Merci Beaucoup, Obamallamas.

[AZhitman]

Encouragin people to learn spanish because there are Spanish people coming here IS dumb.

I went on a trip to China for a conference and watched several people bereatting hotel staff and resteraunt staff for poor English skills.

Very correct, sir.

And your colleagues need a good stiff backhand for their idiocy. No wonder we're thought of so poorly.

When I go overseas, the first thing I want to learn in the native tongue is how to say, "I'm so sorry, I only speak English - Can you please help me?"

That's just being a HUMBLE AND KIND HUMAN BEING, which I think even the lefties can appreciate.

[audtatious]

That's odd. First thing I try and lean is "where is the bathroom"

[skylndrftr]

When I go overseas, the first thing I want to learn in the native tongue is how to say, "I'm so sorry, I only speak English - Can you please help me?"

And I'll bet a lot of the time you can find someone who does. Wouldn't it be nice if the same thing happened when they came here?

That's just being a HUMBLE AND KIND HUMAN BEING, which I think even the lefties can appreciate.

I would hope everybody appreciates this. thats not a left right issue (I'm sick of those terms), thats a good versus bad person issue.

Throwing money at education or forcing students tolearn another language aren't going to solve anything...however they are two things that will contribute to the solution. Just look at the problems we're having in the intelligence community recruiting people who speak languages such as Farsi or Arabic.

[C-Kwik]

Anyone have the full video or at least a portion that includes a great deal more before and after that line? To be fair, we should evaluate the context of it. The 1 minute of speech that led up to that line (at which point it cuts off) leaves me believing he had a greater point to make.

Side note: MY kids are learning Spanish. Not so they can "compete in the new economy", but so they can accurately describe how they want their landscaping to look.

I about fell outta my chair laughing at this.

I am fairly passionate about immigrants learning English. I can't and don't expect them to learn it fluently, but some basic essentials would be nice. In fact, a customer the other day (about 90% of our customers are Hispanic) asked if I speak Spanish. I told him no but we were able to carry out the transmission. At some point he randomly says Espanol, Por Favor, implying I should learn to speak it. I simply said he could learn English just the same.

I used to give my dad a hard time about it too. He can get by to some extent, but he could still do much better. My mom is much better at speaking English, though she still struggles quite a bit. Ironically, my Korean absollutely sucks. Its a wonder how we even communicate.

[skylndrftr]

I have a hispanic last name...and damn if I didn't fail high school spanish.

[smockers83]

The thing with languages in Europe and the US are completely different. Europe is a mix of languages and people can easily travel between countries of different languages, necessitating the need to know more than 1 language. However, if one moved to Europe, that person would be expected to know or learn the local language. The same as those moving to the US or should go for them. Kids in the US don't learn a 2nd language because the need for a 2nd language really isn't there. The only reason one would want to learn a 2nd language in the US is to be able to travel abroad. Every wave of immigration has learned English, why should this one be any different?

[AZhitman]

Every wave of immigration has learned English, why should this one be any different?

Thank you.

It shouldn't. I'm not opposed to immigration (I think it needs reform). I don't dislike people of other ethnicities (I think we've seen that). I don't wish harm or mistreatment on those who only seek a better life for their families (that's how I got here).

I think we need to look at history and demand excellence. America is a proud, beautiful, free country. And if you want to be here, you're going to BE an American, and Americans are a people who strive for excellence.

Get on the WIN train or go home.

[AZhitman]

Anyone have the full video or at least a portion that includes a great deal more before and after that line? To be fair, we should evaluate the context of it. The 1 minute of speech that led up to that line (at which point it cuts off) leaves me believing he had a greater point to make.

I listened to it on the radio (XM)... He didn't really, Chano. It was quite agitating to hear, as it just dripped with disdain.

I "get" what he was getting at, but like I said in my OP rant, it was his condescending tone that disgusted me, and my rant came straight after hearing it all...

The whole "we should be ashamed of ourselves" thing makes me want to VOMIT.

Wanna know what we should be ashamed of?

We should be ashamed that we don't stand up and say STFU when someone besmirches our country.

We should be ashamed that we don't say, "Hey, WTF?" when someone shoplifts in plain view.

We should be ashamed that our entertainers and athletes make more money than our teachers, police, EMTs and firemen.

We should be ashamed that we don't collectively come together and say, "This is a great country - It ain't perfect, but it's ours, and we're working on it, and we love it."

My original post stands. "Fair" ain't in my lexicon.

[OriginalWheelman]

Maybe someone should tell Mr. Obama about the time that I was working and two tourists came in trying to point around to what they wanted, not speaking a word of English. After a listening to them talk amongst themselves, I realized they were speaking German, and with a "Kan ich hilfe dir?", they smiled and I served them, speaking German. I don't know about you guys, but every kid who went to my middle of nowhere school district learned a foreign language.

[WDRacing]

Everyone is missing the issue here...both candidates are pro education. But which one said he was embarrassed?

Two things you should NEVER do are say you're embarrassed to be American or embarrassed for something we don't do as well as someone else.

That my friends is simply the way it is. If you don't feel that way...then by all means GTFO of MY country as soon as you can. Even if I was a supporter of Obama I'd be upset and thoroughly ashamed of myself right now.

I considered voting for him for about 1.5 weeks...I will now go outside and beat my own a$$.

Thank you Nico for making me research and make a better informed opinion.

WD

[rn79870]

Many times I'm embarrassed to be an American. Here is just one example where my country, or it's citizens embarrass me.

zerothread/351333

[WDRacing]

As the leader or potential leader of the Country, you NEVER say you're embarrassed Bob. You know...like you mentioned he should have learned in 1st year politics...along with how to lie. Seems like he got the lying down...

Especially since he's embarressed about ME...since I only speak English. Way to go!!! BE embarressed cause I speak the chosen language of my OWN Country...

[skylndrftr]

I would rather he be honest than try to be unquestioningly patriotic.

[OriginalWheelman]

Don't bite the hand that feeds....

[WDRacing]

I would rather he be honest than try to be unquestioningly patriotic.

So when the representative of the Democratic party says to the world He's embarrassed that our citizens don't speak a foreign language you're ok with that because he was honest?

Even though the OTHER citizens of OTHER countries are striving to speak English it's ok for a possible future leader of my great country to be ashamed of me because I don't know a different language. Yet he can call upon me to throw down my life in order to protect and preserve the American way of life.

I say to you NO SIR...that is NOT ok Not now and not EVER.

America stands for Freedom and Independence..one Nation UNDER GOD. To be embarrassed of that is to admit that you simply have lost touch with what America truly represents. That means you do NOT represent America...but rather something different...something UN American.

If change means giving up the very way of life that I have fought to preserve...that my brothers have paid the ultimate price for...I say to you Obama is a terrorlst in the most basic of forms. To change our way of life if to forget what we fought so hard to become.

Give that up at your parel...for change comes at great expense to those who walk into the future with open arms and don't question the Devil when He brings gifts.

[skylndrftr]

The basis for this thread is the language in this country. You might say never be embaassed but try and rectify that with electing a leader whos grasp of our language is matched by many preteens. And he doesn't know any other one. I am embarrassed.

I wouldn't go so far as to say not speaking another language is embarrassing but to say you should never be embarassed is just stupid, and thats what you said.

[WDRacing]

The basis for this thread is the language in this country. You might say never be embaassed but try and rectify that with electing a leader whos grasp of our language is matched by many preteens. And he doesn't know any other one. I am embarrassed.

I wouldn't go so far as to say not speaking another language is embarrassing but to say you should never be embarassed is just stupid, and thats what you said.

I dunno what kind of lame excuse for living in my country you just tried to give...but GTFO.

Liberals can always interpret things to mean something else. Either you're embarrassed that Americans don't speak more then one language or you aren't...PERIOD. If you don't like English...GTFO.

[skylndrftr]

Wow...

How bout instead I work to fix things. I'm a citizen just as much as you. If you or anyone else thinks this country is perfect then why bother voting? Things will work themselves out right?

I am actually embarassed for our country right now that someone would say that to another citizen.

[audtatious]

embarrassed about what said to who?

Enablement sux no matter how you spin it. Why don't we go ahead and give Mexico the left-coast and be done with it? The amount of illegals who will be voting will eventually spit out enough kids where they will be the majority in a few years anyway.

Give it up

[skylndrftr]

Theres discussing the concept that was brought up and theres racism...I think we have determined where you guys stand.

[AZhitman]

Ummm, no.

This isn't "racism".

This is people being fed the HELL up with political correctness, with catering to special interests, with mollycoddling border-jumpers, with supposed "leaders" telling us WE should be ashamed of ourselves and our country - Our country that's so damn good that people will DIE to try to get here.

Screw him and his self-loathing. We're not victims and we don't need his brand of "salvation".

[AZhitman]

Maybe someone should tell Mr. Obama about the time that I was working and two tourists came in trying to point around to what they wanted, not speaking a word of English. After a listening to them talk amongst themselves, I realized they were speaking German, and with a "Kan ich hilfe dir?", they smiled and I served them, speaking German. I don't know about you guys, but every kid who went to my middle of nowhere school district learned a foreign language.

I do it at least 3x a week here. Usually it's because some service industry worker is too dumb to go run and get one of the other 50% of employees who IS bilingual to help. My spanish is JUST bad enough to screw up their order.

The school my GF teaches at? EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT HISPANIC.

How is that? HOW?

Nothing against them, or their kids. BUT HOW does a US school become 85% Hispanic? HOW?

[WDRacing]

Wow...

How bout instead I work to fix things. I'm a citizen just as much as you. If you or anyone else thinks this country is perfect then why bother voting? Things will work themselves out right?

I am actually embarassed for our country right now that someone would say that to another citizen.

Does your idea of fixing things entail forcing my Son to learn another language? How about NO...

My opinion isn't that America is perfect, but it is that we speak English here. You can call me racist all you want...so long as you do so in English.

[rn79870]

I do it at least 3x a week here. Usually it's because some service industry worker is too dumb to go run and get one of the other 50% of employees who IS bilingual to help. My spanish is JUST bad enough to screw up their order.

The school my GF teaches at? EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT HISPANIC.

How is that? HOW?

Nothing against them, or their kids. BUT HOW does a US school become 85% Hispanic? HOW?

Assuming they are here legally, what to you propose Greg? Shall we require them to stay home and starve until they get a working knowledge of english? At least they are willing to work for a living, and that is far, far more respectable than what many inner-city American youth pursue for a career. Drug sales, gang banging and welfare fraud. Who do you really respect in this regard?

I get frustrated when I order something from a Hispanic person due to the language barrier, yet when I think about it, they speak English better than I speak Spanish. At least they are trying to learn their new language. Plus they are working at a job I wouldn't want to do.

[audtatious]

I would say that myself and the others in this thread 100% support hispanics who come over to the US legally and work to adapt. Just as I would work to adapt and learn spanish if I moved to Mexico.

In my day to day's, I have yet run across a reason to know a 2nd language. If the reasoning behind learning Spanish is to make the hispanics feel more welcome here and allow them to more easily adapt then why should we not also have to learn other languages for the others who come over here as well? I know the answer of course, we have far more of an inflood of Mexican nationals than we do with other countries simply because we border them and it's far easier for them to get here. The one thing the quota system in the past helped was it limited such a huge influx of people from the same country as the percentages were spread out. That is no longer the case anymore and it's wrong and will bite us in the butt.

[smockers83]

The first generations that are coming over will have the hardest time with English and language barriers. It happened in every wave before--people come over not really knowing English but their kids are born and they learn English and can help the parents even more. Its a process.

[audtatious]

Yes, I am aware and that's the way it's been in the past. There just seems to be the move to press Spanish as a co-language here in the states due to the mass number of Mexican immigrants and I believe that is wrong.

[OriginalWheelman]

Half my ancestors learned English when they came here. A few were forced to learn English by the English. The world is learning English for a reason. The English brought civilization to most of the world, as one of the first industrialized nations. Their language spread with their culture and their technology. Hell the reason South America speaks Spanish is because the Conquistadors brought it with them! Example, what's the Japanese word for turbo? Turbo. What's the German word for Tshirt? Tshirt. World languages mix. Any American cook knows a handful of French, Saute etc. The point is they all wanted to come here. Why should here change to suit them. If they liked America so much, why change it? Everyone else came and conformed.

[skylndrftr]

A few thousand years ago everyone learned Latin (and look at how well that worked)...things in the world change

[OriginalWheelman]

Yeah things do change, like when a scientists tried to create a "world language" called Esperanto. It failed, miserably, people decide to just learn English instead.