Limbaugh guest host Hedgecock: Spanish-language reporters "make their living with the new apartheid"
On the June 20 broadcast of Rush Limbaugh's nationally syndicated radio show, guest host Roger Hedgecock, remarking on California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) comments at a National Association of Hispanic Journalists convention -- that Hispanic immigrants have "got to turn off the Spanish television set" -- stated that "these journalists ... make their living with the new apartheid, speaking Spanish to Spanish speakers and, you know, not going for the assimilation." Hedgecock added that Spanish-language TV network "Univision and all the rest of these people have an absolute right to do what they're doing -- but what Arnold was trying to say, of course, is 100 percent right." Apartheid was a system of laws in place that "allowed the ruling white minority in South Africa to segregate, exploit and terrorize the vast majority."
The membership of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists includes reporters working in both English- and Spanish-language media.
From the June 20 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:
HEDGECOCK: Welcome back to the Rush Limbaugh program here on the EIB Network. Roger Hedgecock in for Rush today and tomorrow. I'm coming at you from KOGO Radio on the "left coast" here in San Diego, California, mere steps from the busiest international border crossing in the world. We're going to talk about the border coming up, and the amnesty bill in Congress, but first, some more news from California.
I -- I never -- I'm entertained every time that we have a chance to talk with Arnold Schwarzenegger, our governor, because he is truly his own guy, and you know, the way -- he was speaking -- just I'm giving you an example of what I'm trying to say here. He was speaking to the Hispanic Journalists Association gathered in Sacramento. He was their guest speaker -- keeping in mind again these are folks who work for Univision and these Spanish-language outlets, radio and television -- and in part -- and listen to when he realizes how politically incorrect he's getting -- in part, here is what he told them.
SCHWARZENEGGER [audio clip]: -- that you've got to turn off the Spanish television set. It's that simple. You've got to learn English. You've got to -- listen -- I know this sounds odd, and this is politically not the correct thing to say, but here I am getting myself into trouble --
HEDGECOCK: So he tells these journalists who make their living with the new apartheid, speaking Spanish to Spanish speakers and, you know, not going for the assimilation -- and you know, as far as I'm concerned, Univision and the rest of these people have an absolute right to do what they're doing -- but what Arnold was trying to say, of course, is 100 percent right. If your sons and daughters want to get ahead in the United States of America, they would do well to learn English and speak it well, better than talk show hosts, by the way.
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I don't know why these people are so obsessed with assimilation. It's not like these people have the ability to instantly learn English the moment they arrive here. Historically, assimilation does not necessarily occur with the first generation...
Anyway, if there is a problem with assimilation, it is not because Spanish speakers do not want to learn, they just do not have the opportunity. We are the ones to blame for this, because while some of us blather on about them not wanting to assimilate and how it is destroying our country, we refuse to embrace them as even fellow human beings and would prefer to treat them as second class citizens keeping them separated from those of us who are native born, or at least white and with money. Break down these barriers, and assimilation will happen faster. Otherwise the only true apartheid in existence is imposed by the "white male Christian power structure."
Anyway, if there is a problem with assimilation, it is not because Spanish speakers do not want to learn, they just do not have the opportunity. We are the ones to blame for this....
Yup but not quite for the reasons you've given.
Perhaps we should knock off the Press 1 for Spanish?
Perhaps we should stop allowing Spanish to appear in print, on signs, in stores etc....
Last time I checked THIS SERVICE is not given to other ethnic groups arriving on our shores. And NEVER was. Do ya think that's why maybe they assimilated quicker? Yeah me too.
Stop enabling ONE group.
Jeter, sorry, but "press 1 for spanish" has got to be the lamest justification considering that regardless of which language you proceed to use on the automated box, you still end up in a call center in India.
My Grandparent's came from Slovenia and spent most of their time in the US dependent on their children for any transaction in English that was more complicated then saying hello and goodbye.
According to your logic their poor English skills must have been due to all of the press 1 for Slovenian help lines.
Do you know how difficult it is to learn another language? Factor in the age and education level of the person and it become even more complicated.
If you honestly think it's due to Spanish Help lines and signs your deluding yourself.
Jeter is normally a little more balanced, I'm quite surprised at this approach though.
My ATM now offers 8 language choices, a mix of asian, european and spanish.
The safety cones at work? English and vietnamese.
My favorite restaraunts - the viet places all print their menu's in vietnamese with english translations. Same with thai.
My bank has multiple language options too. The drive through ATM has braille as well...
And what do all these things have in common? They are business decisions made to attract more market share...
And what do all these things have in common? They are business decisions made to attract more market share...
Boom.
Nailed it.
Nothing more needs to be said.
Snoop,
I don't know where you live, but up in the Northeastern corner of Massachusetts nothing of the sort is offered. Now if I drive over the border into New Hampshire & walk into Home Depot...there's English & Spanish signs everywhere. Nice if you speak either language. Tough I guess if you don't.
Pity those that come from Slovenia. Out of luck I guess.
My point was that if you enable ONE group by offering their language everywhere, then they will be less apt to learn English. Why? Because they don't need to.
Is that really so difficult to understand?
I understand, I just don't agree.
My Aunt Millie couldn't read English to save her life, even when she was in her 80s. And there were (still are) no street signs in Italian in southeastern Pennsylvania in the 1970s, no Italian ballots, no "prema 2 per l'italiano." She just had a hard time learning the language, and missed Italy.
Spanish speakers get catered to because there are an ass-ton of them, all over. It's just marketing, not political correctness. If there were twenty million ancient Egyptians living among us, you'd see hierogylphics on your ATM.
So you're saying the, Jeter, that you'd like to pass a law that makes it illegal for a business to cater to its customers in a language the customer understands?
Did I write that Marv? Did I imply that?
Where did I say I'd like to see any LAWS passed?
Oh that's right--I didn't.
Not only are you a bitter pathetic human being. We can add Liar to your resume.
Bravo Bitter One!
You don't want anyone to "enable" those who speak Spanish. How else are you gonna accomplish that, name caller, unless you pass a law making such things illegal?
And in your spare time, you might want to re-read my original question to you and decide if it really demanded such a hostile response.
Jeter, wish I could have posted earlier, I was taking the family out to dinner.
I live in austin, tx. I work in manufacturing, we employ anyone who will work for 7 bucks an hour without a criminal record. We get lots of asians and mexicans working for us. Suprisingly, the only whites we get are 2nd shift and gothic.
My wife is mexican. She wouldn't have been had the laws been different in the 60's. See, she is the 1st born. Back then, you couldn't inherit land in mexico if you weren't 1st born and mexican. Her parents were naturalized, but wanted to ensure they wouldn't lose everything they worked for in life.
I also travel, as I noted before. I can get by in life with three languages - english, spanish and german. While the countryside is still difficult, it isn't as bad as it sounds.
Now comes the funny part. I love the east coast, it's just like Chicago. I can go to the polish section and enjoy great polish food while strangers around me converse in polish. Italian? Love it. Couldn't care less about what they are saying, I don't understand. Great dining!
Am I ignorant? No, I just enjoy a great dining experience, and suprisingly, I seem to be able to tell if the people around me are speaking sheit about my country of choice because it really does sound the same in different languages...
mhk, Did you miss my point? Yeah by about a mile.
If we continue to offer Spanish everywhere WHY would anyone feel the urgency to learn English?
My grandparents [both sets] came here from Italy. They struggled to learn English. They didn't have the convenience of picking up a phone & hearing Press 1 for Italian.
If you enable folks they won't even bother to try & assimilate.
LOLs Jeter, I read this after I replied to your previous comment.
Now I know why I like you, ya big guinea!
Love, Italian Style! Break it up, youse two!
Hey Val you dumb guinea ;-)
It's Friday. Packie-run. Don't forget Pearlene's wine!
And I've got a little grappa for everyone ;-)
HAH! All these guys can handle is a little...
Pearl, if it's hot where you are, I can get vino bianco. Otherwise, I am pretty much a red wine drinker. ..
Why exactly do they HAVE to assimilate? What's it to you?
Why do we have to accept them? What's it to you? It works both ways.
Ah, bigotry at its finest.
Why did we have to accept you or your ancestors? We didn't. Truth is, it made this country the great place it is.
See, this is what I wanted to get to. The language thing isn't about language or anything pragmatic. It's about a bunch of bigots who don't want to "accept them." Thanks for proving my point.
Do you really want to live in a country where half the people speak Spanish and can't speak or understand English?
I don't care. I live in an area right now where people speak all sorts of languages. Guess what? Doesn't affect my life in any way I can discern.
What's gonna happen if we DO end up in a country with half and half on languages? Give us your big scare story, Rino.
"What's gonna happen if we DO end up in a country with half and half on languages"
Well, for one thing, unless you can speak Spanish fluently, there will be a lot of restaurants that you will simply have to avoid.
Oh no! I'd have to avoid some restaurants!? The fall of civilization is at our doorstep!
Dude, I already cater such places. Pointing at the coffee pot and smiling goes a long way. And if you saw my expanding waistline, you'd know that I'm managing to be well fed despite the language barrier.
And in time, they come up to speed because I'm too lazy to learn Spanish. And their kids are bilingual. Makes me jealous.
(They come up to speed in English, that is. Immersion helps.)
Language can be a great uniter, and also a great divider. If everyone in America could speak English, it would strengthen our sense of unity. Can anyone really deny that?
Instead, the democrat's inability of being able to stand firm and strong on an issue as important as language results in a continued and growing divide throughout the American public.
The divide doesn't come from those willing to let others live their lives as they choose. Instead, it comes from those wanting to tell everyone else how to live their lives in the name of "Unity."
Let's take your logic further- Religion is a great Uniter too, so lets make Christianity the Official Religion of the United States. I've noticed that at baseball games, fans of all colors and nationalities forget their differences and root for a team- lets make the Red Sox the Official Baseball Team of the United States.
While we're at it with all this Unifying, lets come up with a symbol we can run up flagpoles and salute, wear on our lapels, and have torchlight parades around. And let's unite in going after anyone who doesnt speak our language, share our religion, or worship our unifying symbol. After all, what value is more important than Unification?
Well, if you're saying that businesses have never provided multilingual services to their customers, here are some pictures which prove you wrong:
[link to 66.230.220.70] that you see it's always been done that way, I'm sure you'll change your position on this issue. Welcome to our side!
Great link FDR...it takes me to :
Page Not Found
Was that supposed to be a joke?
When I de-obfuscated the link it resolved to this.
Cute!
Wow. And you called ME bitter.
If you don't want to be called "bitter" then why is it a part of your user name?
Different ways of using the word.
Actually, I was bitter, for two minutes, ten years ago, when I went to get a username somewhere, and "BigMarv" (I'm very tall) was chosen. So I went with BitterMarv instead, and it stuck.
So I'm not actually bitter, despite Jeter's open hostility above.
Jeter, why do you assume that because they speak Spanish they don't know English?
You don't want them to learn English--you want them to forget Spanish
Jeter, why do you assume that because they speak Spanish they don't know English? You don't want them to learn English--you want them to forget Spanish....by PBG
WOW!!!! Where did I write that or even imply it? God some of you moonbats are totally ridiculous! Talk about twisting my words...no that wasn't even twisting...that was just totally misrepresenting what I wrote.
Was my post written Chinese? Cause I think you all missed the point...
Tell me, if you went to live in a foreign country & could have everything offered in English, would you try real hard to learn the language of your new residence?
Or would it act as an enabler?
Further more WHY only Spanish?
What about others who come here? Italians, Russians etc?
No Press 1 for them. No signs or documents all over this nation for them.
But thanks once again for reminding me why I won't be voting for a Democrat. Moonbat logic isn't much better than Neocon madness.
Geez.
*Rusty wherever you are, maybe you had the right idea*.
WHY only Spanish?
http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p23-206.pdf
It's not very complicated.
Jeter, I get your point but I think that the reason that "press 1" for Spanish has everything to do with economics and Wall Street. They are now the largest minority with income. Corporate America will not let a little thing like English stop them from raking in the bucks. They will make available whatever is needed in order to have access to the cash available from the largest minority. In other words it's all about the $$.
I admit when the ATMs starting asking "English or Spanish" I wasn't crazy about it but I got used to it. Similarly, when the hispanics started dominating the restaurant jobs and fast food jobs in my area instead of the high school kids and they had trouble understanding what I was saying or me understanding what they were saying, I didn't like it but I got used to it. It certainly changed the dynamic of being a manager at one of these places because if you don't speak Spanish you have no shot at communicating with your employees. And that's unfortunate in my opinion.
It certainly changed the dynamic of being a manager at one of these places because if you don't speak Spanish you have no shot at communicating with your employees. And that's unfortunate in my opinion.
The unfortunate thing you speak of is called Capitalism. Businesses strive to keep costs low to deliver a lower cost product to their customers. If someone comes along willing to do a job for less money and do it every bit as well, then that business is probably gonna hire that person. Perhaps the business decides it's worth the inconvenience of language issues.
So it comes back to you. If that's a problem for you, vote with your dollars.
Jeter,
I think you're a somewhat irritated right now, and I certainly understand why. I know it’s hard being you sometimes on this board. You know I admire you're courage for sticking it out here and I respect you greatly. I hope you never leave. That said, I can't believe that you are a one issue voter; you're too smart for that. So I find it hard to believe that you would vote for one of the current crop of war mongering Republican candidates just because they endorse adopting English as the official language of the US. You made a mistake by voting for one warmonger, and you have said many many times how much you regret that. So I find it hard to believe that you would vote for another warmonger just because they endorse adopting English as the official language. Maybe you're going to sit out the next one or maybe someone like a Hagel will enter, but I think they would have difficulty getting past the Republican primaries?
I also totally agree with the point that the other posters made when they said that big business is driving the bilingual dynamics in America; yes fiscal conservative Republicans saw a large untapped market that they wanted to communicate with and whose business they wanted. You can bet those Republicans that are driving the bilingual dynamics will also vote for one of those anti-Spanish language Hispanic culture guys. What irony. The truth is America has always been a diverse country; you know that old cliché a nation of immigrants. It just so happens that the English speaking people were the largest and most powerful group of immigrants and that culture and language understandably became the dominant language and culture. Is what is now the Southwest USA, the Spanish culture has always been very prominent because parts of the current US were once Spanish colonies. It kind of reminds the French Creole culture in Louisiana specifically New Orleans, if that influence was had extended to encompass more of that region the French language would also be prominent and you would see the same bilingual dynamics with that. I don't think it's anything to fear and it's not going to obliterate the dominant culture and language, it's just going to change it a little. Spanish speaking people have always crossed borders between Mexico and what is now the US Southwest (don’t worry I’m not advocating open borders, I think the Mexican government is a disgrace for turning their people into economic refugees, and we can’t continue to allow Mexico to scavenge off of our economy. It isn’t fair and we can’t afford.) Whatever the case, the Spanish speaking peoples of the Southwest US are now diasporing (is that a word?), and we who live in other regions of the country are now experiencing what is common in the Southwest. I just kind of view this as a continual cycle of change. English is the universal language of money and power and that isn’t going to change, subsequent generations of Hispanics will be like all other non-English speaking immigrants and they will learn English and be absorbed into the larger society. Unless one is like BILL O’rielly who doesn’t want his tribe of CWMs (Christian White Males) to share the greatness that is America there is nothing to fear.Hey Lynn,
Without you, Pearlene, Val, Tommy, Bruce, King, Open_Mind, Snoop, Beach, Solon, Monk, AA, Brabantio and a handful of others I'd have probably taken my ball & bat and gone home long ago ;-)
Yeah I was irritated yesterday, mainly because my points were being twisted & interpreted wrongly in some cases. Others just outright lied about what I'd written.
But, despite what I typed out here about not voting for a Democrat [because of a few Moonbats] that was just my frustration speaking.
I'm Italian, we are as ethnic a people as you'll find. My heritage is something I'm proud of and I enjoy the traditions & culture of the nation of my ancestors.
When my grandparents arrived here from Italy, they like others from whatever nations they had emigrated from, sought out and lived among folks like themselves. Their enclave/neighborhood spoke primarily Italian, and yes signs in shop windows were also in Italian. However when they left this sanctuary they were not accommodated as the Hispanic population is, by having businesses offering Italian as well as English. They did not have Press 1 for Italian when they made phone calls. Their motivation to learn English in order to assimilate was IMO far greater than someone arriving here from a Spanish speaking country.
I in no way implied that Hispanics, or any other ethnic group give up their culture, traditions OR their language. My own family upholds our Italian traditions, culture & language. I would NEVER advocate for others to abandon theirs.
Yes I understand that a great deal of this bilingual push/acceptance is due to economics. In the end, I guess it always come down to $$. But the cost of this bilingual movement should also be taken into consideration.
I also still believe you take away a reason to learn this county's primary language, English, by enabling those who speak Spanish with these *services* not offered to other immigrants.
That was my primary point. That several here decided to misconstrue what I wrote is somewhat to be expected I suppose. But it does get my goat.
But leave here? Nah, that would make the jackasses happy.
But more importantly, I'd miss you & the other posters whom I've grown to like & respect.
So you think that any Republican who doesn't want to pull out at once from Iraq or set arbritrary timetables is a "warmongeror?"
I think Republicans who use John Wayne I’m a bad ass rhetoric to resolve very complex and dangerous foreign policy issues are nuts. I watched portions of the last two Republican debates and they all seem ready to invade Iran tomorrow, how and with what army I don't know. They're ridiculous. Bring it on policy doesn't work when you're dealing with crazy people because crazy people will bring it if they have to throw stones at you're air planes or blow themselves up next to you. We have to be tough and smart. So far all they seem to want to do is appear tough.
Do you think that we should invade Iran if they get really close to getting nuclear weapons? Or do you not have a problem with Iran having nuclear weapons?
Do YOU really think that Iran wants to see the end of their country? Even the hint of the scent of the hope that they might use a nuke on anyone would bring to an end the Persian way of life in that region. You don't think they know that?
Do you think Hitler was thinking about how he would be decimated when he started on his path for world domination? Ahmadinejad is the Hilter of our time, he has made it clear that he wants to destroy Israel and then the United States. He denies the holocaust. That alone should tell you the man is not rational and cannot be trusted. No matter what the US or UN order him to do with his weapons programs, he will never stop because he has no reason to.
As much as I sincerely try to figure out why anyone thinks we can sit down and negotiate with a country run by a genocide-promoting holocaust denier, it just doesn't make sense for me. Why must we wait until Iran does something horrible to take action? If Hilter were only taken out in Munich, history would be a much brighter place.
Sooooooo we should threaten to wipe him off the map because he threatened to wipe us off the map?
Israel can take care of itself. Ask any Israeli. Let them handle their security. It's their country.
Separate from all the other problems I have with this line of thinking, there's the simple matter of "what do you want to do about it?" Even if you think we have the right to (and I don't), we can't just end the Iranian nuclear programme with a few bombs. Probably, we can't end it with a lot of bombs... maybe not even with nuclear bunker-busters.
The question of who gave the U.S. the right to tell other states who to do is one issue - the question of whether we even can is a different one. I do not think military power is the totipotent force some seem to be making it out to be.
Sorry. Meant "warmonger"
yeah but the spanish language has always been a part of American History. Most of the southern united states is a bilingual area. I drive up to Laredo all the time to go shopping. I find it easier to speak Spanish at stores in Laredo, TX than an Englsih and I am officially in the united states of america. Mexico for the most part is bilingual as well, all the places that americans go. It's not that big of a deal, I dont' feel Mexican culture has been hurt by a lot of people speakign English.
This idea that the U.S. must be a monolingual nation, IMHO, comes from Americans' general crappy language skills. In Europe, people who have only one language are increasingly rare.
A lot (but not all, obviously) of the irritation is just "whut the hail are they sayin'?"
I see French on product boxes all the time. It's not just the Spaniards that are getting this incredibly generous treatment.
That "incredibly generous treatment" you're talking about is that of a business person deciding they can make more money by catering to people in a language more comfortable to them. As pointed out repeatedly here, that's a business decision. Now, I won't ask you if you think that should be allowed or, you know, made illegal, because while that's the next logical thing to ask, it seems to piss off some people.
Uh, Jeter? You really want to pass laws forbidding PRIVATE COMPANIES from offering "press 1 for Spanish," Spanish signs in their stores, etc? Please! As long as everyone uses the same currency, businesses are not going to care what language they are speaking.
As for this being a "new" phenomenon, check photographs from the period 1890-1920- you will see stores in NYC and elsewhere decked out in signs in Italian, Polish, Hebrew, etc.
Finally- I love how all these guys who can only speak and write in English cant understand why Immigrants dont simply "just learn English." You try working 12 hours a day and finding the time to learn another language. Its not just a matter of choice- learning a new language is HARD and TAKES TIME. Yes, Immigrants who want to succeed in this country will learn English, but it wont happen overnight. But cutting them off from information in their own language right off the bat will accomplish nothing. It's just mean-spirited and stupid.
No kidding that is lame.
But I certainly agree of the importance to learn the native language. The opposite is certainly true. Before I eventually relocated to Laredo, I made it a point to brush up on my Spanish. Why? Because it was ever so important to do so in such a society.
"Anyway, if there is a problem with assimilation, it is not because Spanish speakers do not want to learn, they just do not have the opportunity." --Ashenshard
I guess you forgot about free public school education for legal and illegal immigrants. Ever hear of the ESL program? Please. We accommodate spanish speaking people so much in this country by providing virtually every service in english and spanish. This accommodation should give the spanish speaker ample support to take their time and learn to speak english properly, and eventually not have to rely on spanish language services to get along.
free public school education
How many adults you see in those free public schools learning English? Or anything for that matter?
[These] accommodation[s] should give the spanish speaker ample support to take their time and learn to speak english properly, and eventually not have to rely on spanish language services to get along.
Hey! We agree on something! These accommodations DO give immigrants the time and support to learn the language at a reasonable pace. And it's my experience (with my own family, friends, and acquaintances, anyway) that they do. So, finally, we're all agreed.
One argument is, we can't let them come over and drop their "anchor babies" because then they will over-burden our education system. Then they expect everyone to learn English as soon as they cross the border. Catch-22, ne?
America is the only country in the world that currently has the anchor baby law. Even liberal Canada took away their anchor baby law because they recognized that one day their national identity would be compromised (mainly by asians that were coming to Canada to have their babies). It is a rediculous law.
That "rediculous" law you're talking about is the 14th Amendment.
I have to agree here, it's an arbitrary law - if you're born on this side of the imaginary line, you follow such-and-such laws. But if you're born on that side, you have to follow the other laws.
Everyone loses. But that wasn't even my point at all. I was saying that it's hypocritical to complain that immigrants will overwork our public services, then complain that they aren't educated.
Has anyone seen the title of the new Jimmy Carter book??
Ah yes! I'm very familiar with Roger Hedgecock. There's somethings you should know about this man: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Hedgecock
I remember this scandal and the facts are back up on the link above.
His past is back to haunt him.
Thanks for the link, FNC. I've heard this Rush second banana and wondered who he was. Didn't know about his history.
Most interesting; Straight Outta Compton!
My mother is British and my father is Spanish (from Spain; I know a lot of Americans who have trouble making that distinction, and some who even think that Spain is in South America). I speak English (real English - not American), Spanish, German and Catalan (a romance language spoken by roughly 6 million people in eastern Spain, southern France and part of the island of Sardinia). I learned all of these languages except English as an adult. I lived in Spain for 8 years, a country that relies heavily on tourism and where just about every European language is spoken.
Many people have the conception that a country should have one language. This is fascism: when Franco wanted to force Spain to be "Una, Grande y Libre" he outlawed the use of Catalan, and one could walk down las Ramblas in Barcelona in the 1960s and find magazines in every major language - except Catalan, the language of Barcelona! This desire to assimilate others is based on fear and ignorance.
If you don't like the fact that you can't understand what people are saying, then learn something! Thats what I did! Instead of forcing people to speak English, Americans, with their vast wealth, free time, and good education and availability of materials, should be learning other languages. Knowledge is power, after all.
Know what the #1 political issue is among Latinos? It's education. They are learning English. If they aren't learning it fast enough for you then the fault lies with your impatience.
French is printed on many products in the US because they are also sold in Quebec, where French is widely spoken.
Its a common misconception that other nations are monolingual. Not even in Great Britain is English the only language spoken (Welsh, Gaelic). In France there are at least 5 other languages (Breton, Basque, Franco-Provencal, Occitan and German), in Spain there are four languages (Basque, Gallician, Catalan, and Castillian Spanish). These languages are often protected by law.
Know why they call it New Mexico? What's next, are we gonna prohibit Hawaiian?
As for the "press 1 for Spanish" argument, previous posters are correct in asserting that this is an issue of the Benjamins.
Let's learn something folks! I know how it feels to be thoroughly surrounded by people you can't understand. Will you use that feeling in a positive manner (learning something new) or in a negative way (lashing out with hatred, bred of ignorance)?
I wish I hadnt posted before I saw your post, because you said it all, and much more, better than I ever could.
Americans want a Constitutional Amendment to make English the Official Language primarily because they feel stupid hearing people speak in Spanish. I think that deep down, they also realize that most people who currently speak Spanish in the US will learn English, and then they will be Bilingual, and then they really WILL be stupid by comparison.
Just call the English Only Amendment the "Freedom from Knowledge" or "Protection of Wilfull Ignorance" Amendment. Hearing someone speak in a foreign language is a bit annoying, and it makes me feel stupid, so lets ban it. "Press one for English" delays my call by two seconds, so lets ban it. Ballots in other languages lets people who speak another language have all the advantages Mono-linguists like me have, so lets ban those, too. Those hanging signs in the stores sometimes make me walk a few feet to read the English version on the back- that annoys me, so ban them. Sometimes the cashier has to struggle for up to five seconds to understand me- thats annoying, so lets ban the language she's comfortable with, and while we are at it, lets deport her too, because she cost me five seconds out of my busy day. So very stupid.
Cartoon, nobody in America is trying to outlaw the use of a particular language here, like your example of Franco wanting to outlaw the use of Catalan. Adopting an amendment that makes English the official language in America would save billions of dollars in taxpayer dollars. No more printing government documents such as ballots in multiple languages, no more government funds paying for translators in hospitals and other public places.
I work for a large public school system, and see first hand the wasted money that pours into translation services. For example, a simple community meeting that should last an hour requires a spanish translator that gets paid upwards of 500 dollars (taxpayer money) for the services. The meeting also lasts twice as long, creating inefficiency in the workplace for public school employees.
By doing business only in English, government can become more efficient, and save billions of dollars nationwide...while never denying the right of anyone to speak their native tounge freely. I don't understand why anyone would not want to reach that very attainable goal.
So you're totally cool with disenfranchising legal residents just because they don't know English as well as you do?
The reality is that most people in the US speak English. I also speak a little Spanish and a little Greek. When I go to Greece, in order for me to get around, I need to know some words and phrases. When I go to Puerto Rico, I also need to know some words and phrases. You know why? People primarily speak Greek and Spanish and you need to be able to read in those languages.
I can't imagine moving to either country and not embracing their culture and their language. I lived in Greece for 4 months and could carry on a conversation and could read and write reasonably well. I did so because I had to - because my ability to geet around depended on it. If everyone spoke English, then I wouldn't have needed to.
The point I'm trying to make is that people don't have to speak English to just survive in the US because we've allowed that. But, I think it's done more harm than good. We may be a nation of immigrants but having separate languages breeds mistrust. That's just the way it is. Liberals may not like it because it doesn't feel inclusive but I think the opposite - I want Hispanics, Asians and everyone else to be a part of American society because they can add something to it. They can't so that if I'm spaking English and they're speaking Vietnamese and we can't communicate.
One other point-my husband works in an inner city middle and high school with a significant hispanic population. One bit of insight he gave me to the issue with immigrants learning English is that many are illiterate in their native language - the kids and the parents. He has kids who speak Spanish fine but can't write or read Spanish. They even have a really tough time in Spanish classes. So, it's not just a question of learning English, it's a question of better learning their native language, too. A double challenge.
I still dont get it. So fricking what if Americans speak many different languages? So we all learn to work with eachother and try to understand eachother as much as possible. All this crap about America being "Balkanized," etc is just a smokescreen for bigotry. Just admit that you want everyone in the country to have the complexion of Lou Dobbs and get it over with. You dont give a damn about National Unity and you wont like immigrants even if they speak flawless English, because they have skin that's browner than yours, and besides they make the lines longer at Seven-Eleven and MacDonald's. When the "English Only" bigots just admit this, we can move the conversation forward. But please, stop hiding behind this idea that language has anything to do with it, because it just doesnt.
Having said what I did previously, I also want to add that I understand that it is frustrating to hear people who have lived here for decades yet do not have a firm grasp of English. It definitely is not easy to learn a language as an adult, and English isn't as easy to learn comprehensively as a native speaker might think. (Fish can also be spelled Ghiti - G.B. Shaw.)
Bilingualism is to everyone's advantage. When I began studying other languages, it greatly improved my understanding of English.
Mr. Hedgecock, I lived under Apartheid, and you certainly do not know what you are spewing. The only form of Apartheid that I see is your xenophobic bile towards those of us who do not look like you or your pale faced brothers and sisters. And for the record, it is an absolute isult to potential English speakers to suggest that they learn English from US TV or radio.
This all goes back to the borders. If we controlled our borders, we could ensure that everyone who enters this country on a permanent basis has at least a rudimentary understanding of English. It is time for the Congress to have some guts and finally make English the national language. Get rid of Spanish, French, and Italian directions. Catering to immigrants who refuse to assimilate only divides us more as a country.
I currently live in San Diego, CA. And yes they do offer all sorts of free english classes for adults (http://www.sandiegocet.net/classes/summer/esl.php) Also the ATMS use many different languages as well as business signs, etc. I have no problem with any of this. Speak whatever f'n language you want...I don't care. The problem is that many groups want services in their language. Filipinos are a big % of population here and speak in many different dialects. Tagalog being the most popular, followed by Cebuano, and llocano. There are also sizable groups of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese...etc. And let's not forget the Hispanics. While many can speak english or at least try to...It can offer many problems. Hospitals are the perfect example. I live in a very mixed area and one of my friends works at the local hospital. And he has had many difficulities with patients who can't speak english. Usually he has to try to get a translator for one of the many languages spoken here. And if they cannot find a translator who is fluent in that certain dialect or language then he has to go through a family member. Sometimes these family members are their children. Who are not old enough to have a strong knowledge of english or the medical questions being asked (not to mention embarrasing!). I think Newsweek did a story about this. I also had many problems with this when I worked at a phone center for a major Dept. store. In one case i had three people at one store trying to translate english to some weird mandarin dialect (one to another to another to another). Now this is not to say that ALL people refuse to speak english or try to learn. Or that All of one group or another want everything in their particular language. I have just noticed in my dealings and from my friends that more people EXPECT that we speak their language. Or have somebody on staff that can translate. Again not ALL people, and yes many do try their best to learn. But how many languages do we need to know? How many should we have on ballots? Should the government be responsible for every language spoken in a certain area? If not what's that cut-off?, 500?, 10,000?, 50,000? Private business have the right to do whatever they want, in whatever language. But what about the government?