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Do you know what you folks remind me of? I have the distinct pleasure *cough cough* of having to deal with a variety of so-called "writers" in various writer forums who post their masterpieces online and then ask for feedback. The moment you point out that sentences like "i relize i are going to regret this" is grammatically incorrect and that they need a proofreader, I become a "NAZI ELITIST" trying to "STIFLE THEIR CREATIVITY" and that I should "GIVE THEM A CHANCE."
People wallow in their desire to remain ignorant, and then expect you to pat them on the back because they are proud of their ignorance. Learning a foreign language actually HELPS STUDENTS with their grammar skills in English, because it forces them to develop a better understanding of tense, sentence structure, agreement, etc.
And if anyone would bother to read Obama's entire statement in context (I know, but what fun would that be, right?) you'll see that he was speaking in a hypothetical.
The entire quote reads:
"I don't understand when people are going around saying, 'We need to have English only.' They want to pass a law 'We want English only.' Now I agree that immigrants should learn English. I agree with that. But understand this. Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English. They'll learn English. You need to make sure your child can speak Spanish. You should be thinking about how can your child become bilingual. We should have every child speaking more than one language. It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is merci beaucoup, right?"
He singled out Spanish in direct response to people who demand that immigrants (and the demand is almost always aimed at Mexican immigrants) learn English. First, he is agreeing that immigrants do in fact have to learn English. But the second point is that children should learn Spanish, or another language, so we can be competitive on the global stage. Because being multilingual can increase your child's earning potential. Being multilingual gives your child an edge in the job market.
If he was saying that it was important for your children to learn algebra or calculus, nobody would bat an eyelash. But people with very narrow views of the universe here SPANISH and you just as well have yelled SHARK on the boardwalk in Atlantic City.
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Another case of someone not wanting to let the facts get in the way of his hate.
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Comments: 13
Let's jump over Europe; consider the continent of India. Here the problem is stretched to the extreme, there are so many languages there that many are fluent in several dialects and in English, which becomes common in urban areas because there are so many local dialects.
As for correcting grammar, I would either not do so, or I would write the corrections in a private email.
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Thank you Julie Ann for providing the real information. I'm shocked at the number of people who are either too stupid or too biased to comprehend relatively simple concepts.
What's more, I'm shocked that they don't care that the rest of the world laughs at their idiocy. [To be clear...I mean conservatives/liberals/independents, males/females, black/brown/white, etc, etc, etc. laugh at their idiocy...this isn't a political, gender, race, creed, etc thing.] For crying out loud people, can you not make a valid and unbiased presentation of your opinion? No one minds a good, honest debate based on facts and our interpretations of those facts. But can't you at least try to get the facts right first?
Sheesh.
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I admit that my comment is rather "direct" and untoward, and I must say it is quite unlike my normal respectful comments in cases where I disagree with the writer. But I have become increasingly frustrated with those who take pride in their own ignorance, or worse, bigotry. I believe that the rest of us have a right to expect honest discourse based on facts. We can respectfully disagree on our interpretation of the facts and our priorities for the future, but facts themselves must be the basis for all discussion.
The time of the ignorant and the bigot is passed. Please evolve to the 21st Century. Please clearly state your opinion and the supporting facts. With that, a healthy dialogue can begin...where all viewpoints can be put on the table for discussion and workable resolutions can be found. It starts with honesty and respect.
A few months ago I began a 3-year assignment working at my firm's office in Brussels, Belgium. I took French a hundred years ago (it seems) in high school and thought that it would "come back to me" quickly. It has not. I find myself constantly struggling and inhibited in doing the most basic things, like buying groceries and shopping for new shoes. This is made slightly easier because many Belgians speak some English. Some are fluent in English, as well as the native French, Dutch and even German. So often I get by because they can switch to my language easier than I can switch to theirs. And yet, I am in their country, so just like we in the US think everyone who lives there should speak English, so too should I learn French or Dutch (the two official languages of Brussels). And I'm working on it (at least the French).
But my point it this. It's not about learning everyone elses language for the sake of learning. Obviously we can't possibly learn every other language in the world. But, making the effort to learn another language - any other language, be it Spanish, French, Mandarin, Farsi, Arabic, or Swahili - helps us to learn more about the people who speak it. It helps us understand the differences we have...and the similarities. It helps us learn that differing cultures may lead to differing views of the world and subsequently different priorities. And yet we all want security, peace, and the basic necessities of providing for our families. Unfortunately, we, as Americans, do not know much about the rest of the world. This has become absolutely clear during the current Administration and must be changed if we are going to undertake any sort of leadership role in the future.
Like it or not, we now live in a world community. We in the US have become complacent in our "superpower" role and have lost sight of the fact that this role is not static. China and India, and even a resurgent Russia, will play larger and larger roles in the world community. We must not shy away from this role, but we also must not assume that our role will be the same as it has been in the past. Leadership doesn't mean bullying the rest, it means leading the rest toward common and mutual benefits in the future. In means understanding that others have significant roles to play, and if we don't lead, they will take over that leadership role. In fact, they have already begun doing so, and we must recapture our credibility in that regard...the credibilty lost during this past several years.
So learn a second (or even third) language. But more importantly, learn about other cultures. Learn how to interact with the rest of the world.
This douche bag writes ridiculous. Freedom of speech (and opinion). I don't comment on his articles or read them at all. I am friends with many who hold different opinions and debate with them all the time. This guy is not one of them.
He talks about banal stuff. Things he can understand. For instance he talk about Bernie Mac but Freddy Mac the mortgage lender is way over his head.
Don't be shocked with anything he says. There are a few more like him around. Again, a few. The majority here are fine.
I, like you, welcome honest debate.