In the words of two idiots (ICP) in reference to another idiot (Nugent):
plagiarism! i posted that sentiment (sans pit language) already! 
Doesn’t everybody think (I hope this is the place for this and I won’t get accused of “nitpicking” or being a “grammar nazi”) that when the majority of native American-English speakers–there is a difference–can’t use it properly, we might think about removing the beams from our own eyes? Geez, folks, English is a difficult language in the first place, since it’s Germanic in nature and Latinate in grammar, but also since American-English borrows from so many other languages. Think about trying to make a good-looking dress from a patchwork quilt.
The kind of thing I hear most often, however, is “Don’t y’all know no English?” Hell, that person doesn’t know no English. Give those who want to learn time, and for those who don’t, and there are some, let them live in their barrios and Chinatowns and be unable to interact with American society at large.
Why do we, as Americans as a whole rather than SDMBers, feel that the whole world has to do what we say? If a Korean thinks that he or she can function without learning English, why should we either prove that person wrong or force that person to learn a language that will never be used outside the neighborhood?
If Dubbya gets elected, G(g)od(ess) help us all.
Hell, I don’t care if someone doesn’t learn English. You’re right - if they can live in their own little community, isolated, and are content, more power to 'em. What do I care?
The thing that bothers me are the people who expect us to learn their language. Like the guy who accused my postal-worker father of “discrimiation” because my dad didn’t speak Spanish. Or the woman who had been in the US for over TEN years, but bitched because emergency medical people didn’t speak her language.
I also remember hearing on the news about a family who literally (LITERALLY) blew their house up, by setting off too many bug bombs at once in their house. They were fine, but the bugs didn’t go away (how’s that for irony), and their house was totalled. The reason they didn’t know that they couldn’t use that many bug bombs at once? The bug bomb cans had cautions for use and instructions printed in English. Now, I didn’t hear anything about these people complaining about the instructions not being in Spanish, but still! Not learning the language of the country you are in, and just barrelling on ahead, setting off bug bombs and such, can be a pretty risky thing. I’m sure the neighbors of this bug-bomb-exploding family were not too thrilled with what happened.
The thing I’d like to know is - how many languages should we be expected to learn? I have read that in L.A. County, there are about 80 different languages spoken. Is anyone expecting us to learn them ALL, so that the people who come here won’t have to learn one other language, English? Isn’t it more logical to just do it the other way around?
It’s called survival of the fittest. If they don’t want to do it, great. But if they can’t buy food or turn their house into the Oklahoma City Federal Building, so be it.
Here in Houston, Nugent was barred from performing because of his statements. I don’t agree with his tactlessness, but I do agree with his sentiments. People who come here should at least try to learn English. They should not expect anyone to be bi-lingual. I disagree with bi-lingual teaching in public schools, if they are not encouraging everyone to learn English as their primary language.
Really? Well I think that uneducated white trash should get out of America. Also, we should get rid of anyone that agrees with ted Nugent. Sorry Dolores, you’ve got to go.
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Is there a bi-lingual education program that doesn’t try and teach english? That would make it mono-lingual wouldn’t it. Can you point to a bi-lingual program that encourages French, Ferengi? What the hell are you talking about?!
Personally I disagree woth bi-lingual teaching in public schools, if they are slaughtering and eating the kids.
good evening friends,
ted nugent made a stop here in omaha nebraska today. he showed up at a benefit for the legal defense fund of an omaha police officer. the police officer is under investigation by the grand jury in the shooting death of an unarmed car thief.
“i truly salute our brave warriors, the men and women of law enforcement.” nugent said, “they put their lives on the line every day.”
Um…maybe my grasp of English is still lacking, but I fail to see how he insulted you. He said people who don’t speak English should get out of here; You claim to be insulted, then go off to rail on about your ancestors (sounding an awful lot like George Jefferson “I was born the son of a sharecropper…”).
But you seem to speak English reasonably well. So how the hell is his comment applicable to you at all?!
Fucking people, can’t even understand plain English.
I thank God you never saw a copy of “Speak English Or Die” from S.O.D. while you were looking for your favorites from Savage Garden…We might have a replay of Tipper & the record-labelers from the 80s.
And I could never state it as eloquently as Reservoir Dog did, but come on. Did you really expect 4:00 tea, Political Correctness, and Queen’s English from somebody called “The Motor City Madman”??? Be real!
Horse & cattle rustling are still capital offenses in most western states that have much agriculture. Stealing a car should be the same.