Only in Texas

'Merica

thats how it should be... knowing many immigrants from dozens of other countries. everyone i have met learns english and is pissed that (some) mexicans dont...

merc wrote: thats how it should be... knowing many immigrants from dozens of other countries. everyone i have met learns english and is pissed that (some) mexicans dont...

Peter Parker wrote: merc wrote: thats how it should be... knowing many immigrants from dozens of other countries. everyone i have met learns english and is pissed that (some) mexicans dont...   So when are we going to require Southerners to learn to speak English?

Zing.

I do think if you're going to be in a country that has a predominate language, you should learn to speak it. For your own benefit, really.

Just for instance since I switched to a much smaller hospital, we have very few Spanish speaking employees. There are however a ton of illegal immigrants in this area, and they get really pissy and frustrated when we don't understand their language. I can see how that could be a dilemma, learning improv sign language whilst having a heart attack can't be pleasant, but dammit it's your right to speak your native tongue, so enjoy.

@strato

I've had people get mad at me for not speaking their native tongue while dealing with them as a pt. I'm not going to lose any sleep at night that you came here, legally or not, and expect me to learn your language to help you, but you can't speak my language to help yourself.


Speak whatever language you want, but damnit if you get mad at someone who speaks the primary language of the country you're living in, and you can't / won't.




As for the ticket? My view of Dallas' chief of police aside, the wrong was corrected. If there is something deeper to it, then fix that too.   But the law is there for commercial drivers, no reason it shouldn't be there for, within reason, civilian drivers as well. While many signs do have "fool-proof" signage so that you really don't need to speak English to understand what's going on, there are the exceptions.

Edited by Linus - 27 October 2009 at 11:49am

My honest opinion is that if you want to live here permanantly and your from a country whose common language is not english I think you should have to be required to learn english.

Strange how in one thread it can be Libertarianism dominating the thread, but a day or two later most people are advocating the government control how we speak.

I agree that one should learn to communicate with the people around them for their own benefit, but requiring them to do so because it is an inconvenience to some is silly.

"AH AIN'T PRESSIN NO GATT-DAMN ONE GATT DAMNIT."

En Espanol, oprimo dos!

Por que tu no comprende Espanol? No es dificil. Es facil de aprender. Es similar a Ingles.


but then I've also taken a few Latin classes which makes it a bit easier for me I guess.

Or what if I am born deaf and cant understand or speak any spoken languages?.....

Gatyr wrote: "AH AIN'T PRESSIN NO GATT-DAMN ONE GATT DAMNIT."

Don't forget:  "There takin ur jerrrrbs!"

Peter Parker wrote: What if I was born an American citizen but grew up abroad and don't speak English?

Then it serves you right.*

God wrote: Or what if I am born deaf and cant understand or speak any spoken languages?.....

Then I will most likely taunt you unmercifully since I know it will be safe.**

And now for something completely different . . .

. . . a serious opinion on this specific subject:  This usage of the law in question was asinine.  However, as people have pointed out above.  If someone doesn't want to learn the language while living here, that's fine.  However, they have no right to get annoyed when they fail to get their point across.

*For being a liberal.  (Everyone knows only liberals are raised abroad; their parents think the Europeans are a good influence.)
**I will of course keep a hand over my mouth on the off chance you can lip read.



Edited by Mack - 27 October 2009 at 6:29pm