
 
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