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Metro ponders signs in Spanish (Washington DC)
The Washington Times ^ | 25 June 06 | Keyonna Summers

Posted on 06/25/2006 3:59:07 AM PDT by SkyPilot

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To: SkyPilot; abner; Abundy; AGreatPer; alisasny; ALlRightAllTheTime; AlwaysFree; AnnaSASsyFR; ...
BTTT!

¡Español es la lengua de la Reconquista!

41 posted on 06/25/2006 11:16:45 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (One flag--American. One language--English. One allegiance--to America!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Expanol might have been somebody's language, but even Isabella, bless her hard little heart, issued the edict to expel the Jews in Ladino ~ that way the Jews, who were just about the only people in Spain who could be depended upon to be literate would know they'd been told to hit the road.


42 posted on 06/25/2006 11:19:08 AM PDT by muawiyah (-)
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To: goldstategop
The estimated cost of the changes is at least $500,000 per station and as much as $900,000 for a large, multilevel station such as Metro Center or L'Enfant Plaza.

Bus in a load of taggers with a couple of cases of spray Rustoleum, and the cost should be considerably less...

43 posted on 06/25/2006 11:23:16 AM PDT by ErnBatavia (Meep Meep)
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To: SkyPilot
On a pack of airline peanuts: Instructions - Open packet, eat nuts.

They better have that "packed in a facility that processes peanuts" disclaimer on the pack also...

44 posted on 06/25/2006 11:25:16 AM PDT by ErnBatavia (Meep Meep)
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To: muawiyah
BTW, "next language to be accommodated" has already happened in Fairfax. It's Farsi.

Oh, goody. Fairfax is adopting the language of Madman Achmadinajewkiller. That's all we need...

45 posted on 06/25/2006 11:26:43 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (One flag--American. One language--English. One allegiance--to America!)
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To: Grendel9
Has Spain installed the same? How about Germany, Greece or Japan?
In Barcelona many signs in metro stations are also now in English and the (impossible to understand in any language) PA announcements in the major train stations are done in English sometimes French too. On beaches the state of the sea and warnings are announced in English, French and German. Can't say I've ever been to Germany or Japan, but in Greece the metro has a lot of English signs - probably due to the last olympics.
46 posted on 06/25/2006 11:27:32 AM PDT by freedom moose (has de cultivar el que sembres)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Farsi is also widely used by the tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who live here, and by the tens of thousands of Iranian refugees who also live here.

We have a very large Farsi speaking population ~ and given the number of cars and rugs to be sold around here, they are learning English rapidly.

As far as Iranian madmen are concerned, I think we know the difference between the people who rule Iran and the refugees from that rule who live here.

47 posted on 06/25/2006 11:29:28 AM PDT by muawiyah (-)
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To: ErnBatavia

Particularly if they're illegal aliens and they're using Rustoleum stolen from the local paint store.


48 posted on 06/25/2006 11:30:19 AM PDT by muawiyah (-)
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To: Grendel9
With the burgeoning Mexican population daily arriving in the U.S., it would seem more plausible to facilitate foreigners' LEARNING ENGLISH by leaving the signs as they are!

In a similar vein...Here there are a few signs in arabic (since they're supposedly going to take us over) but they're limited to arabic type business and (no surprise) social service and immigration offices. Though every summer on the big highway that one would take from France through Spain to a place where you can ferry to morocco there are special signs that pop-up in arabic. I always joke that they put them there to give arabs less reasons to stop.
49 posted on 06/25/2006 11:32:21 AM PDT by freedom moose (has de cultivar el que sembres)
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To: SkyPilot
When I first moved to Pocatello in December 2000, there were no bilingual signs. Some merchandise in the stores carried English and French labeling. Never Spanish.

In early 2006 a new Lowe's opened. I was looking forward to being able to shop at the local Lowe's without need of driving 50 miles north to Idaho Falls. No more. The store is full of bilingual (English/Spanish) signs. They have installed an automated public address system announcement for departments around the store. The PA announcements are repeated twice in English and twice in Spanish. It happens so frequently that it is impossible to maintain a cogent line of thought. It is very unlikely that there is even a single Spanish speaking employee in the store.

We also have a Home Depot. The aisles are labeled in English and Spanish well. The difference is that they don't have a bilingual PA system blaring constantly. They also hire experience, skilled craftsmen and assign them to departments where their skills offer value to a customer shopping in that department.

The single case where we could use some more bilingual Spanish/English speakers is the local police department. We have exactly one officer who can speak Spanish. Most of the criminal activity in town comes from illegal aliens seeking to sell drugs in town. Our single Spanish speaking officer has caught them off guard a few times. They figured they could continue jabbering on about their criminal activities without concern that the local officers could understand them. Wrong. Now that taxpayers are supporting a few more illegal alien felons in the local facilities.

50 posted on 06/25/2006 11:39:41 AM PDT by Myrddin
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To: muawiyah
Oh, yeah, almost forgot ~ in order to warn folks away from a dangerous part of Burke Lake the park authority put up a sign in the 16 most commonly used languages in the county.

Sounds like you live in Springfield, VA. I moved there in Nov 1966. It was the new Rolling Valley area. My house at 8315 Greeley Blvd had just been completed. I had to attend West Springfield elementary for the balance of 5th grade. I attended Rolling Valley elementary in 6th grade in the first year the school was opened. A recent trip back to the area was a shocking surprise. The place has really grown.

During that trip I stayed in a hotel near 7 corners. It was an extended trip, so I had to do laundry. The laundromat I selected was populated will all Spanish speakers. The TV was blaring Spanish programs. It reminded me of the laundromat in West Palm Beach where I was the only English speaker and the only white person in the room.

51 posted on 06/25/2006 11:57:22 AM PDT by Myrddin
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To: muawiyah
As far as Iranian madmen are concerned, I think we know the difference between the people who rule Iran and the refugees from that rule who live here.

I attended school with a fair number of Iranian refugees. They weren't Islamic nutjobs.

52 posted on 06/25/2006 12:02:46 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: freedom moose

Thanks for the info. OK. Then we
should spend the money to install
as many foreign languages as we
can...but NOT just Spanish! What
kind of insult is that to other
nationalities?


53 posted on 06/25/2006 12:09:35 PM PDT by Grendel9 (u)
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To: Grendel9

Foreign language signs certainly help in the area of tourism, but my veiw on it is it shouldn't be done to cater to immigrants. As far as insulting other nationalities, that's a problem I guess, but most sensible tourists realize that there just isn't room for a translation into every language on every sign/menu/etc.


54 posted on 06/25/2006 12:13:15 PM PDT by freedom moose (has de cultivar el que sembres)
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To: SkyPilot

Note to DC, FL has an english official amendment.

How about we look at the other languages the USA considered at its founding.

Does the NAACP want ebonics signs?


55 posted on 06/25/2006 12:23:51 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Grendel9

In Greece it is Greek and english.

At the Olympics in 2004 the signs were in greek and english. No french, no german.

On public transport, it is generally english and the local language.

English is THE language of the world. There is ZERO reason to do spanish, particularly the south american version of spanish.


56 posted on 06/25/2006 12:48:20 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Myrddin
Very true.

Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, used to visit cousins, etc. in our neighborhood and walk around with a train of small children behind him.

Guy's an hereditary prince of a major tribal group too.

He's far from a Moslem fanatic.

57 posted on 06/25/2006 1:07:29 PM PDT by muawiyah (-)
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To: Myrddin

Home Depot has a major presence in Latin America. The English/Spanish thing is part of their corporate "branding".


58 posted on 06/25/2006 1:09:14 PM PDT by muawiyah (-)
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To: SkyPilot
I thought that the President highlighted the importance of ASSIMILATION to immigrants (legal and otherwise) in a recent public speech!!!

Yep, this will really help immigrants assimilate. <--rolling eyes (s/off)

59 posted on 06/25/2006 1:12:58 PM PDT by stockstrader
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To: SkyPilot
The Urban Institute estimates that more than 1 million immigrants and illegal
aliens live in the region, and about 40 percent of them are Hispanic.


So much for those Senatorial and Presidential fantasies about
assimilation.
Too many of them may live here decades, but apparently can't bother
to pick up a 500-word vocabulary in English.
No "pathway to citizenship" for folks that lazy!
60 posted on 06/25/2006 1:15:46 PM PDT by VOA
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