Old 08-12-2008, 05:28 PM
  #44  
⌐ AV8OR WANNABE
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Joined APC: Mar 2006
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Originally Posted by 767pilot View Post
... As for the language test, I see a certain irony between pilots that wouldn't want to take such a test and still be able to live and work there and the same guys who may wish to deny spanish only speakers the same privelage here .
Earlier I missed this part of your reply; I think there's a big difference here. The German language test requirement is to make sure the potentially new German citizens will assimilate into the society and will be able to take the full advantage of all the opportunities in their new home country (aka the German government wants them to get real jobs so they don't have to support them financially in all eternity.)

The ACLU driven ‘press 1 for English and 2 for Spanish’ is something totally opposite. It's a way to divide our country into two separate enclaves which reminds me of Quebec and other linguistically divided nations.

I do agree that there should be other language alternatives for those who maybe do not speak English well enough but it should be done in a different way than it is now. For example when you pay for something at Wal-Mart you should never have to chose 'English' on the credit card machine - that should be automatic.

Now if you do wish to use another language there should be several other options on the machine: Spanish, German, French, Mandarin, etc, etc. They should be able to press on a tiny Spanish flag for Spanish, or a German flag for German, etc, etc.
We should never have to select English first – ‘press 1 for English’ rules create rasism not prevent it.


We should turn Spanish into what it is - a ‘tourist language,’ maybe even an illegal tourist language – but one of many ‘tourist’ languages - a national language it should never become yet the press 1 for English rules legitimize Spanish as a semi official national language. That’d threaten to Balkanize the country where some part of the country would speak only Spanish while others use English - eventually it'd lead to secessionist moves and future referendums to leave the union (I'm talking 25-50 years down the road) – just like in Canada.

As someone born and raised in Europe I hope that one day we’ll have an amendment to our constitution and make English the official language of the US. Sometimes it may be heavily accented or maybe even grammatically incorrect however the English language IS the glue holding our melting pot together.

Last edited by ⌐ AV8OR WANNABE; 08-12-2008 at 05:37 PM.
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