English should be the official language?

[rightwinger]

How many languages do you think the people at 911 should have to speak?

A 911 operator does not have to speak every language. But they should have access to people who do.

The person making that call may be calling to save YOUR life againshiela. Would you like 911 to hang up on them?

How do you even expect them to know what language is being spoken? Why should those who work at 911 be language experts? Do you have any idea what the job entails? How much it pays? They can't afford to hire language experts. If you can't speak English, you sure as heck shouldn't expect 911 to understand you.

When we were in Japan, if we needed to call for help, we called one of our English speaking friends. We sure as hell didn't expect everyone there to speak English, how stupid is that?

If I'm in trouble and the only person who can call 911 doesn't speak English, I expect I'll die. Maybe it's time to stop illegal immigration completely and curtail legal immigration reducing the chances of someone who doesn't speak our languages having to use our resources.

We expect our 911 operators to do everything possible to save a life. That can include identifying the language the caller is speaking and having access to someone who speaks that language

It is not a gotcha situation. That 911 caller may be a visitor from another country and the victim may be an English speaking American citizen

 

[Unkotare]

Ask the English themselves and they will tell you that people in the US do not speak English, they speak American.

Not if they are educated they don't.

 

[Unkotare]

Our public schools ought to require the study of Latin

Why should the study of a dead language be a requirement?

 

[Unkotare]

Wei. Nihao!

And you felt compelled to say 'hello' why exactly?

 

[BDBoop]

I don't really care what other countries do. None of them are governed by our constitution.

How many languages do you think the people at 911 should have to speak?

A 911 operator does not have to speak every language. But they should have access to people who do.

The person making that call may be calling to save YOUR life againshiela. Would you like 911 to hang up on them?

Your rep power is 666. You must stop now.

NO REP FOR YOU!!

 

[Unkotare]

..in Japan it is a requirement of their schools to learn at least 5 languages and one of the is usually English. .

Are you nuts? It is not a requirement in Japan to learn 5 languages. English however, is not "usually," but always a required course.


Where the hell do you get this stuff?

 

[Unkotare]

Nothing wrong with this.
Near as I can tell the first 150 or so years of our country's history immigrants came to this country from non english speaking countries and learned the language.

I have been here for a couple of hundred years and still haven't lost my Transylvania accent.

You suck!

 

[yidnar]

He actually said that it should be the official language of the United States government...which I assume is directed at bilingual education. There is definitely an argument to be made that it compels people to assimilate more quickly, but not sure if it needs to be "official".

That helps. Until I get a chance to actually watch the debates this weekend, I'm a bit short on facts.

you need more facts to decide if english should be the official language!! WHY??

 

[Unkotare]

English IS our official language. People really should know their history. It was decided back when we became a country and congress was deciding what language we should have. Dutch came in a close second. As far as I know, Spanish wasn't even on the list.

No, it's not and since there was never such a designation there was no close or distant second.

 

[AVG-JOE]

I didn't know that I was here to change your pampers, or be your play date. By the way, it was intended to be mean. I'm not in the business of pacifying folks on this site. As it stands everyone at some point or another is at each others throat. I started out trying to be nice and was given the bums rush. I learned quickly where you folks hail from theoretically. Everyone believes in free speech, until you piss them off. Well now I cut to the chase. If I perceive stupid, I call stupid. This site is designed merely to inspire pissing contests anyway. Do you REALLY think you matter to the other folks that come here? I know I don't. Nor do they, to me. So I don't really think I need your opinion, or code of ethics on what's mean or not. Let miss fao chipowah defend herself.

All I'm saying is that you'll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar, giving instant value to your opinion, making it that much more likely that you're not wasting your time here.

And yes, I do think my opinion matters. I think yours matters too.

As far as the rest goes, calling stupid is as stupid does is kind of what this board is all about and it's certainly what keeps MY dear readers coming back for more. But a quick wit is all I have - I'm not lucky like Ravi to have both a quick wit and a smokin' bod.

Stop it hippie. When you leave here, you don't plan your day around what I say. Even if you agree with something I say, it only has about an 20/80 chance of becoming one of your talking points. By the way, who wants to catch flies for any reason than crushing them anyway?

As long as you have a reason to do what you do..... keep rockin'.

 

[yidnar]

next the libtards will want road signs in braille!!

 

[Unkotare]

While whites are the majority so will speaking English be the majority.

When Hispanics become the majority so will speaking Spanish be the majority.

It's that simple.

I told you, English IS our official language.

And you were wrong.

 

[Unkotare]

the Spanish speaking morons who come here and expect us to speak their language.

Who is doing this terrible thing to you, champ?

 

[rightwinger]

I'm guessing that, either you ARE hispanic, or you have never had an encounter with one that barely speaks English. If part of the immigration process was learning English, adjusting would be easier, no? If all immigrants were required to learn English, you'd know who wasn't here legally for the most part, would you not? As far as the person I was responding to initially...hideous speaks for itself...using my free speech and all. If it still makes no sense, then you are clearly a poster child for why we should act now! Of course you'll argue to be contrary. Folks that post like you, usually do.

You are really, really bad at guessing, and - again - demonstrating an ability to speak English is part of the (legal) immigration process.

When I lived in Mexico years ago, I sat though a lecture, in Spanish, about how terrible it was that so many Americans were going down there without learning the language. I reserve the right to give that same lecture IN ENGLISH to the Spanish speaking morons who come here and expect us to speak their language.

This is a free country. You are welcome to lecture as many Mexicans as you want that they should be speaking English

Good luck to you

 

[Againsheila]

A 911 operator does not have to speak every language. But they should have access to people who do.

The person making that call may be calling to save YOUR life againshiela. Would you like 911 to hang up on them?

How do you even expect them to know what language is being spoken? Why should those who work at 911 be language experts? Do you have any idea what the job entails? How much it pays? They can't afford to hire language experts. If you can't speak English, you sure as heck shouldn't expect 911 to understand you.

When we were in Japan, if we needed to call for help, we called one of our English speaking friends. We sure as hell didn't expect everyone there to speak English, how stupid is that?

If I'm in trouble and the only person who can call 911 doesn't speak English, I expect I'll die. Maybe it's time to stop illegal immigration completely and curtail legal immigration reducing the chances of someone who doesn't speak our languages having to use our resources.

We expect our 911 operators to do everything possible to save a life. That can include identifying the language the caller is speaking and having access to someone who speaks that language

It is not a gotcha situation. That 911 caller may be a visitor from another country and the victim may be an English speaking American citizen

"can" being the operative word. The truth is that the job doesn't include being able to identify other languages. You want to make that part of the job, you're gonna have to raise the pay.

 

[Againsheila]

While whites are the majority so will speaking English be the majority.

When Hispanics become the majority so will speaking Spanish be the majority.

It's that simple.

I told you, English IS our official language.

And you were wrong.

Interesting...the same people that claim that church and state are separate, not based on the Constitution, but on a letter written by Thomas Jefferson, are claiming that English is not our official language because it isn't in the constitution in-spite of the fact that since the very beginning, congress agreed that English would be our language. Not just one man, the entire Congress of the USA.

 

[hortysir]

Only read the first 40 replies before posting so apologies if it's already been pointed out.

What the Newt actually said was 'make English the official language of government'.
I take that to mean that you're applying to any government entity you need to know English.
Be it your driver's license, social security card, passport, or whatever.

If you come to this country legally and go through the citizenship process properly this should pose no problem for you.
If it does, tough shit, go back.


And stop with the England English bullshit. You're nit-picking and look stupid with your petty shit.

Government represents the people. There is no law that says you have to speak English to pay your taxes. In communicating with it's citizens government has an obligation to be as open as possible.

If you are a citizen English shouldn't be a barrier.

 

[Unkotare]

I told you, English IS our official language.

And you were wrong.

Interesting...the same people that claim that church and state are separate, not based on the Constitution, but on a letter written by Thomas Jefferson, are claiming that English is not our official language because it isn't in the constitution in-spite of the fact that since the very beginning, congress agreed that English would be our language. Not just one man, the entire Congress of the USA.

You are misinformed. Provide proof of English being legally designated the official and exclusive language of the United States or move to the back of the class.

 

[oracle]

So if you pay your taxes and call 911 you get hung up on because you don't speak English?

So if you visit another country and call for help, you expect them to speak English for you?

Actually, in most other countries, 911 operators are able to speak English

You just pulled that right out of your ass. I've been to several countries overseas and none of them used 911 as their emergency #

 

[Avatar9]

Remember our motto,"OUT OF ONE COMES MANY

I told you, English IS our official language. That was decided back when we became a country.

Cite. Every legal resource in existence agrees that the USA never declared an official language.

So if you pay your taxes and call 911 you get hung up on because you don't speak English?

Are you always so stupid? they treat it the same as a hang-up or a silent line.