Posted on 01/11/2009 10:42:35 AM PST by Tennessee Nana
> I would never deny that multiculturalism has been fun for the tastebuds. The question is whether it benefits anything else.
As someone born and raised in Canada it took me until well into my adulthood to appreciate the ability to speak and read English and French. Now that I live in New Zealand I am trying to learn Maori.
My French is quite rusty now, but I feel confident that if I ended up in French Caledonia for some reason, within a few days or a week it would all come back to me. I would sound strange to a native French Caledonian, and immediately identifiable as a foreigner, but I could make myself understood and I could understand what was being said in return. Communication would occur at more than superficial levels.
It is always good and never bad to know more than one language. There is no downside (absolutely none) to being Bilingual or Multilingual.
Being monolingual (like most of you Yanks are) is exactly like being a motorcar that can take only one brand of petrol. It works fine if there is always a Shell station handy, but when the only petrol station for 50 miles is a Texaco, you’re poked!
Thanks. Too bad it doesn’t include the Romance languages...
Parents do too much for kids, IMO. My favorite, besides parents fighting at Little League games, is when the mothers get into the arguments of jr. hi girls.
When I was a kid the kids sold their stuff and the parents stayed out of it. That's how kids learned.
One of the funniest things I remember about GS cookies was when my best friend and I, we were 9 years old, went to the father of another friend to sell our cookies. He bought one from each of us but only had a dollar bill--cookies were $.50--and neither of us had change.
She and I got into an argument who was going to get the dollar and he finally just tore in two leaving us gaping at each other with our mouths wide open.
Too bad Norman Rockwell wasn't there because it was definitely a NR moment..
But when we go to the local Walmart, he fills me in on all the juicy chatter going on around us.
Some of it is unbelievably personal and, IMO, vulgar.
Stuff I would never say in public.
That’s a good story and obviously a lesson remembered over the years.
Our Council gave all the leaders a couple of boxes of Dulce de Leche cookies. I didn’t care for them, but two or three of my girls liked them. I’m always happy to find cookies I *don’t* like ;-).
No, they eliminated a sugar-free chocolate cookie that had never been successful. (They tasted like dust.)
Jeez. “Dulce de Leche” is really no different than “burrito”,”cappucino”,”omelet”,”spaghetti”,”lasagna” or any other ethnic food names. This is really nothing more than a proverbial tempest in a teacup, or just much ado about nothing.
I think the reason many people’s hackles go up is because more and more Spanish language/culture is being forced on them and or their children. It’s like a parent making a big deal out of eating vegetables, then making the child eat vegetables instead of making it a matter of fact food item. Choices, we want choices not mandates.
With rare exception- Spanish should not be a required language to learn in order to get an education or job in the United States; children should not be forced to learn it. I think it is a good idea to learn Spanish and would help many with their job, business, or social life- but to each his own.
In recent years we have been invaded by illegals and the feeling now is we are being required to learn their language since there are so many here. That is BS and the wrong approach. Legal immigrants need to be encouraged to assimilate, illegals need to return home. We should not be expected to change our language and culture to accomodate them. If we choose to learn their language or culture that is different. Children should be exposed to other languages and cultures, but not by force.
I personally see nothing wrong with Girl Scouts coming up with the new cookie and using it as an opportunity for the girls to learn a little Spanish- some are in defensive mode about the issue, and will see it as another sign of our children being forced to accomodate.
I think with a few people it is prejudice or bias, with most it is a backlash against loosing more freedom of choice- and a backlash against illegal immigration which our government has wrongly allowed/enabled/encouraged. I admit to that feeling myself- when I see an article like this my first reaction is “Oh no here we go again with this crap” but after thinking about it I can usually sort out the forced PC garbage from normal exposure to other cultures.
“I really wish we didn’t have so much regulation that prohibits young people from actually earning money”
It would certainly end those under the table attempts (knife point) and children could unionize for better lawn mowing pay.
I just ordered a box of the new Dulche de Leche, along with the “Thin Mints and Samoas. Its okay I’ve been working out, I can eat a whole box right?
But remember that some older folks were raised like that, to think like that, and they don't know better.
For those folks, I understand their upbringing and try to give them the benefit of the doubt, while also explaining why their thinking is wrong.
My dad (God bless his soul) was a racist for a long time. Not for any reason other than that's what he heard growing up.
Funny thing is, after mom died and he moved to a retirement village, he ended up falling in love with a wonderful black lady.
Like the old saying goes, “Hate the sin, love the sinner.”
You could be speaking about me. My hackles do go up.
I have POSTjudical bais against all the bowing to this kind of crap.
AFTER seeing all the bias against Americans by our own news media, and our 'public servants' in favor of the illegals, I have developed a extreme sensitivity towards illegals and Spanish.
To call me and most others PREjudiced is wrong on your part. We are POSTjudiced, which is the logical and moral stance to take in these situations
What made it perfect, he was the county treasurer and it was in the courthouse with him behind his big desk.
That was about 60 years ago; she and I remained friends until her death in 2000.
My husband used to bring back assorted candy from Mexico. It was terrible. I told him not to bring me any again.
I speak the language of Romance. Just ask all my ex’s.
They’re probably full of lard and sugar!
That’s why they are delicious. Just like Mexican Coca Cola made with real sugar.
I hope their sales drop to zero!!!
Their cookies have always been over priced garbage but this is the last straw.
It’s very sad. We used to enjoy the culture of our Mexican neighbor before our government allowed us to be invaded and exploited. Fences make good neighbors.
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