Posted on 06/18/2011 2:21:20 PM PDT by EricTheRed_VocalMinority
There’s a sticker that says in Arabic “I will not submit” in large calligraphy with the transliteration underneath (”Lan Astaslem”).
It means of course “I will never switch to Islam”.
Now if I can only find one to go with my Teutonic Knights Crusader cross lapel pin.
BTW, “No te mataria a aprender ingles!”
;^)
As an native born American I would expect Guest who come to my country to visit to speak english just as we would be expected to speak a foriegn language when we’re visiting there.
Don’t come here demanding that I learn your language.If you can’t take the time to learn english get the hell out and goto whatever country you came from.
This is espechially true of people who are coming from South of the Border.
I have one and,thanks to you, just ordered two more at opsgear.com. They’re on special for $11.99!
My reply...
Speak our language or live in a country that speaks yours... that's called "respect"
We could use some old knights’ heraldic shields on tee shirts. They would make colorful, intriguing conversation starters. Knights Templar come to mind.
Where is this lady, I want to sue her for emotional distress. You see, I have a very rare disease - Latilingudeccum, which means, if I learn more than 100 spanish words.... (sob)..... I DIE.....(SOB)
I can speak Spanish....”Julio Inglesias” - all a girl needs, really.
That is technically correct. I speak more than one language already. Spanish as a language is quite nice. "I speak Spanish to God," as Charles V told us.
However there are several issues here, and none of them are related to the scholarly side of the language.
First of all, Spanish in the USA is associated - whether you like it or not - with illegal immigration, crime, underworld. If someone has to speak Spanish and not English it is a very strong indicator that the person came here illegally. (Tourists from Spain are likely to speak more languages than you and me combined.) Not only there is no value in speaking Spanish, there is often nothing to discuss. I don't want to learn the language only to decline offers of illegal labor, drugs and hookers. I am open to discuss a contract on development of an electronic product, but people who come to me with such offers speak decent English (even if with Chinese accent, sometimes.)
Secondly, inability to speak English - however bad - is an indication of lack of respect. Speaking French is appreciated in Quebec, even if the waiter finally gives up and takes your order in English. But the effort will be appreciated. Here people come from nowhere, speak foreign languages, and expect *us* to accomodate them?
Thirdly, languages are traditionally a strong force (not in nuclear physics terms :-) that binds people into nations. Often when multiple languages show up you get problems - you get large groups of people that are apart from each other - the famous "us" vs. "them" mentality.
Fourthly, people willingly learn a foreign language because of respect for the culture. People learn English because it is the language of business and innovation. People learn French because it is the language of art. People learn German because [see Mark Twain's essay on that subject ;-] Regardless, all these languages have a solid culture under it, about a thousand years of it. The current Mexican culture, as we see it, revolves around crime on industrial scale, from illegal immigration to drug wars. Why in the world would anyone want to join that culture?
It also must be said that acceptance of a foreign language is a sign of occupation, a sign of submission to a foreign power. Reasonable people don't like the sound of it.
That’s why when you take Spanish, or German, or French in school, you learn the “Old Country” dialect. Kind of like when you hear a person from a former British colony speak, they speak with a “King’s english” accent, even thought they are of say Malay descent. The Brits kind of laugh at “American” english. They think we are rubes. Just like the French think Canadian “french” is inferior. Like you said, probably the same with real Spanish and “Mexican”.
LOL.
If I could only have two bumper stickers on my car, one would ‘deportation’ in Spanish, the other the same, in Arabic.
Cool beans! Glad to be of service!
Now, I see that their shirt is on BACK ORDER!
LMAO
I like that. Actually, English is the language of Commerce, Diplomacy and Science.
I could see a bumper sticker like:
| English is the language of Commerce, Diplomacy and Science. Spanish is the language of Cooking, Cleaning and Landscaping. |
LOL!
I'm not so keen on a "Guest paying a visit" needing to speak english!
However, an illegal coming to America...
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