Should English Be Our National Language?

Actually Blaine, no. I won't complain. Actually, that's an earlier poster, 25cents. He complained about "obscure" languages.

And btw, I'm a she, not a he.

I'm just tired and sick of complaining about race to people who don't want to listen.

And so, I'm going to join the rest of you and become a neocon who doesn't care and wants America for America's sake.

That means English first. All other languages second.

Originally posted by B Sage
1. It doesn't need to. If an immigrant is truly too lazy to learn the most common language of a country they're already an American.

Aaaaahahahaha, i hate you for being so damned right. So many of us are the embodiment of the ugly american, and hypocritical when it comes to the ugly mexican, or ugly frenchman...i'd like to think i'm a bit more, i dunno, enlightened, but i'm not really the one to say.

Originally posted by B Sage
2. People will assimilate (eventually)... if not them, then their children...

um, i disagree. like i stated earlier in the thread, there is absolutely no reason that anyone learn english in parts of AZ or NM. mexicans're immigrating extremely quickly.

Originally posted by B Sage
3. You can't get a good job without knowing English and eventually people will want better jobs.

mexicans really don't need good jobs, for two reasons (and anyone thinking i'm being racist can consider the fact that i'm pulling these loose quotes from a book speaking against racism)
1. where they're from, having a lot of children is a means of survival - maybe one will grow up and bring money into the family.
2. they come from a place where they don't have any money. minimum wage is more than enough for them to live off of, they can be extremely frugal (i wish i shared this talent)

Originally posted by B Sage
4. Freedom and immigrants is what America is all about!!! Duh-hahah.

i'm glad to know this was sarcasm

Originally posted by B Sage
5. The internet is the future, hardly face-to-face communication... Guess what language the coolest websites are in (think ATS).

google translates.

Originally posted by B Sage
6. Anyone who has lived in a big city or on the border knows that other languages are not a big deal, you'd be surprised what a look and a smile will get you.

yeah, it'll get you robbed. maybe not the nationals, but a lot of the second generation kids seem to think pocket checkin' a white boy is a rite of passage.

if it seems like i'm picking on mexicans here, it's because that's my main issue with this issue. i live in phoenix, and it's not very difficult for the illegals who never learned this stuff to get and stay here. thanks god our government is doing something about that.

Once again....

Please explain your argument.

Using simple plain English (har har), describe exactly how this will negatively impact culture and heritage.

Originally posted by ceci2006
Actually Blaine, no. I won't complain. Actually, that's an earlier poster, 25cents. He complained about "obscure" languages.

um, when? i don't recall having mentioned anything about 'obscure' languages without being prompted by you.

Oh what the heck .. one more post ...

Originally posted by ceci2006
This thread was not started on false pretenses. I really did want to talk about the virtues of culture and language and what it means to diversity.

not coming on with THIS attitude you don't...

Originally posted by ceci2006
this English Only business is stupid and racist.
And I feel sorry for people who actually want this to happen.

And answer the question - how is having an official language of English
harmful for a person's heritage or culture? We have given examples
such as the wonderful Italian folks in my town who all speak accented
English, but still have spaghetti Wednesdays and the viva italia festivals.
They speak Italian at home and hold their heritage dear, and know
English for official purposes.

Are you ignoring these facts?

Are you ignoring the facts that have been presented on how legal
immigrants will BENEFIT and raise their lifestyles when they learn
the common language of this country?

Or do you like immigrants 'staying down' by not learning the
common language?

ANSWER APC's question - Using simple plain English, describe
EXACTLY how this will negatively impact culture and heritage.



[edit on 5/19/2006 by FlyersFan]

I went to schools here all my life and i can do ok. My mother and father came to this country and before becoming citizens, they were made to take English classes.
Once that was done, they could apply for citizenship. That is the way it should be.
IF you are going to live here, not only should you have an understanding of the language, but you should be WILLING TO APPLY IT to your daily life. Speak the darn thing.Another thing is that after say, you become 40 years old it does become harder to learn English. But that's ok too. As long as you TRY, no one can fault you for that.
English is our language in the United States and illegals should not feel that studying and speaking it is too much work. (yep- too much work)
When i lived in Arizona i told a couple of the people at work that they should learn. I pointed out that most other countries teach students at an early age to learn a foreign tongue. It opens doors for you and make you better, more wordly.
and opens doors. Also, when my mother and i go shopping, we have a tendency to want to rattle off in Spanish, its natural. Its our tongue. As soon as my mother and i enter a store, we start in English. That 's the polite thing to do.

For those of them that absolutely refuse, they should get a one-way ticket to Tijuana at the next opportunity.
I do realize that in Mexico- they are so poor, i can just imagine their school systems! They teach them their Spanish(not the best) and that should be enough.
The way things are going, with all the illegsl wanting to come here, Fox should FIRST PLACE THEM in a progran so then when they come here, they dont have to resort to Spanish and all the criticism. Hey, but FOX is not worried about that, is he? (there's something wrong with that man)- the arrogance is just too much.

Cant Fox at least prepare them to come here? Hell no. He's too busy bying his latest expensive cowboy hat and maybe some new Rhinestone belts. oh, that getting the super tight jeans- it does show he has wevos!!! pardon the pun.

[edit on 19-5-2006 by dgtempe]

FlyersFan, why do you care? I've found in our exchanges, you're not at least hypocritical about your contempt for Black people--even though you care about Latinos (after all you mention that in many a thread to prove you're not racist).

You should be happy that I don't want to "scream about race". You should be swinging from the chandeliers.

Since you're a great specimen for a neocon, break it down for me. What's it like to be an American who doesn't give a care about other races?

[edit on 19-5-2006 by ceci2006]

Originally posted by ceci2006
Actually Blaine, no. I won't complain. Actually, that's an earlier poster, 25cents. He complained about "obscure" languages.

And btw, I'm a she, not a he.

I'm just tired and sick of complaining about race to people who don't want to listen.

And so, I'm going to join the rest of you and become a neocon who doesn't care and wants America for America's sake.

That means English first. All other languages second.

OK, that’s about enough. You just accused me of being a racist and you don’t even know what race I am or where I originated from. Just like I did not know what sex you are. For which I apologize. I also don’t know how old you are. So I should be more tolerant. It is pure slander to label someone you know nothing about. We don’t listen because we are not racist and we are intelligent enough to have a debate without playing a race card. I could care less what race a person is. Its character and honesty I care about. Lying to yourself makes you your own worst enemy. Of course I’m stupid for even responding to this crap.

Originally posted by ceci2006
FlyersFan, why do you care? I've found in our exchanges, you're not at least hypocritical about your contempt for Black people--even though you care about Latinos (after all you mention that in many a thread to prove your not racist).

You should be happy that I don't want to "scream about race". You should be swinging from the chandeliers.

Since you're a great specimen for a neocon, break it down for me. What's it like to be an American who doesn't give a care about other races?

so you're claiming that we have to be neo-conservatists in order to support this?

you sound like a lot of the gutterpunk/hippies i know. the second you disagree with them on a political debate, it's instanly the rally cry - 'facist!'

give it a rest. there are many more reasons FOR supporting this than there are against it. you've got nothing.

You're right. I don't have an argument. I don't know why you people are surprised. After all, America is based on the English language.

And so, all of you argue that you want to have illegals--as you put it--learn English.

I'm agreeing with you today. What's wrong with that?

I'm with you CC2, Their arguments have swayed me over to their side.

May I depart with one little tidbit though...............

pierda usted cuidado, estas son mis maletas.

"Why do you care, these are my bags." ?

... k.

Well, ceci. I give thanks to you. I won't explain why though. You wouldn't be interested.

I dunno..I live in NYC and its home to many people of many languages and countries of origin. I have never had a problem communicating with anyone. I see people come to this country (Wether they come legally or not I don't know). Since I run a internet cafe I get a lot of foreigners coming in here who can't even speak english wanting to use email or IM their relatives back home. They come in here one week not knowing a speck of english and 6months or a year later I see them again and they are speaking excellently. I think a lot of it has to do with the tolerance in certain areas. If people are going to alienate them, then of course they will not learn and will stick with their own kinds and never learn english. We treehuggers and liberals of NY embrace strangers and make them friends...another reason why NYC is such a melting pot. We remember who helped build this country and who contributed...it wasn't just english speaking americans. It was Chinese,Germans, Polish,Russian,Swedish, Norwegians,Greeks,Phillipinos, Arabs,Irish and many others, many of whom with no education whatsoever. They couldn't speak a word of english when they came here and many died never speaking english, yet they still contributed. All of a sudden now in 2006 this is such a problem? Its all bogus. Don't believe the hype.

Mucho gracias, whaaa. I appreciate your candor. May I u2u you later about this thread?

[edit on 19-5-2006 by ceci2006]

Who says I wouldn't be interested? I care about languages, cultures and people.

But, on this board, no one seems to give anyone who is different any dignity or pay any notice to them. All it is to you is "race-baiting" and whining. And so, I decided not to care about race just like most of you. And did you notice, you people brought it up for four pages.

This time you were playing the "race card". Not me.

And basically, all of you freaked out and wanted to know about race when I didn't care to give it to you.

Which means, language does have to do with culture and race.

And these are things people forget when arguing about "America first" and English only.




[edit on 19-5-2006 by ceci2006]

Originally posted by ceci2006
Mucho gracias, whaaa. I appreciate your candor. May I u2u you later about this thread?

[edit on 19-5-2006 by ceci2006]

Of course!

I want to apoligize for my Spanish. Around here it is so idiomized I can't even understand it. My Spanish, I learned off a www. site and I can barely even read
the road signs here in NM. BTW Spanish was spoken here long before the US of A even became a country.

I would like to add, Spanish speakers should WANT to learn English in the US. English is a beautiful language and it really does smooth out the communication rough spots they are bound to encounter.

[edit on 19-5-2006 by whaaa]

Hey, whaaa,

Don't feel badly, I mentioned my Spanish is faulty, at best. My sister is a fluent speaker, though.

I'll u2u later then, okay? Now, I've got to take a break and just let the others talk.


As for the rest of you, we'll still debate the English Only rule. But I still think's stupid and silly. And basically it's a gesture that contributes to the rampant xenophobia going on in this nation.

But, I still think that English should be learned along with other languages. Because if we limit ourselves to only English, then you're missing out a lot.

People need to be more understanding about language, heritage and culture.

[edit on 19-5-2006 by ceci2006]

I'm in favor of having English as the official language of the United States.

I'm simply sick and tired of seeing Spanish language side-by-side with the English language everywhere!

When the Chinese folks began immigrating to the country since the 19th century, they didn't demand Mandarin Chinese language to be on the side with English language just because they couldn't speak English well. There were many immigrants from other countries who came to the USA and didn't really demand their native languages to show up everywhere alongside with English language!

Enough is enough. The US is an English-speaking, English-language dependent country. If I would to migrate to another country and live there, I wouldn't demand English language to be shown side-by-side with the host country's national language wherever I goes.

This is about respect for our largely spoken/read language in the USA as long as you live in the USA. Whoever calling this mandatory act as "racist" need to get his or her brain lobotomized.

Originally posted by ThePieMaN
We remember who helped build this country and who contributed...it wasn't just english speaking americans. It was Chinese,Germans, Polish,Russian,Swedish, Norwegians,Greeks,Phillipinos, Arabs,Irish and many others, many of whom with no education whatsoever. They couldn't speak a word of english when they came here and many died never speaking english, yet they still contributed.

The difference is that they have never demanded their native languages to be shown alongside with the English language everywhere. Who demanded and pushed for the Spanish language to be shown alongside with the English? The Hispanic immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

Originally posted by ceci2006
your contempt for Black people

oh brother. Calling me anti-latino doesn't work so you
switch races for me to be anti about. Pathetic.

You should be happy that I don't want to "scream about race".

You are a one trick pony. An anti-white America racist.
I don't believe you are capable of having a
conversation without screaming anti-white whateverisms.

What's it like to be an American who doesn't give a
care about other races?

I wouldn't know.

What's it like being an anti-white racist who also wants to keep
immigrants down in the dirt by not having an 'incommon' language
for them to be able to communicate well with??