Obama has a split personality?

[JustaLocal]

It is preferable for everyone to know at least two languages.

If every state in the United States spoke a unique language, I'll bet most of us would know the languages of the economically or culturally important ones too.

 

[Beach Runner]

No! He did not say that at all. He made it very clear that immigrants to this country should learn English. He was just acknowledging the hard reality that in the years to come, there will be many in this country who do indeed speak Spanish. There is no way to stop it of course. Those who are concerned about communication problems would do better to learn Spanish than to whine about it. He was objecting to the "English only attitude". I personally predict that by the middle of this century will will have a president whose first name is Jesus. Anyway here is a youtube video of what Obama had to say. people are constantly spreading misinformation about him. I find him not to be the least bit elitist and always good-natured.

I'm just quoting what I heard on ONN -- I mean CNN. They didn't play his speach (at least not in the two hours I was driving). But they were all negative on him about what he said.

 

[LuciferSam]

I'm just quoting what I heard on ONN -- I mean CNN. They didn't play his speach (at least not in the two hours I was driving). But they were all negative on him about what he said.

Oh I understand, and in this case it sounds like it was CNN who is at fault for spreading the misinformation.

 

[scooterbug44]

It is preferable for everyone to know at least two languages.

If every state in the United States spoke a unique language, I'll bet most of us would know the languages of the economically or culturally important ones too.

Every state doesn't speak a unique language, but each region has it's own idioms and phrases. I was absolutely horrified when I first moved here and someone was telling me how her brother liked to run over buggies w/ his beater car - in my world that meant a baby buggy, not a shopping cart! :rofl:

I think that every American should speak at least 2 languages - one fluently, one conversationally fluent. The official language can be English, but that doesn't mean there can't be additional signage or assistance. How much trouble would most travelers be in if the only signs or menus they saw were in that country's language? It all comes down to "how would you like to be treated?" Americans are quite spoiled by how many people speak our language and ease our lives.
There is seriously a 40% illiteracy rate in the US?

 

[Beach Runner]

There is seriously a 40% illiteracy rate in the US?

In my COUNTY, not our COUNTRY.

The problem is so bad that our Junior League is a long-time supporter of initiatives such as homework hotlines and reading help for children whose parents are illiterate and thus cannot help their children succeed in school.

 

[Beach Runner]

The talking heads at CNN yesterday were saying that what Obama was saying violates the concept of E pluribus unum, that is, out of many peoples, races, and ancestries the U.S. has emerged as a single people, nation, and language. The CNN talking heads were actually polling people to advocate English as the official language in the U.S. These are the same people who disparaged every candidate but Obama in the past few months.

In my opinion, it is elitist for Obama to say that our children should learn a second language so that when they go to France, they know more than "Merci, beaucoup." Please. The majority of the people I know have never left the U.S. -- they can't afford it. I know people in my county who have never even been to downtown Atlanta. Most of these people need to learn English first. Then if they miraculously get prestigious college degrees and can afford to travel outside of the U.S., by all means they should teach themselves the language of the country in which they are traveling.

 

[scooterbug44]

I find nothing wrong with having an official language of English, but I've never heard it proposed except when discrimination and racism is also part of the conversation.

To succeed in a business world that is becoming increasingly global, you need to know more than one language. Having money, traveling, and being elitist has nothing to do with it.

We need people who speak foreign languages in the military, health care, and education fields just to name a few and since many low-wage workers speak Spanish as their first language, many contractors, landscapers, food service workers etc. are learning it too.

Raising the bar instead of lowering it to the level of the lazy illiterate idiots in your county is how we will make this country great and solve the big problems.

 

[Beach Runner]

I find nothing wrong with having an official language of English, but I've never heard it proposed except when discrimination and racism is also part of the conversation.

To succeed in a business world that is becoming increasingly global, you need to know more than one language. Having money, traveling, and being elitist has nothing to do with it.

We need people who speak foreign languages in the military, health care, and education fields just to name a few and since many low-wage workers speak Spanish as their first language, many contractors, landscapers, food service workers etc. are learning it too.

Raising the bar instead of lowering it to the level of the lazy illiterate idiots in your county is how we will make this country great and solve the big problems.

I agree wholeheartedly that knowing multiple languages is an asset. However, let's teach English first. Privileged children like mine and yours already know it. Heck, my daughter made such a high score on her verbal SAT II that she exempted English grammar and composition at MIT.

The underprivileged generally do not have those skills. It's not necessarily a matter of laziness, but rather a function of the environment in which that are reared. Very sad.

 

[scooterbug44]

My mother was a secretary and my father worked in a meat packing plant. I went to public high school where my best friend was the first in her family born on US soil.

I don't think I'm being elitist to think people CAN easily learn English and how to read plus another language.

 

[elgordoboy]

I agree wholeheartedly that knowing multiple languages is an asset. However, let's teach English first. Privileged children like mine and yours already know it. Heck, my daughter made such a high score on her verbal SAT II that she exempted English grammar and composition at MIT.

The underprivileged generally do not have those skills. It's not necessarily a matter of laziness, but rather a function of the environment in which that are reared. Very sad.

I scored very well on the verbal section of the regular SAT before the essay and point adjustments were instituted. Here is my High School yearbook photo to prove it..and I can use non sequitur in a sentence too.